Our Labs

My lab focuses on identifying and translating regenerative materials and technologies to reestablish dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) tissue health. We use both in vitro and in vivo pre-clinical animal models to gain further insight into the potential clinical safety and efficacy of the developed biomaterials and overall regenerative strategies.

The Decker Lab is focused on developing technologies that 1) detect and interpret the inter- and intra-cellular signaling networks within the tissue microenvironment, 2) alter an existing unfavorable microenvironment and 3) leverage alterations in the pathophysiological microenvironment for early detection and intervention. We have several active research aims towards these goals.

The Emrick lab studies the molecules, cells, and circuitry of the sensory nervous system innervating the mouth, head, and neck to understand how it all encodes oral and craniofacial information, contributes to normal tissue function, and ultimately drives reflexes and perceptions.

Dr. Fenno's research focuses on the role of the oral spirochete Treponema denticola in the development of periodontal diseases. The studies involve molecular characterization of spirochete surface-expressed and secreted proteins and their interactions with host tissue components.

The Fontana/González Lab and Clinical Research Unit's research interests relate primarily to caries management in children, including risk assessment (and interprofessional care models), dental sealants, and oral biofilms as it relates to caries development and/or prevention (and included in this area, therapies that may affect the biofilm, such as xylitol, silver diammine fluoride, etc).

The Gonzalez laboratory is interested in understanding dental caries and their clinical management. Particular interest in remineralization, fluorides, diagnosis and oral health products in general (e.g., dentifrices, rinses, toothbrushes, etc.).

Directed by Dr. Alexandre F. DaSilva, H.O.P.E. (Headache & Orofacial Pain Effort) is a multidisciplinary collaborative effort to investigate the brain as a research and therapeutic target for chronic trigeminal pain disorders, including primary headaches (e.g. migraine), TMJD and trigeminal neuropathic pain.

Research in the Kaartinen lab focuses on the molecular reasons behind craniofacial and cardiac birth malformations, such as cleft palate, cleft lip and cardiac valve and septal anomalies; growth factor signaling in normal development in order to understand reasons that often lead to a failure in these particular developmental processes.

Dr. Kohn’s laboratory focuses on biomineralization, which is investigated by establishing structure-function relations in mineralized tissues, and utilizing this information to develop biomimetic strategies to engineer tissue.

By molecular and genetic dissection of the breathing-control circuitry, our laboratory studies the function of neural populations that control breathing rhythms and behaviors (such as sighing), and the pathophysiology of diseases with breathing abnormality.

Research in the Liu laboratory focuses on understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate physiological and pathological bone metabolism, skeletal and craniofacial bone development and diseases.

TThe Lombaert Lab determines how stem cells participate in the formation of branching organs (e.g., salivary glands) and how they respond to various external and internal cues in normal, damaged or diseased environments.