Carlos Francisco Salinas

Dr. Carlos Francisco Salinas, Professor of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at the James B. Edwards College of Dental Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Director of the MUSC Craniofacial Anomalies and Cleft Palate Team, Co-Director of the Clinical Resource Core of the Center for Oral Health Research, and Honorary Consul of Chile in South Carolina died at his Mount Pleasant home on Wednesday, January 14.

Dr. Salinas was born on April 9, 1941 in Iquique, Chile, son of the late Dr. Carlos Salinas and the late Dr. Victoria Cerda. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Dr. Maria Cordova-Salinas of Mount Pleasant, SC; two sons, Carlos Miguel Salinas of Washington, DC; Claudio Andres Salinas of Troy, MI; and one daughter, Maria "Lola" Salinas, M.D. of Louisville, CO; one sister, Ana Luisa Salinas of Knoxville, TN; two brothers, Jorge Marcelo Salinas of Valdivia, Chile; and Cristian A. Salinas of Santiago, Chile; and seven grandchildren: Andres Salinas, Sofia Salinas, Elena Salinas, Carlos Salinas, Marcus Crawford, Zaco Crawford, and Sean Crawford.

Dr. Salinas earned a DDS at University of Chile, Santiago, Chile in 1963. He arrived in the United States in 1972 having been awarded a NIH-Fogarty International Fellowship in Medical Genetics to the Moore Clinic of Clinical Genetics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He was recruited to the Medical University of South Carolina in 1974, where he developed his academic career including the earning of his DMD from MUSC, Class of 1985.

Dr. Salinas dedicated his academic career to the service of individuals with special healthcare needs and their families. His areas of clinical research included the study of craniofacial anomalies, ectodermal dysplasias, the relationship between oral health and systemic disease, health disparities, and special care dentistry. He founded and served as director of the South Carolina Special Olympics Special Smiles Dental Program. In 2008, the South Carolina Oral Health Coalition and South Carolina Dental Association created the Dr. Carlos Salinas Award which is awarded each year for excellence in treating individuals with special health care needs. Most recently, he was awarded the 2013 Outstanding Career Research Award by the Friends of National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, an organization within the National Institute of Health dedicated to the advancement of oral health research and well being.

He had over 100 scientific publications and edited five books. His first book on Craniofacial Genetics, written in Spanish, was sponsored by the Pan American Health Organization and was widely used in the Spanish speaking scientific community. He was awarded grants from NIHFogarty, NIH/NCRR, SCDHEC, RWJF, and the Duke Endowment, to name a few. He was active in several academic societies including the Special Care Dentistry Association and American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association. He helped found and served as President of the Society of Craniofacial Genetics, and served as Director at large of the Special Care Dentistry Association Board. He was a Fellow of the American College of Dentists.

His civic activities included serving as Honorary Consul of Chile for South Carolina since 1978 and was a founding member of the South Carolina World Trade Center. He was a member of the Partners of the Americas South Carolina Chapter, founded Circulo Hispanoamericano de Charleston (1978) and served as Chairman for the City of Charleston Quincentenary Committee in 1992 in which replicas of Christopher Columbus's sailing vessels visited Charleston Harbor. He also volunteered his time at the ECCO Dental Clinic of Mount Pleasant for many years.

Dr. Salinas continued his academic and civic pursuits throughout the course of his courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He presented his dental students with their final exam on December 10, 2014. From his home in Mount Pleasant he received colleagues and friends, and provided colleagues with clear instructions to continue his academic work. His hobbies and interests included history, archeology, photography, his garden, soccer, and telling stories about his grandchildren. He had a keen interest in the representation of genetic anomalies in Pre-Columbian Art.

His Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, February 13, 2015 in The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Broad Street, Charleston at 10:00 am. Arrangements by J. HENRY STUHR, INC., MOUNT PLEASANT CHAPEL.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation, Office of Development, College of Dental Medicine for Salinas-Dental Program for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Individuals with Special Health Care Needs, 18 Bee Street, MSC 450 Charleston, SC 29425.