The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics is a global leader in oral science and dental and craniofacial research.
A $61 million renovation of the Dental Science Building—completed in 2016—modernized dental clinics and enhanced research facilities at the college. In 2017, the college also began sustained investments in research infrastructure to make full use of its facilities, including multiple grant support specialists, a director of science writing and editing, and the Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology. These renovations, and investments in infrastructure, along with a focus on recruiting, hiring, and supporting new researchers has resulted in a record number of external grant funds, largely from the National Institutes of Health, and a record number of grant applications.
Top 10 in NIDCR Research Funding
In 2020, the University of Iowa was ranked 10th in the country, and 2nd in the Big Ten, for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) funding with just over $6.4M,
Research Faculty
Faculty who are affiliated with the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research make a difference in basic science, translational, and clinical research.
Graduate Studies
Programs in eleven dental specialties and in oral science.
Iowa Section of the AADOCR
Promoting oral, dental, and craniofacial research.
Dental Student Research
Bringing research and education together.
Seed Grant Program
CRISP Pilot Grants
Research Support
Research News
NIH Awards Fitzjerrells Training Grant to Investigate Relationship Between Oral Microbiome and Multiple Sclerosis
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Rachel Fitzjerrells a T90 trainee in the Iowa Institute of Oral Health Research and a PhD student in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, was awarded an F31 grant.
Research grant awarded to orthodontics faculty extending research on the epigenetic causes of orofacial clefting
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Aline Petrin’s research on identical twins has shed led on the epigenetic causes of orofacial clefting. Her new study explores the epigenetic causes of mirrored clefting among twins.
NIH awards supplemental grant to dental faculty member
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Azeez Butali is extending his research on the genetics of orofacial clefts in African populations so that his team improve the reception and acceptance of genetic information found in their studies.
Iowa dental faculty receive grant to investigate genetic factors associated with periodontitis
Thursday, August 3, 2023
The National Institutes of Health via the University of Kentucky awarded Azeez Butali and Erliang Zeng a grant to identify genome-wide genetic susceptibility variants around the world.
T90/R90 Oral Health Research Training Grant renewed
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Iowa Dentistry's trainee programs has been continuously funded for over 15 years, preparing the next generation of researchers in oral, dental, and craniofacial science.
Iowa Dentistry researchers receive NIH grant to investigate genetic causes of tooth development
Thursday, June 29, 2023
Huojun Cao and Eric Van Otterloo are investigating the genetic underpinnings of tooth development. The long-term goal of their work is to better understand tooth development so that new regenerative treatments for teeth can be developed.
Iowa dental researchers selected for OVPR Award
Thursday, June 22, 2023
The Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) awarded Hongli Sun, Kyungsup Shin, and their co-principal investigator a $235K Interdisciplinary Scholars grant for their project investigating a novel approach to to orofacial cleft reconstruction.
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.
NIH Awards Nguyen Training Grant to Investigate Midface Development
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Tim Nguyen, a T90 trainee in the Iowa Institute of Oral Health Research and a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Genetics, was awarded an F31 grant.
Pilot study: Options for custom tray and record base design for complete dentures
Thursday, May 18, 2023
The college’s Clinical/Dental Education Research Initiative Support Program (CRISP) selected Joseph Curtis's pilot study assessing various modern methods of the design and fabrication of custom edentulous impression trays and record bases. This purpose of the study is update the third-year curriculum incorporating more modern, digital components into the denture design process.
Hongli Sun selected for Iowa Mid-Career Award
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Hongli Sun, associate professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, was one of four Iowa faculty members to receive the 2023 Iowa Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Award. The award recognizes some of the most promising scholars at Iowa with three years of financial support for their research. Sun is a rising star in the field of biomaterials and tissue engineering, focusing on innovative strategies to improve bone tissue regeneration.
Iowa Dentistry faculty receives grants from the Academy of Osseointegration
Thursday, April 27, 2023
The Academy of Osseointegration awarded I-Ching (Izzie) Wang, clinical assistant professor of periodontics, and Anvita Maharishi, assistant professor of family dentistry, a $30,000 translational and clinical science research grant for their project, Correlation Between Peri-implant Mucosa Color and Tissue Dynamics: Phenotype and Health Recognition Using Dental Ultrasonography.
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.
Postdoctoral researcher awarded National Dental Association Foundation scholarship
Thursday, April 20, 2023
The National Dental Foundation and Colgate awarded Abimbola Oladayo, a postdoctoral researcher in Azeez Butali’s laboratory, a scholarship to support her research on ethical issues related to the handling of genetic information obtained through she and her team’s research.
2023 National Oral Health Conference
Thursday, April 20, 2023
A large contingent of Iowa Dentistry faculty, students, and alumni attended and presented at the 2023 National Oral Health Conference April 17-19 in Orlando, FL.
Iowa takes the AADOCR by storm
Thursday, March 23, 2023
The annual meetings of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) were held consecutively over Spring Break in Portland, Oregon. Iowa was well represented at both meetings with 4 presentations at ADEA and 39 oral presentations at the AADOCR. Dental students Colton Curtis and Cyrus Mansouri received awards for their presentations, and Azeez Butali received an award for mentorship for his work with Mary Young. Images from the week in available on the College of Dentistry website.
Industry-University partnership to evaluate healing of apical periodontitis
Thursday, March 23, 2023
Building on the University of Iowa College of Dentistry’s longstanding experience of university-industry collaboration, Fabricio Teixeira, professor and head of the Department of Endodontics, is working with the medical equipment manufacturer SONENDO of California, to evaluate a new piece of specialized equipment that SONENDO has developed called GentleWave.
Twins and the causes of orofacial clefting
Thursday, March 2, 2023
Drawing from resources and opportunities at Iowa and the National Institutes of Health, Aline Petrin is conducting novel research involving twins that could shed light on the causes of orofacial clefting.
Pilot study investigating intra-oral scanners for post and crown placement receives clinical research grant
Thursday, February 23, 2023
The college’s Clinical/Dental Education Research Initiative Support Program (CRISP) selected Aaron Cho and An Yi Ma’s pilot study investigating the use of intra-oral scanners for use in measuring posts for crown places. This study lays the foundation for further studies to clarify and define the efficacy and limitations of intra-oral scanner use in creating post space impressions.
Dental student researcher studies craniofacial biology at Iowa
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Third-year dental student Mary Young has made the most of her research opportunities at Iowa to make a difference in understanding the genetics of orofacial clefting for African and other populations. Already with several major awards and fellowships, the future is bright for Young.
Iowa’s Groundbreaking Oral Cancer Program
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Over the course of four years, the University of Iowa has been establishing an innovative oral cavity cancer program drawing from faculty researchers and clinicians across campus. The holistic approach of the team encompasses the entire spectrum of oral cavity cancer research and is guided by their goal of improving patient outcomes. As a result, Iowa is poised to be a global leader in oral cavity cancer research.
Dental faculty named AAAS Fellow
Friday, February 3, 2023
Azeez Butali was one of two Iowa faculty named a 2022 fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS is the world’s largest general-scientific society and publisher of the journal, Science. Butali is a professor of oral pathology, radiology, and medicine, and world’s foremost expert in the genetics of cleft lip and palate among African populations.
The College of Dentistry Announces 2023 Seed Grant Awards
Thursday, January 26, 2023
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is pleased to announce the 2023 Seed Grant Awards. This is the third year of the seed grant program, and these grants fund innovative projects from early-career investigators or established investigators who are developing a new line of research.
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.
Iowa represents at the 2022 American Academy of Periodontology
Thursday, November 10, 2022
The 2022 American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) held its 108th Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona from October 27 to October 30. The University of Iowa Department of Periodontics had excellent participation with numerous invited speakers and recognitions.
Periodontics faculty awarded Young Researcher Grant
Thursday, October 13, 2022
The Osteology Foundation awarded I-Ching Wang, associate professor of periodontics, an almost $30K Young Researcher Grant for her project, Ultrasound-based Imaging to Detect Early Changes of Hard and Soft tissue Around Immediately Placed Implants With or Without Soft Tissue Augmentation.
Iowa dental researcher receives supplemental NIH award
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Building on his February 2020 NIH grant, Azeez Butali, professor in the Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology, and Medicine, was awarded a $133,526 supplemental award to identify the mental health challenges among African mothers and their children affected by orofacial clefts.
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.
Pilot study investigating jaw disorders among college students receives clinical research grant
Thursday, September 8, 2022
The college’s Clinical/Dental Education Research Initiative Support Program (CRISP) selected Hong Chen and John Warren’s pilot study investigating temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and overall health among college students. This study lays the foundation for a further National Institutes of Health exploratory research grant with the long-term aim of improving prevention and early detection of TMD.
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.
Dentistry faculty receives industry-sponsored grant to evaluate a new 2-step universal adhesive
Thursday, August 18, 2022
The Japanese company, GC Corporation, awarded Akimasa Tsujimoto a grant to investigate evaluate the fatigue bond strength to enamel and dentin of their new 2-step universal adhesive comparing it to other representative adhesives. This project shows the value of industry-academic partnerships to meet industry needs and improve clinical practices.
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.
Project evaluating photography in shade matching receives clinical research grant
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
The college’s Clinical/Dental Education Research Initiative Support Program (CRISP) supported John Syrbu’s project on the impact of digital photography on laboratory-fabricated dental restorations to support the college’s clinical research mission. This project will be the first quantitative measure of the influence of digital photography in shade matching and lays the foundation for establishing clinical guidelines for practice.
Dentistry faculty receives industry-sponsored grant to improve ceramic veneers outcomes
Wednesday, August 10, 2022
The Japanese company, Kuraray, awarded Akimasa Tsujimoto a grant to investigate whether their newly developed light-cure resin luting cement will effectively reduce wear and prevent gap formations between ceramic veneers and teeth. This project shows the value of industry-academic partnerships to meet industry needs and improve clinical practices.
Dry mouth project receives clinical research grant
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Advances in dental care occur because of a strong clinical research program. The college’s Clinical/Dental Education Research Initiative Support Program (CRISP) supported a project currently led by Rohit Nair on the factors that are clinically associated with dry mouth (xerostomia) among older adults. The goal is, ultimately, to improve dental care for older adult patients suffering from dry mouth.
Iowa graduate student receives inaugural IADR Smile Train Cleft Research Award
Thursday, June 30, 2022
Azeez Alade, a PhD candidate in genetic epidemiology, specializes in identifying rare genetic factors associated with orofacial clefts in African populations. The IADR and Smile Train awarded Alade $75K to support his dissertation research.
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.
Butali recognized for his efforts as a mentor
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Butali serves as a mentor to numerous other students and researchers, and on May 12, he received a Faculty Award recognizing those efforts. Butali’s students shared their appreciation with the Hawkeye Smile for their mentor.
Iowa at the 2022 National Oral Health Conference
Wednesday, April 20, 2022
A large contingent of University of Iowa College of Dentistry faculty, students, and alumni attended and presented at the National Oral Health Conference April 11-13 in Fort Worth, TX.
Iowa Pediatric Dentist Making a Difference for Low-Income Cavity Prevention
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
The National Institutes of Health awarded Karin Weber-Gasparoni and her team a $4.4 million grant to evaluate a set of interventions designed to improve oral health care and reduce the risk of cavities among low-income high-caries risk infants and young children.
Ingleshwar Earns Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Aparna Shivanand Ingleshwar was awarded first place for the 2022 Leverett Graduate Student Merit Award by the American Association of Public Health Dentistry for Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health.
Iowa Dentistry Faculty Receive Industry Grant for Restorative Dental Materials Research
Thursday, March 31, 2022
A German Pharmaceutical company awarded Ariene Leme-Kraus and Erica Teixeira a $10,000 grant for their project investigating the effectiveness of a newly developed glass-ionomer dental material. In particular, the project will evaluate whether this novel dental material can effectively be used to treat root tooth decay.
Two Iowa Dental Students Earn NIH Student Research Awards
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Second-year dental students Frank Boksa and Mary Young have been awarded NIH Summer Dental Student Research Awards to conduct research at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research in Maryland.
Levy Awarded Grant to Develop and Implement New Specialized Statistical Analyses of Iowa Fluoride Study Data
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Steve Levy and Chandler Pendleton received a new grant to analyze data obtained from the Iowa Fluoride Study using a new statistical analysis tool that can improve understanding and identify relationships between caries and fluorosis.
Iowa Operative Dentist Receives Industry Grant to Investigate Restorative Dental Materials
Thursday, March 3, 2022
A Japanese dental materials and equipment manufacturer awarded Akimasa Tsujimoto, associate professor of Operative Dentistry, an $18,000 grant for his project evaluating the bonding performance of newly developed self-adhesive resin luting cement which can be used with or without a universal adhesive to various substrates. The aim is to determine whether this resin luting cement can improve the durability of dental esthetic restorations.
Developing a Comprehensive Understanding the Oral Microbiome and Its Impact on Overall Health
Thursday, February 17, 2022
Sukirth Ganesan and his team are using a multi -omics approach to study the relationship between periodontal disease and metabolic syndrome. The National Institutes of Health awarded them a R03 grant for over $300,000 for this project. The project will determine the precise relationship between these conditions, which could help prevent disease or provide early indicators of disease and possible avenues for treatment at an early stage of the condition.
The Genetics of Cleft Lip and Palate for the Zulu Population in South Africa
Thursday, February 10, 2022
The nonprofit organization, Smile Train, awarded Iowa professor Azeez Butali a $40,000 grant to study the genetic causes of cleft lip and palate among the Zulu population in South Africa. Butali is an internationally recognized expert in the genetics of cleft lip and palate, particularly among African populations. Butali is working with Thriona Naicker, a trained Medical Geneticist and PhD student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Butali serves as Naicker’s mentor for his dissertation research.
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.
Incorporating Dental Care into Palliative Care
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Palliative care is a specialized form of health care that attempts to meet the needs of the whole patient, taking into account each patient’s values and goals to make informed decisions about managing pain and treatments. Xi Chen is bringing insights about palliative care to dentistry, focusing on improving oral health awareness, relieving pain, and helping a patient live as well as possible for the rest of their life.
Patient-Centered Dental Home, Dental Quality Indicators Clearinghouse Release
Thursday, December 9, 2021
The University of Iowa Public Policy Center's Patient-Centered Dental Home project is designed to improve the organization and delivery of dental care in a variety of care settings and in an integrated manner with other health care services. As part of this project, the PPC developed an interactive, online PCDH Clearinghouse of approximately 500 oral health quality measures and standards, which is now available.
UI Oral Cancer Researcher Receives Grant to Improve Machine Learning for Cancer Evaluation
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Emily Lanzel received a grant in collaboration with the University of Chicago to use digital pathology slides to improve machine learning algorithms for use as a tool to evaluate the risk of cancer.
Iowa Computational Biology Researcher Receives USDA Grant to Study Drought Resistance in Plants
Thursday, December 2, 2021
A particular species of grass that is common across the Great Plains in the United States has many genetically different strains. These strains respond differently to drought and related environmental challenges, and Erliang Zeng, associate professor in the Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research, is working with a biologist at Kansas State University, to develop computational modeling and bioinformatic tools for data analysis to identify drought-resistant genes and their patterns in strains of the grass. The overall aim of the research is to improve our understanding of the mechanism about how organisms adapt to severe conditions such as drought and recommend traits for further genetic development.
The College of Dentistry Announces 2021 Seed Grant Awards
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is pleased to announce the 2021 Seed Grant Awards. This is the second year of the seed grant program, and these grants fund innovative projects from early-career investigators or established investigators who are developing a new line of research.
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.”
Leonardo Marchini Receives Grant to Support Final Development of Ageism Evaluation Tool
Friday, July 9, 2021
The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation awarded Dr. Leonardo Marchini a grant to support the final step in the development of a tool to measure the degree of ageism among dental students. The tool will be used to develop and evaluate specific strategies for addressing ageism among dental students with the goal of improving the oral health of older adults.
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.
Augment Your Research with the BigMouth Dental Data Repository
Friday, June 18, 2021
The BigMouth Dental Data Repository is a comprehensive database of electronic health records provided by dental schools in a partially de-identified manner. Eleven major dental schools are currently participating with Iowa joining in 2020. This repository can be used for high-powered research using information collected from each of the participating institutions, and is a promising avenue for big data research.
College of Dentistry Ranks in Top 10 in NIDCR Research Funding
Friday, June 11, 2021
In 2020, the University of Iowa was ranked 10th in the country for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) funding, and 2nd in the Big 10, with over $6.4M in funds awarded.
Ganesan and Team Receive $75K Carver Trust COVID-19 Pilot Collaborative Award
Friday, June 4, 2021
Dr. Sukirth Ganesan, assistant professor in periodontics, and a team of researchers in the Carver College of Medicine were awarded a Carver Trust COVID-19 Pilot Collaborative Award. The grant, Unraveling the role of saliva in COVID- 19 pathogenesis using a comprehensive multi-omics approach, will involve a multi-arm, cross-sectional, case-control study with an integrated -omics approach to determine the microbial, metabolic, functional, and immune alterations in the saliva of COVID-19 patients.
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.
Personalizing Implant Therapy to Improve Outcomes
Friday, April 9, 2021
Personalized medicine meets the unique needs of each patient, and Christopher Barwacz’s research is focused on improving and optimizing implant therapy to meet the specific needs of each individual patient.
The Genetics of Bone Formation
Friday, February 19, 2021
As an expert in the genetics of embryonic development and an assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics, Eric Van Otterloo, has opened a new dimension for understanding craniofacial development, genetics, and bone formation as he and his team have explored a peculiar gene, Memo1.
College of Dentistry Awarded $600K+ in P3 Funds to Begin Developing a New Oral Cancer Center of Excellence
Friday, February 5, 2021
On Thursday, the University of Iowa announced that the first $7.5 million of the investment revenue generated from the public-private partnership (P3) for its utility system would include a $600K+ award for the College of Dentistry. With this support, an interdisciplinary team with over 40-people, including Iowa faculty from the Colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Engineering, will develop the preliminary data and program structure to apply for and be competitive for an $11 million grant from the NCI/NIDCR to establish a P50 Specialized Program of Research Excellence in oral cancer. This specialized research program in oral cancer will be the first of its kind in the nation.
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.”
Research Areas
Biostatistics and Computational Biology
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry Division of Biostatistics and Computational Biology provides state-of-the-art and cost-effective biostatistics and bioinformatics support for all the research projects conducted at the college
Bioengineering, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells, Biomaterials and Materials Research
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is a worldwide leader in the use of bio- and tissue-engineering of stem cells, biomaterials, and other materials to produce new and exciting therapies.
Clinical, Translational, and Big Data Research
Dental researchers at the college have a strong history of pursuing clinical and translational research in a collaborative and supportive environment with the goal of improving patient care. These efforts are now being augmented by big data resources.
Craniofacial, Oral Biology, Genetics, and Dental Development
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is a worldwide leader in the genetics of craniofacial and dental development with the aim of identifying genetic and environmental causes of craniofacial and dental anomalies.
Immunology, Inflammation, Microbiology, Caries, and Microbiome Research
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is a worldwide leader in studies of microbiology and the microbiome and their effects on caries progression, periodontal disease and on oral cancer.
Oral Cancer
With expertise in several related fields, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry is becoming a worldwide leader in oral cancer research. These research efforts can improve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of oral cancer and significantly improve survival rates and reduce morbidity.
Public Health, Epidemiology, and Behavior Science
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry is a worldwide and national leader in dental public health with specific attention on support for underserved populations and environmental influences on oral health.
Public Policy Center and Oral Health Policy Research
Oral health is a vital component of our physical, social, and emotional well-being. Evidence increasingly links dental disease with poor health outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight, as well as heart disease. Since 1991, the Public Policy Center has investigated a broad range of dental topics in collaboration with investigators at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics focusing on conducting research that informs oral health policy at local, state, and national levels.