Rate My Professor Rishma Shah

Rishma Shah is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Oral Facial Genetics at the Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indiana University Indianapolis, formerly known as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. In 2025, she was appointed the Joseph R. and Louise Ada Jarabak Professor, the third recipient of this endowed position dedicated to advancing orthodontic education, research on the stomatognathic system, temporomandibular joint disorders, and training of orthodontic educators. She joined the faculty in 2024. Prior to this, Shah served in the Division of Craniofacial and Surgical Care at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry and as faculty at the University College London Eastman Dental Institute in the United Kingdom. She is a member of the Cleft and Craniofacial Anomalies Team at Riley Children’s Health and affiliated with the Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health in the IU School of Medicine.

Shah earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery with honors from the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’ Hospitals, a master’s degree in orthodontics with distinction from the Eastman Dental Institute, and a PhD in biomaterials and tissue engineering from University College London. She holds fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Higher Education Academy. Her research centers on craniofacial muscle regeneration and tissue engineering to address soft tissue defects in patients with craniofacial anomalies, particularly cleft conditions. Supported by an R01 award from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and funding from the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation, her projects include engineering autologous craniofacial skeletal muscle tissue with contiguous tendon using biomimetic scaffolds, growth factors, and mechanical loading. Shah invented and patented a mobile intraoral speech device paired with a gaming app providing audio-visual feedback to improve speech articulation in cleft patients. She contributes editorially as Section Editor for the Cleft Palate Craniofacial Journal and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Orthodontics, reviews for the NIH Skeletal Muscle and Exercise Physiology Study Section, and organizes sessions for the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association. Her honors include the 2025 American Association of Orthodontists Foundation Biomedical Research Award.