Juliana A. Barros, DDS, MS, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics at the University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston. She serves as the Director for the Laser Dentistry Clinic, Operative Dentistry I and II. Dr. Barros earned her DDS from the University of Uberaba, Brazil in 1995. She has postgraduate training in Restorative Dentistry from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. In addition, she earned a master's degree in Laser Dentistry from the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute and University of São Paulo, Brazil. She lectures and conducts research in the fields of restorative dentistry, biomaterials, and hard/soft tissue laser applications. Recognizing great opportunities to advance knowledge and treatment in Laser Dentistry, she developed the laser dentistry curriculum at UT Health School of Dentistry at Houston and is the acting director of the laser clinic.

Dr. Barros is a member of several organizations such as the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), Academy of Operative Dentistry (AOD), and International Association for Dental Research (IADR), American Dental Education Association (ADEA), and Consortium of Operative Dentistry Educators.  In 2019, she was the recipient of the Academy of Laser Dentistry T.H. Maiman Award for Excellence in Dental Laser Research. Dr. Barros is an ALD Recognized Course Provider.

Charles Hoopingarner, DDS, is a 1973 graduate of The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston who has maintained a private practice in Houston since then.  Dr. Hoopingarner has been an Adjunct Associate Professor at UTSD for 12 years and a Clinical Instructor at the Las Vegas Institute since 1997. He holds advanced and standard proficiency certifications, as well as a mastership from the Academy of Laser Dentistry.

Shalizeh A. “Shelly” Patel, DDS, MEd, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Prosthodontics and also serves as Director of Clinical Simulation. In 2020, she was inducted into The University of Texas Kenneth I. Shine, MD, Academy of Health Science Education and recognized as a Distinguished Teaching Professor byThe University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).  Dr. Patel teaches Clinical Restorative Dentistry to second-, third- and fourth-year dental students. In addition, she designed didactic, lab and clinic-based teaching curriculum in Operative, Simulation and laser education at UTSD. She is principal investigator/collaborator in several research projects in the field of caries diagnosis/management, advances in teaching and learning, laser dentistry and virtual reality in health care. These efforts have led to scholarly publications, a textbook chapter, and many presentations at state, national and international levels. Dr. Patel is an honored recipient of the ADEA/Colgate-Palmolive Co. Excellence in Teaching Award (2019) and the Academy of Laser Dentistry’s T.H. Maiman Award for Excellence in Laser Research (2019). In 2014, first- and second-year dental students selected her as winner of the John H. Freeman Award for Faculty Teaching. At the School of Dentistry, she has won Dean’s Excellence Awards for Teaching (2012, 2015) and in 2019 won the Dean’s Excellence Award for Mentoring.

In 2020, she won a Dean's Excellence Award for application, in recognition of her work with Dr. Juliana Barros in applied laser technology. She has completed both ADEA Leadership Institute (national) and the UTHealth Health Educators Fellowship Program (institutional). In 2019, she earned a master's degree in education, curriculum and instruction in health science education from the University of Houston. Dr. Patel is an ALD Recognized Course Provider

Angie Wallace, RDH, has been a clinical dental hygienist for more than 25 years. She is a member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry (ALD), where she obtained her Advanced Level proficiency and Educator Status. She became an ALD Recognized Course Provider 2007 and a Master with ALD in 2008. Ms. Mott currently serves as co-chair for membership and as student scholarship chair for the ALD Board of Directors, also serving on the Auxiliary, Regulatory, Education and Certification committees. She was the recipient of the ALD’s 2014 John G. Sulewski, Distinguished Service Award, and is the ALD’s in-office laser consultant. She is a past presenter for the ALD, RDH Under One Roof, Greater New York, and for several state boards’ annual meetings. She has been published in magazines and has written chapters for laser books, in addition to co-authoring her own book about laser hygiene.