AAO appoints new journal editor in chief

Rolf Behrents, DDS, PhD, has been appointed the new editor in chief of the American Association of Orthodontists' (AAO) American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJO-DO).

The appointment by the AAO board of trustees was made effective this week. AJO-DO is the official publication of the AAO, its constituent societies, the American Board of Orthodontics, and the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics. It is a resource of orthodontic research and clinical information.

Dr. Behrents is the Lysle E. Johnston Jr. endowed professor of orthodontics and the program director of the orthodontic program at the Center for Advanced Dental Education at Saint Louis University. Previously, he has held faculty positions at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, where he was a professor and chairman of the department of orthodontics. From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Behrents was professor and chairman of the department of orthodontics at Baylor College of Dentistry. He served as the executive director of the Center for Advanced Dental Education at Saint Louis University from 2003 to 2011.

Dr. Behrents received completed his dental training at Meharry Medical College in Nashville and received his orthodontic education and Master of Science degree from Case Western Reserve University. He later earned a doctorate from the University of Michigan for work conducted at the university's Center for Human Growth and Development.

Dr. Behrents has published more than 70 articles in professional journals and has lectured extensively in the U.S. and abroad. He is the only two-time winner of the Milo Hellman Research Award, the highest award given by the AAO for outstanding research of significance to the specialty of orthodontics.

The AJO-DO celebrates its 99th year in publication. Dr. Behrents is the eighth person to hold the title of editor in chief.