Dentist and immunologist Phillip T. Marucha, D.M.D., Ph.D., is an active researcher. He has been principal investigator on more than a dozen grants and has been an investigator or mentor on numerous other projects. His research focuses on understanding basic mechanisms of wound healing, including the effects of stress, gender and aging.

Dr. Marucha joined OHSU in 2013 and previously served as associate dean for research and director of graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

Dr. Marucha received his dental medicine degree from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and remained there for a certificate in periodontology and a doctoral degree in immunology. In 2007 he became an American Dental Education Association Leadership Institute Fellow. In addition, his laboratory focused on molecular mechanisms that attempted determining why mucosal wounds heal faster than skin.