Core Research Area

The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is a worldwide leader in bio- and tissue-engineering of stem cells, and the development of biomaterials for use in new and exciting therapies.

The replacement of tissues and organs with synthetic materials has become an increasingly important therapeutic modality and raises important questions about tissue response to a variety of substances. In dentistry, the clinical use of dental implants has inspired collegiate faculty research that examines changes in implant surfaces that may affect the attachment of soft tissue to implant surfaces, facilitates integration of a prosthesis with bone, or addresses the relationship between osteoporosis and oral health.  Applications include: restorative material adhesion,  osseous tissue reconstruction, and tooth replacement therapies.

Updates

Shaoping Zhang

Iowa Dental Faculty awarded major National Institutes of Health R01 grant

Wednesday, January 25, 2023
The National Institutes of Health awarded Shaoping Zhang, assistant professor of periodontics, and his team a 5-year, $1.95 million R01 grant to assess and understand the role of type I interferon (IFN-I) in periodontal disease. This major research project is part of Iowa Dentistry’s efforts to advance research and discovery—producing novel translational research that can treat those who suffer from periodontitis.
Akimasa Tsujimoto

Dentistry faculty receives Nakao Foundation grant to compare restoration outcomes for older adults

Thursday, September 8, 2022
The Nakao Foundation awarded Akimasa Tsujimoto a 90K+ grant to compare outcomes of four restorative materials—glass hybrid, conventional glass ionomer cement, resin-modified glass ionomer cement, and resin-based composition restorations—among adults age 65 or older. In particular, the researchers are evaluating whether glass ionomer-based restorations may have superior clinical outcomes for this population than resin-based composite restorations.
Kyungsup Shin

NIH R01 grant awarded to orthodontics faculty

Thursday, August 11, 2022
The National Institutes of Health recently announced a $3.2M R01 grant awarded to Dr. Kyungsup Shin and his research team to develop a new approach to reconstruction of orofacial clefts using personalized biomimetic scaffolds. This project is one component of a larger project developing more effective treatments for children born with cleft lip and palate.
Matthew Remy

Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student Awarded NIH Grant for Dissertation Project

Thursday, September 23, 2021
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Matthew Remy, a PhD student in Biomedical Engineering, a F31 grant to support his dissertation project, “Bone Regeneration Induced by the Sustained Release of Osteoinductive microRNAs from 3D-printed Constructs.”
Cristina Vidal working in her lab

NIH Awards Cristina Vidal $700K+ Grant

Friday, July 2, 2021
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) awarded Cristina Vidal, assistant professor in the Department of Operative Dentistry, a 5-year grant totaling over $700K for her research project studying the relationship between caries and the oral microbiome.
Dr Sun face image

Bone Regeneration: Making a Fantasy a Reality

Friday, May 14, 2021
Researchers at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry are working to make bone regeneration a reality through novel tissue engineering strategies and cutting-edge science. Hongli Sun is one of several faculty members at the college leading the charge to develop novel bone regeneration strategies for particular conditions and diseases.
Huojun Cao

NIH Awards Huojun Cao a 2-year Grant for Over $400K

Friday, September 4, 2020
The National Institutes of Health awarded Dr. Huojun Cao, assistant professor in the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research and the Department of Endodontics, a 2-year grant for his project, “Identification of Master Transcription Factors of Dental Epithelial Stem Cell by Computational Method.”