Dr. Scannapieco is Professor and Chair of the Department of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo. He received the BS in Biology from the University of Connecticut in 1977, the MS in Biology from Northeastern University, the DMD from the University of Connecticut, and a Certificate in Periodontology and PhD in Oral Biology, both from the University at Buffalo.  He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Periodontology, has edited two issues of Dental Clinics of North America, serves on the editorial boards of Infection and Immunity and the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, and has served as a referee for over 60 peer-reviewed scientific journals.

He is Treasurer of the American Association for Dental Research, and is an active member of the American Society for Microbiology, American Dental Association, and the American Academy of Periodontology. He practices periodontics, and is an active educator and mentor for graduate and dental students.  His research focuses on oral microbiology, molecular mechanisms of oral bacterial colonization, and the interface between oral and systemic health, especially the role of oral conditions in the process of respiratory infection.