Student Research Center

Students Bettering Oral Health through Transformative Innovation

DMD/PhD Program: Training the Next Generation of Dental Scientists Heading link

UIC’s DMD/PhD Program offers a customizable curriculum combining clinical care with oral science research and biomedical technology.

Multidisciplinary Oral Science Training (MOST) Program Heading link

The MOST Summer Program provides unique research experiences to qualified undergraduate students. Participants work with faculty mentors to design and conduct a research project. Areas of research include: wound and tissue regeneration, developmental biology, bioengineering, biomaterials, cancer biology, microbiology and immunology. Students will also participate in regular seminars and other larger group activities, as well as prepare for presentation of their research. This is a 12 week program during the summer at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry for undergraduate students who are considering careers in biomedical or biological sciences and who are either US citizens or Permanent Residents, are encouraged to apply.

More about the MOST Summer Program

Multidisciplinary Oral Science Training (MOST) Program Heading link

MOST fellows work with world-class faculty, use state-of-the-art technology and explore new paths in the oral sciences from bench to chairside.

Clinic Research Day Heading link

The College of Dentistry’s annual Clinic and Research Day provides a forum for students, postgrads, and research staff to present research achievements to the members of the College and larger research community. Additionally, Research Day offers continuing education opportunities, dental products and service exhibits, a keynote lecture and student awards. Also featured will be CaseCAT (Critically Appraised Topics) competitions, featuring actual cases that exemplify unique and interesting aspects of dental practice combined with critically appraised literature reviews relevant to those cases.Features

Vendor exhibits will be located on the 4th and 5th floors throughout the day.
Visit the Kottemann Gallery of Dentistry and the DuBrul Archives Room.
Tour the clinics and laboratories.
Receive Continuing Education credit.

The 2016 event featured over 100 posters covering several topics:

Cancer Biology/Oral Cancer
Biomaterials/Dental Materials
Tooth Development & Movement
Social Science/Behavior
Wound Healing/Tissue Regeneration & Repair
Imaging &Therapeutic Modalities
Case Reports & Literature Reviews

More about Clinic & Research Day

Summer Research Program

Students who have been accepted into the DMD program may participate in a ten-week research experience prior to the fall semester. The program is designed for students to plan and perform a research project while receiving mentoring by selected leading research faculty.

Projects may fall within a range of disciplines, all relevant to the future practice of oral health care: biomaterials, mineralized tissue, tissue engineering, microbiology, immunology, wound healing, oral cancer, natural products, HIV, dental public health and oral health disparities. The Student Summer Research Program is the first formal opportunity for students to conduct research. It allows students to develop into clinicians who use evidence and critical thinking to advance their patients health. And it will eventually open pathways for translational research, connecting clinical practice with laboratory research, which will change the practice of dentistry.

For more information click on Summer Research Fellowship Program.

Online Certificate in Clinical Research

UIC currently offers a fully online Clinical Research Methods (CRM) Certificate Program that is designed to fill the growing need for clinicians who would like to conduct clinically oriented research but are constrained by their limited research skills. It features a series of five online courses that provide a rigorous formal introduction to research methodology, evaluative methods, and statistical computing and data management. Completion of the program provides participants with the training needed to conduct clinical research and to collaborate with other clinician-scientists. Please contact the Office for Research if you have additional questions.

OSCI 399

Students who are enrolled as undergraduates at UIC and who wish to explore oral science during the academic year may enroll in OSCI 399. The course is a mentored research experience and requires the prior approval of the faculty member. Interested students should visit the UIC Undergraduate Research Experience to identify and contact faculty who conduct oral science research.

Predental Undergraduate Research Forum

The forum is an opportunity for pre-dental undergraduate students who are conducting research to present it to students and faculty. The forum is held annually in April and organized by the College of Dentistry Student Research Group.

For Non-UIC Students

Complete the Clinical Observation / Externship Registration Form

Contacts Heading link

Contact us:

For more information on Summer Research Fellowship Program, contact Ms. Amsa Ramachandran at aramach@uic.edu.

Research Resources Heading link

UIC is a Leader in Research

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is Chicago’s largest university and is one of the nation’s top federally funded public research universities. UIC is one of only seven Academic Health Centers in the country with a full complement of Health Sciences Colleges on a single campus (including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, public health, nursing, allied health, and social work). Student and faculty investigators in UIC’s seven health sciences colleges work in an interdisciplinary research environment, with access to advanced research facilities, support for research design and data analysis, and a diverse patient population through the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. Learn more about Research at UIC.

Research at College of Dentistry

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. Students at UIC College of Dentistry work along side world-class faculty and staff from multiple disciplines to solve the biggest problems in oral sciences and impact lives beyond the clinic.

Craniofacial Pathology

Leading interdisciplinary investigations in the development and function of the craniofacial complex including processes that occur within cells and tissues to maintain health and control growth and development; understanding how alterations (genetic/environmental) result in disease (cancer) and study of microbiome/host interactions.

Regenerative Science

Moving beyond tissue replacement, using materials to enable our bodies to regenerate damaged and failing tissues. We 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. The Center for Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration (CWHTR) is a unique community of scientists and clinicians devoted to the study of injury, wound healing, and regeneration. The Laboratory of Applied Dental Biomaterials and Interfaces is a NIH funded center studying the properties of the tooth in order to develop reparative/regenerative biomaterials to replace lost tooth structure.

Clinical, Translational & Community

Leading transformative studies to improve oral health outcomes both in the clinic and the community. We have several centers and investigators 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. We are also investigating how and why efforts to promote oral health through intervention are accepted by communities. The Oral Medicine and Pharmacognosy Research (OMPR) Laboratory focuses on medical anthropology and ethnopharmacology to study the non-destructive radiation in oral diagnostics and forensics. The Dental Medicine Responder Training (DMRT) is performing theory and policy research supporting dental professionals for emergency preparedness throughout the community.