Dr. Hausen is an international leader in the field of oral diseases risk assessment and dental disease prevention. He obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Dentistry in 1965 and his Licentiate of Dentistry in 1968, both from the University of Turku (Finland); his Dr. of Dentistry degree (DOdont.) from the University of Kuopio (Finland) in 1983; and his MPH degree from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, USA) in 1986.
Dr. Hausen was appointed as the first professor of Community Dentistry in Finland in 1985, when the chair was established at the University of Kuopio. His pioneering work in the field of Community Dentistry in Finland is based on years of practical experience as a school and public health dentist in Eastern Finland. Since 1975, he has worked in different posts at the Universities of Kuopio, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Oulu.
He has applied his broad knowledge of biostatistics and epidemiological methods to major dental public health problems in Europe and Africa. He has inspired numerous junior faculty members in Finland, and continues to be an inspiration for his colleagues in Nordic countries, as well as in several developing countries. Many of Dr. Hausen's colleagues have gone on to publish well-regarded research in the area of caries risk assessment and prevention. In particular, his studies dealing with risk-group prevention have provided valuable and unique information on the application and shortcomings of this popular approach in practice. His research on the relation among dental check-ups, preventive procedures, and caries occurrence has initiated the process of reconsidering the routine caries-preventive chair-side procedures and annual check-ups in public oral health centers in Finland.
The reported work is always thorough, always measured, and invariably incorporates recent thinking into the analysis and discussion. Thanks to his very pedagogical way of presenting his views, Dr. Hausen has the rare ability to stimulate a debate instead of just rejecting misinterpreted data or analyses performed in an inappropriate way.
The IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Behavioral Sciences & Health Services Research is sponsored by generous funding from Sunstar Butler and is one of 15 Distinguished Scientist Awards conferred annually by the IADR, representing the highest honor the IADR can bestow.
Dr. Hausen received his award today at the Opening Ceremonies of the IADR's 83rd General Session.