Core Research Area
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is a worldwide and national leader in dental public health. Within this broader field, research focuses on barriers preventing (and related supports for) underserved populations including low-income children, older adults, and persons with special needs due to developmental disabilities or medical illnesses. Researchers also study environmental and dietary effects on oral health through longitudinal studies.
Robert Bowers
Assistant Professor
Dan Caplan
PhD, Professor
Peter Damiano
MPH, Bernstein Endowed Professor
Dharini van der Hoeven
PhD, Associate Professor, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs
David Johnsen
MS, Professor, Dean Emeritus
Jennifer Sukalski
PhD, Assistant Professor
Brendan Young
PhD, Associate Professor
John Warren
MS, Professor
Steve Levy
MPH, Wright-Bush-Shreves Endowed Professor
Mike Kanellis
MS, Professor
Teresa Marshall
PhD, Professor
Michelle McQuistan
MS, Associate Professor
Karin Weber-Gasparoni
PhD, DEO, Pediatric Dentistry
Updates
NIDCR grant supports new statistical tools to study oral disease relationships
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Steven Levy and Shaoping Zhang are contributing to a new NIDCR-funded study developing statistical tools to explore links between dental caries and periodontal disease. The project uses national oral health data and will produce an open-source software package to help researchers improve analysis and support better patient outcomes.
Dr. Steven Levy Supports Development of Clinically-Relevant Caries Risk Index
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Dr. Steven Levy is co-investigator on an NIH-funded study developing a clinically meaningful caries risk index using national survey data. He’s helping ensure that the tool reflects real-world dental practice, with the goal of improving risk assessment and patient outcomes in clinical settings.
Fluoride Skepticism in Focus: Alex Harper’s Research on Attitudes about Fluoride Use
Friday, February 7, 2025
As debates surrounding fluoride gain attention across the U.S., a dental student from the University of Iowa is tackling the issue head-on. Alex Harper, a fourth-year dental student, is investigating attitudes about fluoride and tap water. As misinformation erodes trust in science, Harper’s research provides timely insights into public perceptions and oral health behaviors.
Iowa Dentistry Contributes to Groundbreaking Research Aimed at Reducing Childhood Tooth Decay
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
Iowa Dentistry played a significant role in a major clinical trial funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) that has yielded promising results in the fight against childhood tooth decay.
NIH awards dental faculty a grant to investigate the impact of adult Medicaid coverage on children
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Julie Reynolds, assistant professor in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry, received a $300,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study changes in Medicaid adult dental coverage and impact that these changes have on children's access to care.
NIH awards subcontract to Iowa Dentistry researchers
Thursday, June 15, 2023
The University of Iowa was one of four research institutions, along with Michigan, Duke, and Indiana, collaborating on a newly-funded National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)/ National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant investigating the causes and implications of adolescent tooth decay, especially among underserved populations.
New Frontiers in Teledentistry
Thursday, April 20, 2023
A team of University of Iowa oral health researchers and dental providers at the Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa teamed up to deliver and assess the effectiveness of teledentistry in a nursing home setting.
NIH awards grant to Iowa dental faculty
Thursday, August 25, 2022
The National Institutes of Health awarded Steven Levy and his research team a $325K grant to identify factors that are associated with improved oral health-related quality of life through early adulthood among those who participated in the Iowa Fluoride Study. This is the first study that will make predictions about oral-health related quality of life based on longitudinal data.
NIH awards Semprini Training Grant for Oral Cancer Project
Thursday, June 16, 2022
Jason Semprini, a T90 trainee in Iowa Institute of Oral Health Research and a Ph.D. student in the College of Public Health, was awarded a F31 grant—a training grant for mentored dissertation research for his project, Evaluating the Impact of Medicaid Dental Coverage on Early-Stage Oral Cancer Detection.
Improving Dental Outcomes for Underserved Populations
Thursday, December 16, 2021
After working as a dental hygienist for several years, PhD candidate Jennifer Sukalski began pursuing health disparities research on access and use of dental care in Iowa. Her research looks at barriers to dental care in a holistic manner taking into account perceived social status.