In 2023, the WFO initiated a new annual awards program recognizing a wide spectrum of individuals and their accomplishments. The following awards were first announced in 2024 and were presented at the 2025 AAO/WFO Presidents’ Breakfast during the American Association of Orthodontists Annual Session, April 25–27 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2024 award recipients included:
Lee W. Graber “Orthodontics Changing Lives” Award:
Dr. Prabhat Kumar Chaudhari – Indian Orthodontic Society
Dr. Puneet Batra – Indian Orthodontic Society
Dr. Adith Venugopal – New Zealand Association of Orthodontists
Athanasious E. Athanasiou Best Orthodontic Master’s Thesis Award:
Dr. Sophie Roberts (University of Melbourne) – Thesis Title: Three-Dimensional Changes in Class II Patients Treated with the Twin Block Functional Appliance: A Case-Control Study
Dr. Patcharamas Banditsaowapak (Taipei Medical University) – Thesis Title: The Effect of Different Anterioposterior Craniodentofacial Morphology on Three Dimensional Smiles
Roberto Justus “Rising Star” Travel Scholarship:
Dr. Koo Chieh Shen – Association of Orthodontists (Singapore)
Dr. Navdeep Bhusri – Cambodian Association of Orthodontists
Dr. Ivan Halim – Indonesian Association of Orthodontists
Dr. Fabrizia d’Apuzzo – Italian Society of Orthodontics (SIDO)
Roberto Justus “Rising Star” Travel Scholarship recipients gathered for a photo with WFO leaders outside
the Pennsylvania Convention Center after the awards breakfast presentations. Pictured, from left, are
Drs. Carlo Bosoni, Navdeep Bhusri, Srirengalakshmi, Nikhillesh Vaiid (Former WFO president), Fabrizia d’Apuzzo,
Bryce Lee (WFO Executive Committee member and Award Committee chair) and Ivan Halim.
Not pictured: Dr. Koo Chieh Shen.
Dr. Srirengalakshmi – Indian Orthodontic Society
Dr. Carlo Bosoni – Italian Society of Orthodontics (SIDO)
Allan R. Thom WFO Art Competition:
Veda Garewal (age 11) – submitted by Dr. Stutee Grewal
Nagy Elwany (age 7) – submitted by Dr. Samar Adel
Chiara Cerasuolo (age 8) – submitted by Dr. Ludovica Nucci
Congratulations to all award winners. The application process is open for 2026 annual awards. Apply by January 31, 2026 for consideration, via WFO Awards.
Announcements of 2025 awards were made this year at the AAO/WFO Presidents’ Breakfast, with presentation to follow in 2026.
T.M. Graber Award presented during annual breakfast
The WFO has recognized the article, “En Masse Retraction of Anterior Teeth through Rapid Periodontal Distraction by a Retraction Screw: A Randomized Control Trial” as the recipient of the 2025 Dr. T.M. Graber Outstanding Article Award.
Dr. Hibi Dora, first author of the 2025 Dr. T.M. Graber Outstanding Article, was unable to travel to
Philadelphia to the AAO Annual Session breakfast. Dr. Srirengalakshmi accepted the award on her behalf,
presented by Drs. Vinod Krishnan (left) and Lee Graber.
The article appeared in the June 2024 edition of the Journal of the World Federation of Orthodontists. The JWFO is offered exclusively online, and WFO members have complete access to the peer-reviewed journal’s content as a membership benefit.
Authors included Hibu Dora, Mubasshir Ahmed Shaikh, Seema Gupta, Sameena Begum Maqhbool, Salim Shamsuddin and Saraswati Raghunath Kokate.
