Research Areas
Interdisciplinary Oral Science Research
The College of Dentistry has a proud history of working across disciplines and leading breakthroughs in biological and biomaterials sciences to advance scientific knowledge and improve the health of our patients beyond the clinic.
Craniofacial Pathobiology

Investigations of processes that occur within cells and tissues to maintain health and control growth and development; understanding how alterations (genetic/environmental) result in disease (cancer). Study of microbiome/host interactions.
Research Areas
Anthropology & Evolution
Caries Research
Virology
Bioinformatics
Developmental/Craniofacial Biology
Sleep Medicine
Cancer Biology
Periodontal Disease
Regenerative Science

Activities at the basic and translational level that span needs from the repair of damaged and diseased tissues to the growth of cells/tissues to replace lost tissues. Study of how materials interact with living tissues; building of tissue replacements.
Our research centers including the Center for Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration (CWHTR) and the Laboratory of Applied Dental Biomaterials and Interfaces are leading investigations into how materials interact with living tissues, and the building of tissue replacements for the growth of cells/tissues to replace lost tissues.
Research Areas
Biomaterials
Immunology
Stem Cell Biology
Bio-engineering
Diabetes
Wound Healing
Dental Implants
Oral Microbiology
Clinical, Translational & Community

Study of safety and efficacy of drugs, devices, and treatments in individuals; and investigating how and why efforts to promote oral health through intervention are accepted by communities. Study of incidence and prevalence of disease; measuring outcomes of interventions.
We have several centers including the Clinical Research Center, Implant & Innovation Center, Oral Medicine and Pharmacognosy Research (OMPR) Laboratory and the Dental Medicine Responder Training (DMRT) focused on the study of the incidence and prevalence of disease; measuring outcomes of interventions; and safety and efficacy of drugs, devices, and treatments in individuals.
Research Areas
Behavioral Science
Community Health & Outreach
Educational Research
Functional Foods & Natural Products
Global Health Security
Oral Diagnostics
Prevention & Public Health
Dr. Jose Iriarte-Diaz

Dr. Jose Iriarte-Diaz currently studies the biomechanics of feeding and the evolution of the craniofacial system in mammals, and in 2015, he won an IgNoble Prize–awarded to work that “makes you laugh, and then think”–for his research on how dinosaurs move. He attached “tails” — wooden sticks — to a dozen chickens in Chile, and then studied how the tails affected their movement. The finding? Having a tail changed the birds’ center of mass, just as it would have affected the movement of the chickens’ dinosaur ancestors. Watch a video about this research.
Quote 2

I can work in multiple labs and centers along-side research experts from all over the world, solving big problems in oral and general health.