Dr. Burke Soffe, founding dean of the Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, has announced the appointment of Dr. Stefanie Leacock as the inaugural director of research for the school.
Dr. Leacock, an assistant professor in the dental school, will assume the new leadership role in addition to her faculty appointment. She will be responsible for advancing scholarly inquiry, supporting faculty and student research initiatives, and ensuring compliance with accreditation standards.
“Research is at the heart of innovation in oral health,” Dr. Soffe said. “By appointing Dr. Leacock to this role, we are ensuring that our students will not only receive exceptional clinical training but also learn how to think critically, evaluate evidence and contribute new knowledge to the field. Her leadership will be instrumental in shaping a research culture that will serve our students, our patients and the profession for years to come.”
Dr. Leacock said she is honored by the appointment and eager to create opportunities for discovery and collaboration.
“I was drawn to the dental school by the integrated curriculum and the collaboration between biomedical science and clinical faculty,” Dr. Leacock said. “This position gives me another avenue to work with our faculty and students to develop projects that foster curiosity, build confidence, advance oral health research and support best practices in dental education. My goal is to ensure that every student understands the value, process and interpretation of research so they can provide high-quality patient care that evolves with new discoveries.”
Dr. Leacock previously taught in the Department of Biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for nearly seven years and prior to that at the University of Texas at Austin. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where she used zebrafish as a model organism to study cancer biology.
She earned a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Florida State University and a Doctor of Philosophy in genetics from Yale University. Her dissertation focused on germline gene expression in C. elegans and identified two novel maternally expressed genes that promote embryonic germline establishment. Her postdoctoral research, funded by the American Cancer Society, examined the role of the Ewing’s sarcoma fusion protein in tumor development.
Dr. Leacock has received several awards and fellowships for her teaching and research, including support for developing Open Educational Resources in genetics and a fellowship to design a new module for Responsible Conduct of Research education. Her honors include the UT Austin School of Biological Sciences Outstanding Teaching Award, a UA Little Rock JumpStart for Teaching Award and the UA Little Rock Student Government “We Heart Our Faculty” Award.
At Lyon, Dr. Leacock will develop and implement a research plan aligned with the dental school’s mission and strategic priorities, mentor faculty and students, support grant development, promote dissemination of research and ensure regulatory compliance.
The Lyon College School of Dental Medicine, based in Little Rock, is the first dental school in Arkansas and welcomed its inaugural class of 80 students in summer 2025. The appointment of a research director highlights the school’s commitment to combining clinical excellence with scholarship and innovation.