Research Clusters

Behavioral, Public Health and Educational Research

School of Dentistry researchers aim to understand, and ultimately reduce, oral health disparities in both rural and urban areas of the state. Research questions range from how to reduce risk-related behaviors for early childhood cavities to how patients perceive the effects of dental intervention. We collaborate with regional outreach clinics, the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, HealthPartners of Minnesota, and the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. We also created a Dental Therapy program to help in extending oral health care to underserved populations.

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Behavioral, Public Health and Educational Research Faculty

Michelle Arnett, RDH, MS - Motivational interviewing and periodontology.

Phonsuda Chanthavisouk

Angela Hastings, DMD

Boyen Huang, DDS, MHA, PhD - Teledentistry and Risk Factors of Oral Conditions.

Mike John, PhD, DMD, MPH

Keith Mays, DDS, MS, PhD

Danna Paulson, MSDH, RDH, CCRP

Karin Quick, PhD, DDS

Yvette Reibel, EdD, LDH - Obstructive sleep apnea and curriculum assessment/development.

Sheila Riggs, DDS, MS, DMSc

Karl Self, DDS, MBA

Aparna Shivanand Ingleshwar

Cynthia Stull, DHSc, MDH, RDH

Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Technology

The School of Dentistry has a world-class reputation in the development and testing of dental materials, including restorations, adhesives, composite resins and devices. At the heart of this work is the Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics (MDRCBB). Home to the world’s first artificial chewing machine, the MDRCBB is a leader in the simulation of oral challenges, the characterization of biomaterials, digital imaging technologies, and more. The MDRCBB has a long history of industrial collaborations with global partners and has tested some of the most trusted dental materials in use today. The center’s research portfolio has expanded in recent years with orthodontic bracket testing, food texture analysis and materials testing in the energy sector.

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Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Technology Faculty

Robert Jones, DDS, PhD - Developing strategies to reduce biofilm coverage and effects of sucrose exposure.

Isha Mutreja, PhD, MSc - Osseointegrated devices.

Alex Fok, PhD, MSc - Stress and structural analysis of biomaterials.

Hooi Pin Chew, BDS, FDSRCS, PhD - Development of in vivo diagnostics for dental caries.

Jorge Perdigao-Henriques, DMD, MS, PhD - Dental adhesives, composite resins and dental whitening.

Thorsten Gruenheid, DDS, Dr med dent, PhD, MHA - Orthodontic materials.

Dhiraj Kumar, PhD - Development of nanoparticulate composite for biomedical applications.

Oral Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Cancer

Oral infections, viruses, cavities, oral cancer and periodontal disease are major problems in dentistry today. To solve these problems, our researchers aim to better understand the bigger picture, including the oral microbiome, mucosal immunology, and viral structure and assembly. Through ongoing support from the NIH, we have unraveled mysteries associated with the infectious process of bacterial viruses, informing the development of new drugs and other treatments. Several of our clinical studies explore the role of periodontal disease in systemic conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and osteonecrosis of the jaw. Other studies seek to develop novel diagnostic tests for oral cancer and Sjögren’s syndrome. Centers within this research cluster include the Institute for Molecular Virology, the Biofilms, Apatite and Microbiomes Lab, and the Oral Health Clinical Research Center.

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Oral Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Cancer Faculty

Massimo Costalonga, DMD, PhD - Host-microbe interaction at the mucosal interface.

Sven Gorr, PhD - Development of antimicrobial peptides.

Mark Herzberg, DDS, PhD - Oral microbiology.

Paul Jardine, BSc, DUT, PhD - Virus structure and assembly.

Bruno Lima, DDS, PhD - Bacterial-environmental interactions.

Louis Mansky, PhD - Viral mutagenesis, evolution and particle assembly and transmission.

Julie Olson, PhD - CNS immune response to viral infection.

Rajaram Gopalakrishnan, BDS, PhD - Head and neck cancer.

Chong Wang, PhD - Epstein-Barr viral infection and cancer development.

Wei Zhang, PhD - Structural analysis of enveloped viruses.

Larry Wolff, MS, PhD, DDS - Bacterial etiology of periodontal diseases.

Systems Biology of the Orofacial Complex

Research within this cluster ranges from basic bone biology, to periodontal disease and dental implants, to orofacial pain related to TMJ and cancer. School of Dentistry researchers are studying the cellular processes behind bone loss, with the goal of improving outcomes of dental implants, oral surgery, endodontics, orthodontics, and more. Using cutting-edge tools and techniques, researchers in the Hard Tissue Research Laboratory are investigating implants, bone grafting materials and techniques, and bone augmentation. Our faculty have also been successful in explaining the triggers behind pain response, as well as testing the effectiveness of various pain modulators.

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Systems Biology of the Orofacial Complex Faculty

Kristin Artinger, PhD - Development of craniofacial structures.

David Bereiter, PhD - Peripheral and central mechanisms of craniofacial pain.

Eric Jensen, PhD - Regulation of bone health and disease.

Serhii Khasabov, MD, PhD - Development of pain sensitization and hyperalgesia.

Iryna Khasabova, PhD - Mechanisms of cancer pain.

Donald Simone, PhD - Neural encoding of pain and hyperalgesia.

Rajaram Gopalakrishnan, BDS, PhD - Mechanisms of bone remodeling.

Estephan Moana Filho, DDS, MS, PhD - Chronic temporomandibular joint pain.

Donald Nixdorf, DDS, MS - Diagnosis and management of chronic orofacial pain.

Kim Mansky, PhD - Cell signaling in bone remodeling.

Amy Tasca, DDS, PhD - Bone biology and osteoclast differentiation.

Julie Olson, PhD - Autoimmune disease and pain.

Clinical and Translational Research

Every discovery our researchers make has the ultimate goal of enhancing the state of oral health care for Minnesota and beyond. Researchers in the Clinical and Translational Research Cluster test new methods and products with the intent of transferring new knowledge and technological advances into patient care. Together, we enhance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral diseases for the patients we serve.

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Clinical and Translational Research Faculty

Heather Conrad, DMD, MS, FACP, FRCD(C)

Ronald Ordinola Zapata, DDS, MS, PhD

Keith Mays, DDS, MS, PhD

WookJin Seong, DDS, MS, PhD, FACP - Mechanical properties of long bone.

William Noblett, DDS, MS, FACD, FICD

Paul Olin, DDS, MS - CAD/CAM prosthetics and Implants.

Gary Hildebrandt, DDS, MS

Ioannis Koutlas, DDS, MS

Mike John, PhD, DMD, MPH - Assessment of outcomes of common oral treatments.

Danna Paulson, MSDH, RDH, CCRP

Eric Schiffman, DDS, MS - Diagnostic criteria for TMD disorders.

Stephen Shuman, DDS, MS, FGSA - Treatment planning and care delivery of geriatric patients.

Hari S. Prasad - Hard tissue research lab.

Behavioral, Public Health and Educational Research Faculty

Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Technology Faculty

Oral Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Cancer Faculty

Systems Biology of the Orofacial Complex Faculty

Clinical and Translational Research Faculty

School of Dentistry

Location

Patient Care

Important Links

Research Clusters

+ Behavioral, Public Health and Educational Research Faculty

+ Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Technology Faculty

+ Oral Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Cancer Faculty

+ Systems Biology of the Orofacial Complex Faculty

+ Clinical and Translational Research Faculty

Location

Patient Care

Important Links

Behavioral, Public Health and Educational Research Faculty

Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Technology Faculty

Oral Microbiology, Virology, Immunology and Cancer Faculty

Systems Biology of the Orofacial Complex Faculty

Clinical and Translational Research Faculty