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Student Research Mentors

Research faculty mentors change each semester. Before contacting any faculty member listed below (or their graduate student representative), please review this list of faculty mentors currently accepting student mentees.

The Student Research Group will update this list each semester.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Kevin.

 

Dr. Alejandro Almarza

  • Dr. Almarza's research interests include temporomandibular joint cartilage and bone regeneration and biomechanics; development of novel bioreactors to further enhance healing; and more. 

Dr. Zsuzsa Horvath

  • Dr. Horvath's research interests include evidence-based practice in dental education, program evaluation, academic career paths in dental medicine, and institutional practices in dental education in North America.

Dr. Mary Marazita

  • Dr. Marazita's research interests are focused on the complex traits of facial genetics, primarily facial birth defects (cleft lip and palate, and other craniofacial abnormalities) and oral diseases (caries, malocclusion and periodontal disease). 

Dr. Deborah Polk

  • Dr. Polk's research interests are focused on health disparities and social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status, social norms and public policy. 

    Dr. Anitha Potluri

    • Dr. Potluri's research interests include the prevalence of fibro-osseous pathology in Western Pa., and Cone-Beam CT imaging. 

      Dr. Joanne Prasad

      • Dr. Prasad's research interests vary from the clinical, pathological and immunohistochemical profile of oral lesions to topics related to health disparities. 

        Dr. Herbert Ray

        • Dr. Ray's research interests include regenerative pulp therapies utilizing both dental pulp stem cells and novel materials to create a biological obturation of the root canal system. 

          Dr. Kurt Summersgill

          • Dr. Summersgill's research interests include outcome assessments of the oral pathology biopsy laboratory service and the clinical oral medicine practice, which includes data-mining of the electronic health record (EHR). 

            Dr. Juan Taboas

            • Dr. Taboas' research interests include tissue regeneration for growth abnormalities and injury, as well as dental pulp regeneration through the use of stem cells. 

              Dr. Konstantinos Verdelis

              • Dr. Verdelis' research interests are focused on mineralized tissue research through the use of micro-CT and spectroscopic imaging for the study of the function of matrix proteins in the dental tissues and bone. 

                Dr. Christine Wankiiri-Hale

                • Dr. Wankiiri-Hale's research interests evidence-based practice in dental education, research related to academic career paths in dental medicine, investigating the oral health care of seniors, enhancing diversity in dental schools and dental school admissions-related research. 

                Dr. Seth Weinberg

                • Dr. Weinberg's research interests include the etiology of craniofacial birth defects, the genetic basis of human craniofacial variation and the application of morphometrics and imaging to the study of complex craniofacial traits.