Speakers
Virginia Lopez, RDH, BS, CDIPC
Virginia has over 27 years of experience in the dental profession as a chair-side dental assistant, registered dental hygienist, adjunct didactic dental assistant instructor, continuing education program developer, and administrator of professional seminars. She has been a speaker of various continuing education courses for over 17 years and a practicing dental hygienist for over 21 years. Her subtle sense of humor and friendly disposition keeps her audiences comfortable and entertained. Virginia is an active member of the OSAP organization; therefore she keeps current on all infection control guidelines and recommendations. She holds a certificate in dental infection prevention and control from OSAP and the Dale Foundation. Virginia also holds the Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control (CDIPC) certification from the DANB and the OSAP organization.
Hillel D. Ephros, DMD, MD
Dr. Hillel Ephros is a graduate of both the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine (DMD, 1980) and St. George's University School of Medicine (MD, 1992). He completed a general practice residency at St. Joseph's University Medical Center in 1981 and residency training in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the VA NJ Healthcare System in 1986 achieving certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1988. He is also certified by the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology.
Dr. Ephros currently directs one of New Jersey's two residencies in oral and maxillofacial surgery, is an Adjunct Professor at New York Medical College and also has faculty appointments at Columbia University and Rutgers. He served as an examiner for the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from 2004-2009, chaired the Oral Cancer Consortium in 2003-4 and again 2013-4 and served as a member of the Oral Cancer workgroup of the New Jersey Task Force on Cancer Prevention and Control.
Dr. Ephros currently chairs the Department of Dentistry and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at St. Joseph's Health where he is also Medical Director of the Regional Craniofacial Center at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. He has contributed to the scientific literature and presents locally, nationally and internationally. With a career-long devotion to medical education, Dr. Ephros also takes great pride in the awards he has received for teaching including the Archbishop John J. Meyers Outstanding Educator Award in 2003 from Seton Hall University School of Health and Medical Sciences. He also been recognized for his mission work including the Sergio Award presented to Dr. Ephros by Healing the Children in 2005.
Patrick Quaranta, DMD, MS, FACD, FICD
Dr. Quaranta has been a practicing dentist for over 36 years. His post-doctoral training was in Oral Medicine and in Psychology. He was a full time faculty member in the department of Diagnostic Sciences-Oral Medicine Division at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine where he taught many and varied dental continuing education courses at Rutgers before retiring and going back to private practice. Dr. Quaranta currently works in private practice doing Oral Medicine, Oro-facial pain/TMD and treatment planning for medically complex patients. He is a national and international presenter of various continuing education courses. Throughout his career Dr. Quaranta has received various teaching awards. In 2001 he was inducted into the Master Educator Guild and designated a Master Educator. In 2002, he was accepted as a Fellow in the American College of Dentists. Dr. Quaranta has been involved in research, community and university service, and he has also authored publications.