We are pleased to announce Allen W. Cowley, Jr., PhD., as The TMJ Association’s (TMJA) new president, succeeding his late wife, Terrie Cowley, the Association’s co-founder.
Dr. Cowley has an illustrious research career, with over 400 scientific publications, particularly in hypertension and kidney disease. He has served as President of both the American Physiological Society (APS) and the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS). A long-time research grantee of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Dr. Cowley has received top honors from the American Heart Association and the American Physiological Society.
Throughout his career, Dr. Cowley has significantly contributed to The TMJ Association’s mission. He often accompanied his wife to Washington, D.C., to meet with health agency leaders and legislators. He has been an active member of the TMJA Board of Directors, Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board, and Program Chair for eight international TMJ research meetings co-funded with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2001.
Following Terrie Cowley’s passing in July 2024, Dr. Cowley was unanimously elected President by TMJA’s Board of Directors. He has been deeply involved in initiatives like the FDA’s TMJ Patient-Led RoundTable and the TMJ Medical Device Epidemiology Network (MDEpiNet) project, aiming to improve TMD treatments and establish a national TMJ patient registry. Additionally, he is a member of the Forum on Temporomandibular Disorders at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where he advocates for increased research funding and better treatment options.
Through her years of interaction and experience with TMJ patients, Terrie recognized the benefits of a team approach in addressing patient needs. Her legacy includes successfully fostering connections between medical and dental educational institutions, as well as with other professionals such as physical therapists. As a highly respected professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Dr. Cowley is well-positioned to continue her innovative work, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and ongoing education for healthcare professionals to advance the understanding and treatment of TMJ disorders.