Alex Fok, PhD, MSc
Director and Professor
Dr. Fok's lab focuses on understanding the biomechanical behavior and extending the service lives of dental restorations. Engineering methods and mathematical models are used extensively to provide clarity on and unique insights into the different topics of dental materials research. His lab has developed many pioneering methods for assessing the behavior of dental materials. Notable examples are the use of digital image correlation, acoustic emission and micro-CT to quantify polymerization shrinkage and interfacial debonding of resin composites in situ. Bioinspired shape optimization techniques coupled with the finite element method are also used to derive novel restoration shapes that can minimize the failure-causing stresses and, hence, extend the service lives of dental restorations.
Hooi Pin Chew, BDS, FDSRCS, PhD
Deputy Director & Associate Professor
Dr. Chew is an Associate Professor at the Division of Operative Dentistry at the University of Minnesota and also serves as the Deputy Director of MDRCBB. Her research is primarily driven by her clinical practice and teaching, with a focus on prevention and minimal intervention in dentistry. She aims to develop objective assessment techniques for dental clinical trials and her research includes creating artificial caries models for evaluating remineralizing agents. Additionally, she is exploring new diagnostic methods such as sorptivity for caries around restorations and using intraoral optical coherence tomography (OCT) to assess dental restorations. Dr. Chew is also involved in research that explores the use of artificial intelligence for automated tooth segmentation and cavitated caries detection on colored images.
Isha Mutreja, PhD, MSc
Assistant Professor
Dr. Isha Mutreja is a material scientist specializing in nano-biotechnology and surface engineering for biomedical applications. She assumed her tenure-track position at the School of Dentistry at the University of Minnesota in July 2022 after serving as a research assistant professor for one year and as a postdoctoral associate for three years.
At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Mutreja heads a dynamic research group dedicated to advancing biomedical technologies through the development of functional nanomaterials and innovative bioactive methodologies. Her current research focuses on:
- Improving the functional performance and ensuring the long-term survival of osseointegrated prostheses using both cellular and acellular approaches.
- Developing bioactive nanostructures with multifunctional properties to facilitate bone regeneration.
- Designing theranostic agents specifically for detecting and treating oral lesions.
Her research strives to integrate nanotechnology and biomedicine to develop innovative solutions for critical challenges in dentistry, improving patient care and clinical outcomes.
Jae Sung Lee, PhD
Assistant Professor
Dr. Lee's research group is focused on developing biomaterial-based approaches to guide cell and tissue responses, aiming to understand biological processes and repair damaged tissues. Using innovative biomaterials and methodologies, the Lee group strives to provide practical solutions for unmet scientific and clinical needs in contemporary tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Our current research focuses on developing biomaterials that enable the safe and effective use of biologically active substances for repairing dental, musculoskeletal, and neural tissues. We are particularly interested in delivering and sequestering growth factors, cytokines, messenger RNAs, and exosomes in various tissue repair scenarios to induce targeted cell and tissue activities, including angiogenesis, osteogenesis, chondrogenesis, neurogenesis, and inflammation. The Lee group is an interdisciplinary team of scientists and researchers from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We are committed to creating an inclusive and collaborative environment where all members can cultivate professional expertise and pursue the development of future career paths.
Bonita Van Heel
Principal Laboratory Technician
Bonita Van Heel, also known as Bonnie, is the Principal Laboratory Technician at the University of Minnesota, MDRCBB. With her background as a Dental Laboratory Technician, she holds a unique role as the primary point of contact for welcoming visiting scholars, new postdocs, PhD students, calibrators, and industry professionals. She specializes in providing lab and equipment-specific training, assisting with initial project setup, and offering guidance as needed. She enjoys a diverse range of activities from hiking and playing pickle ball to engaging in board-games, traveling, assisting with peoples’ home projects, in addition to spending time visiting with family and friends.
Diane Blumenfeld
Executive Office and Administrative Specialist
Diane has been an Administrative Assistant for over ten years. She has been at the University since 2018 and in her current position since 2021. She is very dedicated to her union - she is currently the Vice President of Organizing and Co-Chair of the Member Action Team (MAT). Diane is also the co-host of several entertainment focused podcasts. In her spare time, Diane likes to read books and go on walks.
Daniel Larrañaga Ordaz, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Daniel Larrañaga Ordaz, an expert in biomechanics and biomaterials, holds a PhD in materials science and engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), awarded in 2022. His doctoral research focused on characterizing fungus cell walls exposed to shockwaves. He also earned a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from UNAM in 2017, graduating with honors, where he specialized in synthesizing silver nanoparticles on hydroxyapatite crystal surfaces using green methods. Additionally, Dr. Larrañaga was actively involved in teaching and research at the Universidad del Valle de Mexico.
Sara Ong
Laboratory Technician
Sara has a background in physics and astrophysics, graduating with a dual B.S. degree from the University of Minnesota in 2020. Before joining the MDRCBB in 2023, she worked in the Industrial Adhesives & Tapes Division at 3M in Maplewood. She also holds an associate diploma in Piano Performance from the London College of Music and has taught piano part time. Nowadays, in her free time, she enjoys pottering around in her garage, engrossed in woodworking and miniature model making projects whenever she isn’t going to social folk dances around the Twin Cities or watering her numerous houseplants.