Biomaterials, Bone & Tissue Engineering
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 intensified interest in collegiate faculty research, which examines changes in implant surfaces that may affect the attachment of soft tissue to implant surfaces, facilitate integration of a prosthesis with bone, or address the relationship between osteoporosis and oral health. Technologies and applications that involve biomaterials and tissue engineering. Applications include: restorative material adhesion, osseous tissue reconstruction, tooth replacement therapies
- Primary researcher: Clark Stanford
- Primary researcher: John Keller
- Biological responses to biomedical materials, especially implants and bone substitute materials; characteristics of implant surfaces; mechanics of implant retention.
- Primary researcher: Steve Armstrong
- Dentin adhesion and bond durability
- Primary researcher: Saulo Geraldeli
- Evaluation of dental biomaterials, morphology of dental adhesive interfaces (SEM, TEM), and dentin permeability.
- Primary researcher: Liu Hong
- Adult stem cell-based craniofacial tissue engineering, including stem cell biology, in vitro and in vivo bone, cartilage and adipose regeneration, MR monitoring of engineered tissues.
- Primary researcher: Galen Schneider
- Bone cell biology as it relates to implant osseointegration and bone tissue engineering. His research interest focus on several questions: 1. How does osteoblast cell adhesion regulate bone growth at the molecular lever? 2. Does implant surface microtopography influence osteoblast differentiation? 3. Can bone tissue be engineered using injectable scaffolds? 4. Can microgravity environments be used for osseous tissue engineering?
- Primary researcher: Marcos Vargas
- Dental materials: glass ionomers, dentin bonding, composite resins and esthetic dentistry.