Meet Our Dentists
Dr. Vagan Tapaltsyan, DDS, PhD
A Berkeley resident since 2010, Dr. Tapaltsyan spent the first part of his childhood in Europe, attending a foreign language immersion preparatory school before moving to the US for high school. He went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude with a BS in Biology from the University of Central Oklahoma, where he was also a member of the sailing team. Continuing on his lifelong path of going West, Dr Tapaltsyan moved to California for graduate studies and received both his DDS and PhD in Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine from UCSF, where he currently holds the rank of Assistant Professor and is the Director of Evidence-Based Dentistry Program and an instructor for the UCSF Dental Implantology Training Program.
In addition to practicing dentistry and teaching, Dr. Tapaltsyan's research interests include dental implantology and dental stem cells biology, which can one day help us regenerate new teeth and bone. He has authored many research articles and book chapters on this subject and lectures internationally.
Dr. Tapaltsyan is a member of the American Dental Association, California Dental Association, American Association of Endodontists, American Academy of Sports Dentistry, and American Academy of Laser Dentistry. In his spare time, he enjoys occasional crewing for sailboat races, drawing, hiking, reading, and exploring the great outdoors with his German shorthair pointer Duke.
Education:
BS – University of Central Oklahoma (Summa Cum Laude)
DDS – University of California San Francisco
PhD – University of California San Francisco
Post-Doctoral Fellowship – University of California San Francisco / Harvard Medical School
Selected Awards:
Class Marshall (Top Graduating Student) – University of Central Oklahoma
Captain Meritte Maxwell Award for best PhD thesis – University of California San Francisco
Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award – National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH
William J Gies Foundation Research Award – American Dental Education Association
Achievement in Oral Biology Award – American Association of Oral Biologists
Selected Publications:
- Percival CJ, Marangoni P, Tapaltsyan V, Klein O, Hallgrímsson B. The interaction of genetic background and mutational effects in regulation of mouse craniofacial shape. G3 (Bethesda). 2017 May;7(5):1439-50. Click Here to View
- Tapaltsyan V, Charles C, Hu J, Mindell D, Ahituv N, Wilson GM, Black BL, Viriot L, Klein OD. Identification of novel Fgf enhancers and their role in dental evolution. Evol Dev. 2016 Jan;18(1):31-40. Click Here to View
- Tapaltsyan V, Eronen JT, Lawing AM, Sharir A, Janis C, Jernvall J, Klein OD. Continuously growing rodent molars result from a predictable quantitative evolutionary change over 50 million years. Cell Rep. 2015 May;11(5):673-80. Click Here to View [Cell Reports Cover - Click Here to View]
Dr. George Ibrahim, DDS
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Dr Ibrahim spent his childhood in South San Francisco until graduating from South San Francisco High School and moving to Los Angeles to begin his undergraduate education at UCLA. He went on to graduate with honors and received a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. After completing his undergraduate studies, Dr Ibrahim moved back north and received his DDS degree from the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, where he served both as class president and associated student body president. While at UOP, Dr Ibrahim researched comparative strengths of adhesive and restorative materials used in modern dentistry.
Dr. Ibrahim is an Assistant Professor at the UOP Dugoni School of Dentistry, and is a member of the American Dental Association and California Dental Association. Outside of dentistry, he spends his time reading, swimming, going on hikes with his dog Tiger, and playing chess poorly.
Education:
BS - University of California Los Angeles
DDS - University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry
Selected Awards:
Outstanding Student Leader Award- American College of Dentists, Northern California
Dr. Sigmund H. Abelson Award for Achievement in Leadership - UOP Dugoni School of Dentistry
Kevin Campbell Alumni Service Award - UOP Dugoni School of Dentistry
Personalized Instructional Program Bench/Clinical Research Award - UOP Dugoni School of Dentistry
Get In Touch:
Office Hours:
Monday: 8AM - 5PM
Tuesday: 8AM - 5PM
Wednesday: 8AM - 5PM
Thursday: 8AM - 5PM
Friday: 8AM - 5PM
Saturday: Closed
Sunday Closed