Marisa Watanabe, DDS, MS
Associate Dean for Community Partnerships and Access to Care, Professor
College of Dental Medicine
American Dental Association
California Dental Association
Tri-County Dental Society
American Association of Women Dentists
California School-Based Health Alliance
National School-Based Healthh Alliance
Dr. Watanabe graduated from the University of California, Berkeley (CAL) with a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology. While at CAL, she was the course director and co-Editor in Chief for ISSUES, Berkeley Medical Journal, a public health journal. She then attended California State Polytechnic University, Pomona where she attained her M.S. in biological sciences. After completing her Masters, she was awarded her D.D.S. from the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. She practiced general dentistry for several years until she transitioned back into academia at Western University of Health Sciences, College of Dental Medicine full-time. She is actively involved in projects, collaborations, and grant-funded opportunities to better serve the community throughout L.A. County and with the Special Olympics. Dr. Watanabe's research focuses on increasing the access to care for underserved populations through implementation of alternative dental clinics such as school-based oral health centers. She is happily married to a fellow CAL alumni who share a passion for the “blue and gold”. Go Bears!