The T90/R90 Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology builds on 30-plus years of experience with highly-productive T32 and T90/R90 Training Programs at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, and provides extensive breadth and depth in training to basic and clinical scientists in multiple areas of oral health research designated as high priority by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and other National Institutes of Health entities.
The T90/R90 Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology builds on a core group of UFCD faculty who collaborate extensively with one another, and with other leading scientists at University of Florida and around the globe. In addition, the research and training opportunities provided by the program are further enhanced by the recruitment of a distinguished group of mentors from other UF colleges who collectively provide an extensive set of training experiences in the biomedical sciences that are directly relevant to oral health and diseases.
Armed with the excellent resources of an R1 research institution and top-five public university, situated on a single campus, this cohesive group of mentors is extremely well-equipped to provide rigorous and focused, yet optimally flexible, training opportunities for dentists and basic scientists.
UFCD Awarded for Excellence in Training
uf college of dentistry awarded
ADEA Gies Award
The UF College of Dentistry's Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology was awarded an ADEA William J. Gies Awards for Vision, Innovation and Achievement in 2018. The Gies Awards honor individuals and organizations that exemplify the highest standards in oral health and dental education, research and leadership.
Areas of Investigation
The scientific areas encompassed in the Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology include, but are not limited to:
- Oral Infectious Diseases
- Mechanistic Connections Between Oral and Systemic Health
- Virology
- Human Microbiome
- Salivary Gland Biology
- Autoimmunity
- Bone Biology
- Head and Neck Cancers
- Bioinformatics/Artificial Intelligence
- Biomedical Engineering
- Stem Cell Biology
Training Opportunities
PREDOCTORAL
- PhD training: Individuals in this track pursue the PhD degree in the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program in one of seven advanced concentrations with the option of augmenting their training with formal course work and certificates in Clinical & Translational Science through UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute, or in Implementation Science or Biomedical Informatics through the Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics (HOBI) program.
- DMD/PhD combined-degree training: Individuals in this track complete three years of dental school, then undergo PhD training in the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program while completing the requirements of their fourth year of dental training during years 4 through 7. Options for formal training in Clinical & Translational Science, Implementation Science and/or Bioinformatics are also available and encouraged for the combined-degree candidates.
POSTDOCTORAL
- PhD-trained, non-degree seeking: Individuals in this track pursue traditional intensive post-doctoral training and will also have the option of augmenting their training with course work in Clinical & Translational Science, Implementation Science or Bioinformatics, as detailed above.
- DMD or DDS, non-degree seeking: Individuals (non-citizen/non-permanent resident with DDS/DMD and PhD degrees) in this track are supported by the R90 and pursue intensive postdoctoral training. They also have the option to obtain training or complete a certificate program in Clinical & Translational Science, Implementation Science or Bioinformatics.
Program Director
Jose A Lemos PhD
Program Administration
Program Administrators
| Administrator | Contact Information |
|---|---|
| Associate Director | Shannon Wallet, Ph.D., Louis and Marge Atkins Endowed Professor and Chair, Department of Oral Biology |
| College of Dentistry Office of Research | Ronda Breton, Assistant Director of Research Administration / Christina Mason, Research Administrator Manager |
| DMD Student Liaison | Denise Webb, Office of Research |
Internal Advisory Committee
- Robert Burne, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, UF College of Dentistry
- Roger Fillingim, Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, UF College of Dentistry
- Isabel Garcia, D.D.S., M.P.H., Dean, UF College of Dentistry
- William Hogan, M.D., M.S., Professor and Director of Biomedical Informatics and Data Science, UF College of Medicine
- Wayne McCormack, Ph.D., Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Professor and Director of the UF Health Office of Biomedical Research Career Development, UF College of Medicine
- Patricia Pereira, D.D.S., Ph.D., Clinical Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, UF College of Dentistry
External Advisory Committee
- Mina Mina, D.M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of Pediatric Dentistry at UConn School of Dental Medicine, Program Director of the NIDCR T90/R90 Skeletal, Craniofacial and Oral Biology Training Program, DMD/PhD Program Director at UConn Health
- Stefan Ruhl, D.D.S., Ph.D., Professor of Oral Biology, University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and Dean Emeritus, University of Michigan School of Dentistry
Training Grant Mentors
| Professor | College & primary/secondary Department | Research Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Jacqueline Abranches, Associate Professor | Dentistry / Oral Biology | Streptococcal and fungal oral infections; clinical translational research |
| Dr. Jeannine Brady, Professor | Dentistry / Oral Biology | Host: pathogen interactions, bacterial adhesion, and immunomodulation |
| Dr. Seunghee Cha, Professor | Dentistry / Oral & Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences and Oral Biology | Epigenetic regulation of autoimmunity, Sjögren’s Syndrome, Stem cells/salivary glands |
| Dr. Edward Chan, Professor | Dentistry / Oral Biology and Medicine / Anatomy & Cell Biology | MicroRNA in cell biology, autoimmunity and oral cancer |
| Dr. Jia Chang, Associate Professor | Dentistry / Periodontology & Oral Biology | Bone development and turnover in inflammatory diseases |
| Dr. Jorge Frias-Lopez, Associate Professor | Dentistry / Oral Biology | Complex human microbial systems (microbiomes) & their interactions with the host |
| Dr. Frank Gibson III, Associate Professor | Dentistry / Oral Biology | Anaerobic bacterial infections, innate immunity and animal modeling |
| Dr. Jeffrey K. Harrison, Professor | Medicine / Pharmacology & Therapeutics | Significance of chemokine networks in the central nervous system and the development of malignant brain cancers |
| Dr. Gregory Hudalla, Associate Professor | Engineering / Biomedical Engineering | Biomaterials that direct host immune responses |
| Dr. Robert W. Huigens III, Associate Professor | Pharmacy / Medicinal Chemistry | Novel biofilm-eradicating agents that target human pathogens |