John D. Featherstone, MSc, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the prior Dean of the School of Dentistry. He earned his M.Sc. in physical chemistry from the University of Manchester (UK) and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Wellington (New Zealand).

His research over the past 48 years has covered several aspects of cariology (study of tooth decay), he was one of the scientists who established how fluoride really works, and he was a pioneer in research on laser interactions with hard tissues. His work has led to the development and marketing of new lasers that have advanced laser dentistry. He spearheaded the development of CAMBRA® (caries management by risk assessment) at UCSF and is currently active in encouraging the implementation of Optimal Intervention Dentistry across the world.

He has received numerous National and International awards, including the Distinguished Scientist Award for Research in Dental Caries from the International Association for Dental Research (2002); the Zsolnai Prize for outstanding research in dental caries from the European Organization for Caries Research (2002); T.H. Maiman Award: for excellence in dental laser research. Academy of Laser Dentistry, 2002; the Norton Ross Award for excellence in clinical research from the American Dental Association (2007); the Lifetime Achievment Medal from the Alpha Omega International Dental Organization, 2022 and the Americn Dental Association Distinguished Service Award, 2023. He is as an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Dentists, the Pierre Fouchard Society, an honorary lifetime member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry and also an honorary lifetime member of the American Dental Association.

He has published over 320 papers and book chapters. He was principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous research grants and contracts over the past 40 years, largely from the National Institutes of Health.