Dr. Alan Lowe with DGZS board members. From left to right: Ulrich Huebers, DDS (vice-president), Markus Heise, DDS (secretary), Alan Lowe, DMD, PhD, FRCD (C), Susanne Schwarting, DDS (president), Joerg Schlieper, MD, DDS (treasurer).

Dr. Alan Lowe, professor and chair, Division of Orthodontics, received the 4th Meier-Ewert Award from the Deutsche Gesellschaft Zahnarztliche Schlafmedizin (DGZS)—the German Society of Dental Sleep Medicine.

The DGZS inaugurated the Meier-Ewert Award in 2005 to recognize German neurologist, psychiatrist and sleep physician Prof. Karlheinz Meier-Ewert, who published on mandibular advancement devices in sleep apnea patients as early as 1984.

On October 18, 2008, the DGZS hosted its eighth symposium, held for the third time during the annual meeting of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin (DGSM)—the German Sleep Society. This latter meeting fosters interdisciplinary awareness among German sleep physicians about oral appliance therapy in sleepdisordered breathing.

Dr. Lowe was the keynote DGSM speaker and he presented an overview titled “Oral Appliances and Obstructive Sleep Apnea—Twenty Years of Research.” Dr. Lowe was honoured as a pioneer in the field of dental sleep medicine for his outstanding scientific work over several decades: he has published more than 100 papers, 120 abstracts and eleven book chapters.

He has also lectured extensively on oral appliances, both nationally and internationally, and in 1991 he co-founded the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.