Texas A&M University College of Dentistry

Madhu Shrestha, PhD, MS, MDS, BDS

Clinical Assistant Professor Department of Diagnostic Sciences | College of Dentistry
Contact Groups and Affiliations

Biography

Dr. Madhu Shrestha is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences at Texas A&M University School of Dentistry. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology. She earned her dental degree from Tribhuvan University, Nepal, graduating first in her class with a gold medal. She then completed a residency in Oral Pathology in India (2008–2011), where she ranked first in her program. After serving as an Assistant Professor of Oral Pathology in Nepal, she received the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. at Hiroshima University, where her research focused on molecular carcinogenesis. Her work received several honors, including Best Paper, Best Poster, the Young Investigator Award, and the Dean’s Award from Hiroshima University in 2019. Dr. Shrestha completed her Master’s in Oral Biology and Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology residency at Texas A&M University in 2022, followed by a short clinical research fellowship at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH). She joined Texas A&M as faculty in 2023.

She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and has been invited to speak at national and international meetings. She serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, Review Editor for Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology, and an editorial board member for Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology. She is also a member of the International Consortium on Odontogenic Tumours. Her research interests include molecular carcinogenesis, oral cancer and precancer, odontogenic and bone tumors, and salivary gland pathology, with a focus on translational and collaborative research.

Outside academia, Dr. Shrestha enjoys writing poetry, hiking, and community service. She is a Past President of the Dallas Asian Dental Association and serves on the grant committee and executive team of the Himalayan Health Clinic, a volunteer clinic operated by the Texas Nepalese Medical Association. She has climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mt. Guadalupe in Texas and hopes to explore more of the world’s iconic mountains.

Education

  • National Institutes of Health- Clinical Fellow, 2022
  • M.S (Masters in Oral Biology) Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas, 2022
  • Certificate in Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas, 2022
  • Ph. D In Biomedical Sciences (Oral &Maxillofacial pathology) Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan, 2019
  • M.D.S (Master of Dental Surgery) in Oral Pathology Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India under Kathmandu University, Nepal, 2011
  • B.D.S (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) People’s Dental College & Hospital, Nepal, Tribhuvan University, 2006

Research Interests

  • Oral precancer, cancer and molecular carcinogenesis
  • Salivary gland pathology
  • Bone biology and bone diseases
  • AI in Pathology

Awards & Honors

  • 2015-2019 MEXT – “Mongbukagakusho” Japanese government scholarship
  • Deans’ Award, 2019, awarded by the Dean University
  • 2019 Hiroshima University Dental Alumni award, Japan
  • 2018 “Waldron Award”- Best Poster abstract award (international) – Joint meeting of International Association of Oral Pathology and American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Canada
  • 2018 “Young investigator award”- Hiroshima University, 7th Hiroshima Conference on Education and Science in Dentistry, Hiroshima
  • 2018 Best Poster presentation- Hiroshima University, 7th Hiroshima Conference on Education and Science in Dentistry, Hiroshima
  • 2017 Best Presentation & “Research Incentive Award” at 50th General Meeting of the Hiroshima University Dental Society, Japan
  • 2016 Best Oral Presentation award (International), Joint meeting of 18th International Association of Oral Pathology (IAOP) & 25th IAOMP (Indian Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology), India
  • 2016 Travel grant, 18th IAOP & 25th IAOMP conference, Chennai, India
  • 2016 M.D Anderson Travel grant- for international conference on Betel Quid and Areca, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
  • 2011 Highest rank- Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology in Post-graduate program, MCODS, Mangalore, India
  • 2010 Best Women Athlete award, Annual sports festival, 2010, MCODS, Mangalore, India
  • 2010 Best paper award- VIIIth Forensic Odontology Conference, S.P.P.G.I.D.M.S, Lucknow, India on 30-10-2010 to 31-10-2010
  • 2006 Gold medal- highest academic excellence in Dental School (B.D.S), Kathmandu, Nepal
  • 1998 School topper certificate- School Leaving Certificate (High School), Itahari, Nepal

Certifications & Training

  • 2023 Texas Dental Association
  • 2022 Diplomate, American Board of Maxillofacial Pathology
  • 2021 Fellow of the AAOMP
  • 2019 Member, AAOMP
  • 2019 Executive Committee & Founding Member, Nepalese Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathologists
  • 2019 Life member, Hiroshima University Faculty of Dentistry Alumni
  • 2014 Member, ASOMP (Asian Society of Oral & Maxillofacial pathology)
  • 2014 International Association of Oral Pathologists
  • 2014 Member, Japanese Society of Oral Pathology (JSOP)
  • 2008 Member, Indian Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathologists
  • 2006 Member, Nepal Medical Council
  • 2006 Member, Nepal Dental Association

Book Chapters

Madhu Shrestha, John M. Wright, Cinthia Veronica Bardalez Lopez de Caceres, Felipe Paiva Fonseca. Sarcoidosis, January 2026, In book: Lymphoproliferative and Granulomatous Disorders of the Oral Cavity. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-98844-8_17


Book chapter submitted for publication:
Madhu Shrestha, Josh Allen, Ashim R Shrestha, John M. Wright. Carlson and Halpern: Section 9. Pathology of the maxillofacial region, Chapter 64: Oral mucosal lesions in Laskin's Fundamentals of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 1e

Publications

2026 Papilliferous keratoameloblastoma (PKA): Is it a different clinicopathological entity or histological subtype of conventional ameloblastoma?
Goh YC, Bologna-Molina R, Magliocca K, van Heerden W, Robinson L, Bilodeau EA, Hussaini HM, Soluk-Tekkesin M, Shrestha M, Vered M, Adisa AO, Li J, Gomez RS, Hunter KD, Tilakaratne WM. Papilliferous keratoameloblastoma (PKA): Is it a different clinicopathological entity or histological subtype of conventional ameloblastoma? J Oral Pathol Med. 2026;55(5):511–519.
2026 Sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma: A review of a challenging entity in malignant odontogenic classification with a focus on perineural invasion and cellular proliferation.
Soluk-Tekkesin M, Hunter KD, Bologna-Molina R, Magliocca K, Robinson L, Adisa AO, Li J, Bilodeau EA, Hussaini HM, Shrestha M, Gomez RS, van Heerden W, Tilakaratne WM. Sclerosing odontogenic carcinoma: A review of a challenging entity in malignant odontogenic classification with a focus on perineural invasion and cellular proliferation. J Oral Pathol Med. 2026; 55:1–10.
2026 Polarized hyperspectral and polarized light microscopic imaging for enhanced visualization of white blood cells.
Zhou X, Mubarak HK, Ma L, Medina EA, Brimhall BB, Whitted M, Palsgrove D, Shrestha M, Fei B. Polarized hyperspectral and polarized light microscopic imaging for enhanced visualization of white blood cells. J Biomed Opt. 2026;31(4):046501.
2026 Adenoid ameloblastoma: Time for a change.
Ana Luiza Oliveira Corrêa Roza, Madhu Shrestha, John M Wright. Adenoid ameloblastoma: Time for a change. Seminars in Diagnostic pathology, July 2026
2026 Oral hairy leukoplakia
Shrestha, A., Javed, B., Tran, K., & Shrestha, M. (2026). Clinical Challenge. Oral hairy leukoplakia. Texas Dental Journal, 143(5), 110–113.
2026 Odontogenic hamartomata and allied lesions: can we find clarity at the interface of development and neoplasia?
Elizabeth Bilodeau, Ronell Bologna, Haizal Hussaini, Sven Niklander, Rene Martinez, Madhu Shrestha, Keith D Hunter. Not in the Classification: Odontogenic hamartomata and allied lesions: can we find clarity at the interface of development and neoplasia? Seminars in Diagnostic Pathology. July 2026, 151034
2026 Response to: “Sclerosing Odontogenic Carcinoma: Why Is It Difficult to Diagnose With Confidence?”,
8. Soluk-Tekkesin M, Hunter KD, Bologna-Molina R, Magliocca K, Robinson L, Adisa AO, Li J, Bilodeau EA, Hussaini HM, Shrestha M, Gomez RS, van Heerden W, Tilakaratne WM. “ Response to: “Sclerosing Odontogenic Carcinoma: Why Is It Difficult to Diagnose With Confidence?”,” Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine (2026): 1–3
2026 Parotid Oncocytomas Express the Glycoprotein Non-metastatic Melanoma Protein B (GPNMB): A Potential Link with Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome.
Alberto Peraza-Labrador, Justin Bishop, Laura S Schmidt, John Wright, W Marston Linehan, George Snipes, Erin Chapman, Doreen Palsgrove, Mathew Kesterke, Michael Keeney, Todd M Stevens, Madhu Shrestha. Parotid Oncocytomas Express the Glycoprotein Non-metastatic Melanoma Protein B (GPNMB): A Potential Link with Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome. Head and Neck Pathol 20, 67 (2026).
2025 Clinicopathologic conference case 6: An ulcerated lesion on the gingiva of an adolescent female.
Shrestha M, Alramadan S, Woo V, Wright J. Clinical pathologic conference cases presented at the 22nd International Congress of Oral Pathology and Medicine, Cancun, Mexico, June 18–22, 2024. Clinicopathologic conference case 6: An ulcerated lesion on the gingiva of an adolescent female. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2025;140.
2025 Comparative study of the clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemical expression of recurrent and non-recurrent glandular odontogenic cysts: A retrospective longitudinal cohort multicenter study.
Labrador AP, Wright J, Woo V, Kowalski M, Tikkhanarak K, Handoo N, Wongpattaraworakul W, Bilodeau E, Nor F, Smith MH, Kesterke M, Barros P, Shrestha M. Comparative study of the clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemical expression of recurrent and non-recurrent glandular odontogenic cysts: A retrospective longitudinal cohort multicenter study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2025;140(3).
2025 Human papilloma virus (HPV)–related oral cancer (HPV OSCC) and HPV related oral epithelial dysplasia (HPV OED): Understanding the spectrum of HPV related cancers and precursor lesions in the oral cavity.
Shrestha, A., & Shrestha, M. (2025). Human papilloma virus (HPV)–related oral cancer (HPV OSCC) and HPV related oral epithelial dysplasia (HPV OED): Understanding the spectrum of HPV related cancers and precursor lesions in the oral cavity. Texas Dental Journal, 142, 76–82.
2025 Painful oral ulcer in the buccal mucosa of a healthy adult.
Shrestha A, Garza R, Shrestha M. Painful oral ulcer in the buccal mucosa of a healthy adult. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025 Sep.
2025 Oral & maxillofacial pathology case of the month: Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor.
Shrestha A, Zhang H, Shakya A, Dharia K, Shrestha M. Oral & maxillofacial pathology case of the month: Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor. Tex Dent J. 2025;142(4):213–216.
2025 Amnion mesenchymal stem cell metabolites reduce inflammation in diabetic salivary gland defect rat models.
Ernawati DS, Puspasari K, Dewi GK, Radithia D, Ayuningtyas NF, Bakti RK, Wicaksono S, Surboyo MDC, Shrestha M, Nugraha AP, Ihsan IS, Riawan W, Maharani A, Putri SD, Viany A. Amnion mesenchymal stem cell metabolites reduce inflammation in diabetic salivary gland defect rat models. J Oral Biol Craniofac Res. 2025;15(6):1767–1772.
2025 Correlation between salivary oxidative stress biomarkers and clinical severity of radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients.
Ayuningtyas NF, Basalamah FF, Brahmanikanya GL, Mahdani FY, Parmadiati AE, Radithia D, Ernawati DS, Shrestha M, Pasaribu UP, Wicaksono S. Correlation between salivary oxidative stress biomarkers and clinical severity of radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients. Eur J Dent. 2025;19(4):1115–1119. doi:10.1055/s-0045-1809184
2025 Comparative study of the clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemical expression of recurrent and non-recurrent glandular odontogenic cysts: A retrospective longitudinal cohort multicenter study.
Labrador AP, Wright J, Woo V, Kowalski M, Tikkhanarak K, Handoo N, Wongpattaraworakul W, Bilodeau E, Nor F, Smith MH, Kesterke M, Barros P, Shrestha M. Comparative study of the clinicopathologic characteristics and immunohistochemical expression of recurrent and non-recurrent glandular odontogenic cysts: A retrospective longitudinal cohort multicenter study. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2025;140(3).
2025 Painful oral ulcer in the buccal mucosa of a healthy adult.
Shrestha A, Garza R, Shrestha M. Painful oral ulcer in the buccal mucosa of a healthy adult. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2025 Sep.
2025 Oral & maxillofacial pathology case of the month: Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor.
18. Shrestha A, Zhang H, Shakya A, Dharia K, Shrestha M. Oral & maxillofacial pathology case of the month: Calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor. Tex Dent J. 2025;142(4):213–216.
2025 New insights into ameloblastic fibromas, fibrodentinomas, and fibro-odontomas: Findings from an international multicenter study.
Roza ALOC, Shrestha M, Bezerra HFK, Fonseca TC, Schouwstra CM, Smit C, Rocha AC, Agostini M, Abrahao AC, Cabido LF, Woo V, Jorge Junior J, van Heerden WFP, Wright JM, Romanach MJ, Vargas PA. New insights into ameloblastic fibromas, fibrodentinomas, and fibro-odontomas: Findings from an international multicenter study. Head Neck Pathol. 2025;19(1):57.
2025 Odontogenic sarcomas: Clinicopathologic analysis and immunohistochemical expression of BRAF and SOX9 in a multicenter series of 10 cases.
Roza ALOC, de Freitas SV, Smit C, Rocha AC, Agostini M, Cortezzi EB, Abrahão AC, Shumway B, Shrestha M, Cabido LF, Woo V. Odontogenic sarcomas: Clinicopathologic analysis and immunohistochemical expression of BRAF and SOX9 in a multicenter series of 10 cases. Head Neck Pathol. 2025;19(1):1–12.
2025 Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related oral cancer and HPV-related oral epithelial dysplasia: Understanding the spectrum of HPV-related cancers and precursor lesions in the oral cavity.
Shrestha M, Shrestha A. Human papilloma virus (HPV)-related oral cancer and HPV-related oral epithelial dysplasia: Understanding the spectrum of HPV-related cancers and precursor lesions in the oral cavity. Tex Dent J. 2025;142(2):76–82.
2025 Oral & maxillofacial pathology case of the month: Cemento-osseous dysplasia.
Dharia K, Shrestha M, Shakya A. Oral & maxillofacial pathology case of the month: Cemento-osseous dysplasia. Tex Dent J. 2025;142(1):46–51.
2024 A possible association of salivary gland tumors and oral lesions with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: A systematic review.
Peraza LA, Umorin M, Shrestha M, Villacrez C, Wright J. A possible association of salivary gland tumors and oral lesions with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: A systematic review. Head Neck Pathol. 2024;18(1):52. doi:10.1007/s12105-024-01657-y
2024 Calcifications within the oral and maxillofacial soft tissues: A dentist’s guide to detection.
Shakya A, Dharia K, Shrestha M. Calcifications within the oral and maxillofacial soft tissues: A dentist’s guide to detection. Tex Dent J. 2024;141(3):148–152.
2023 Porphyromonas gingivalis-odontogenic infection is the potential risk for progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related neoplastic nodule formation.
Sakamoto, S., Nagasaki, A., Shrestha, M. et al. Porphyromonas gingivalis-odontogenic infection is the potential risk for progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related neoplastic nodule formation. Sci Rep 13, 9350 (2023).
2021 A slow growing anterior maxillary mass- clinicopathologic case of the month.
Lior Aljadeff, Madhu Shrestha, Roderick Y Kim, Thomas Schlieve, Fayette Williams, John Wright, Daniel Hammer. A slow growing anterior maxillary mass- clinicopathologic case of the month. Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology Oral Radiology, 2021, Jan 21(00068-7)
2019 Oral & Maxillofacial pathology case of the month - Case Oral Lichen Planus
Madhu Shrestha, Mark Glover, Yi- Shing Lisa Cheng. Oral & Maxillofacial pathology case of the month- Case Oral Lichen Planus-Texas Dental Journal, 2019, 136(9):506-509,526-530
2019 The transition of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases from -4 to -1 induces aggressive behavior and poor patient survival in dedifferentiated lipo-sarcoma via YAP/TAZ activation
Madhu Shrestha, Toshinori Ando, Chanbora Chea, Shinnichi Sakamoto, Takashi Nishisaka, Ikuko Ogawa, Mutsumi Miyauchi, Takashi Takata. The transition of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases from -4 to -1 induces aggressive behavior and poor patient survival in dedifferentiated lipo-sarcoma via YAP/TAZ activation, Carcinogenesis, 40(10), 2019, 1288–1297.
2019 Molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of bovine lactoferrin on osteosarcoma
Chanbora Chea , Sivmeng Haing, Mutsumi Miyauchi, Madhu Shrestha, Hiromichi Imanaka, Takashi Takata., Molecular mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of bovine lactoferrin on osteosarcoma, Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 508(3) 2019, 946-952
2018 Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 promotes cell proliferation through YAP/TAZ activation in cancer.
Toshinori Ando, Dyshaphilia Charindra, Madhu Shrestha, Ikuko Ogawa, Mutsumi Miyauchi & Takashi Takata. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 promotes cell proliferation through YAP/TAZ activation in cancer. Oncogene37, 263–270 (2018) doi:10.1038/onc.2017.321
2018 Molecular mechanism of inhibitory effects of bovine lactoferrin on the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Chea C, Miyauchi M, Inubushi T, Febriyanti Ayuningtyas N, Subarnbhesaj A, Nguyen PT, Shrestha M, Haing S, Ohta K, Takata T. Molecular mechanism of inhibitory effects of bovine lactoferrin on the growth of oral squamous cell carcinoma. PLoS ONE 13(1): e0191683. (2018)
2017 A case of primordial odontogenic tumor: A new entity in the latest WHO classification.
Toshinori Ando, Madhu Shrestha, Takashi Nakamoto, Kaori Uchisako, Sachiko Yamasaki, Koichi Koizumi, Ikuko Ogawa, Mutsumi Miyauchi & Takashi Takata. A case of primordial odontogenic tumor: A new entity in the latest WHO classification (2017). Pathology international67:365-369.
2017 Central mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising from glandular odontogenic cyst confirmed by analysis of MAML2 rearrangement: A case report.
Nagasaki A, Ogawa I, Sato Y, Takeuchi K, Kitagawa M, Ando T, Sakamoto S, Shrestha M, Uchisako K, Koizumi K, Toratani S, Konishi M, Takata T. (2017): Central mucoepidermoid carcinoma arising from glandular odontogenic cyst confirmed by analysis of MAML2 rearrangement: A case report. Pathology International. doi:10.1111/pin.12609
2017 Ameloblastin induces tumor suppressive phenotype and enhances chemosensitivity to doxorubicin via Src-Stat3 inactivation in osteosarcoma.
Toshinori Ando, Yasusei Kudo, Shinji Iizuka, Takaaki Tsunematsu, Hanako Umehara, Madhu Shrestha, Toshihiro Matsuo, Tadahiko Kubo, Shouji Shimose, Koji Arihiro, Ikuko Ogawa, Mitsuo Ochi & Takashi Takata. Ameloblastin induces tumor suppressive phenotype and enhances chemosensitivity to doxorubicin via Src-Stat3 inactivation in osteosarcoma. Scientific Reports. 7, 40187; doi: 10.1038/ srep40187 (2017)
2015 Comparative Evaluation of two established age estimation techniques (two histological and radiographical) by Image Analysis Software using single tooth.
Shrestha M, Srikant N, N Ramsudhan, Shakya A, Comparative Evaluation of two established age estimation techniques (two histological and radiographical) by Image Analysis Software using single tooth. The Open Forensic Science Journal, 2015, 8(1):1-7
2015 Assessment of Candidal carriage in patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus.
Lamichhane RS, Boaz K, Natrajan S, Shrestha M. Assessment of Candidal carriage in patients with Type II Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 733-738
2015 A cytomorphometric analysis of the oral mucosa in patients with type II Diabetes Mellitus.
Lamichhane RS, Boaz K, Natrajan S, Shrestha M. A cytomorphometric analysis of the oral mucosa in patients with type II Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015) Vol. 5, 824-833
2014 Intraoral cysticercosis of the masseter muscle- a rare finding; correlation of histopathology with MRI and USG.
M Shrestha, P Shakya, S Shrestha. Intraoral cysticercosis of the masseter muscle- a rare finding; correlation of histopathology with MRI and USG. Journal of Chitwan Medical College (2014); 4(8)
2014 An Assessment of Candidal Colonization and Species Differentiation in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation.
Shrestha M, Boaz K, Srikant N, Shakya A. An Assessment of Candidal Colonization and Species Differentiation in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation. J Nepal Health Res Counc (2014) Sep - Dec;12(28):156-61
2014 Oral health related knowledge, attitude, and practice among school children of Jyamrung, Nepal.
A Shakya, M Shrestha, A Srivastav, B Kayastha. Oral health related knowledge, attitude, and practice among school children of Jyamrung, Nepal- Journal of Chitwan Medical College, 2014
2013 Oral health related knowledge and attitude of anganwadi of Mangalore City.
A Shakya, A Rao, R Shenoy, M Shrestha. Oral health related knowledge and attitude of anganwadi of Mangalore City, India- Journal of Chitwan Medical College, 2013

Abstracts

  • P Patel, M Shrestha, S Nelson, V Woo. “metastatic leiomyosarcoma of the palatal gingiva masquerading as a pyogenic granuloma.” Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology. 133.5 (2022): e161–e162.
  • Shrestha, Madhu et al. “Oncocytic Variant of Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma – A Report of Two Cases and Review of Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry, and Molecular Profiling.” Oral surgery, oral medicine, oral pathology and oral radiology. 133.5 (2022)