Where He Works:

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health

 Why He Was Nominated:

One of only a handful of dentists in the world to have used gene therapy in human patients, Dr. Warner was the first to comprehensively characterize the newly reported immune-related adverse event, immune checkpoint inhibitor–induced dry mouth. At the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, he leads a clinical research team investigating the causes of salivary gland dysfunction and testing novel methods to prevent and treat salivary gland diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome and radiation-induced dry mouth.

Impact of the Pandemic:

“Early on, based on prior literature, we knew there was a potential for saliva to be positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus. So we designed a clinical study to collect biospecimens and compare nasopharyngeal swabs—the CDC’s gold-standard test—to whole saliva collection. We were not the only team investigating this relationship, and ultimately several saliva-based tests are now available. Thus we temporarily stopped enrolling in our regular clinical research program and devoted 100 percent of our efforts to addressing unanswered questions about SARS-CoV-2 and meeting the public-health needs of this global pandemic.”

Biggest Challenge:

“There are often setbacks in research and academics. You must be mentally and emotionally prepared to persist in achieving your goals while sharpening your patient-care skills. I think it’s also important to equally develop your empathy, competence and confidence—not only for yourself and family but for your patients too.”