SOD Labs

Welcome to the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) School of Dentistry Laboratory page, where you can discover the cutting-edge research and innovative educational programs conducted by our faculty and students. As a leading academic institution, we are committed to providing outstanding clinical care, advancing scientific knowledge, and educating the next generation of oral health professionals. Our state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities are equipped with the latest technology, enabling our researchers and students to explore new frontiers in dentistry, including oral pathology, biomaterials, and community dental research. Whether you are a current student, a potential applicant, or a dental professional, we invite you to explore our laboratory page and learn more about the exciting work taking place at OHSU's School of Dentistry.

Clinical Orthodontics

Nickel-Iwasaki Lab

6 images of TMJ mechanics

Our focus is on clinical and translational research that investigates the effects of biomechanics on the craniofacial system. Among our foci are measurements of jaw-loading mechanics and behaviors in order to understand conditions of growth, maintenance, degeneration, and pain associated with the human temporomandibular joint (TMJ).​

Dental Public Health

Dental Public Health

The Division of Dental Public Health, led by Drs. Foster-Page and Kohli, focuses on research, policies, and providing oral health care in underserved populations, including at the Russell Street Clinic and clinics throughout Oregon. Their work focuses on innovative workforce models to improve dental access and care and highlight the importance of oral health to improve oral health outcomes at the local and policy level.​

Biomaterials

Ferracane Lab

Tooth illuminated by light to highlight a crack

Our focus has been on conducting clinical research in private dental practices through practitioners working with their own staff and patients. While we have studied a variety of dental conditions, we recently conducted the largest prospective study of cracked teeth, including nearly 3000 patients in over 200 dental offices as a part of the NIH-funded National Dental Practice-based Research Network.

Pfeifer Lab

​Polymeric materials provide a versatile platform for innovation in many different applications. Our laboratory focuses on developing novel monomers and oligomeric additives, with a strong emphasis on photopolymerization.

Fugolin Lab

The Fugolin lab focus is to design and validate biomimetic synthetic systems that induce minute, orchestrated changes, leading to significant physicochemical and biological responses to external and internal stimuli.​​

Oral Microbiome

Kreth Lab

Simple graphic showing Molecular Commensalism. Identifying molecular mechanisms that support commensals to prevent diseases.

The Kreth lab investigates fundamental processes of commensal bacterial interactions in the oral biofilm. We aim to identify and characterize the molecular mechanisms that promote commensal species to better understand the healthy oral microbiome.​

Baker Lab

Profile picture of SOD Researcher, Jonathon Baker, PhD, in front of a brass double helix sculpture.

The Baker lab is using Microbiology and Bioinformatics to discover how the bacteria that live in our mouth impact human health and disease.

Merritt Lab

Our focus is on the molecular and cellular microbiology of the human oral microbiome to understand how mucosal health is regulated in the human body.

Lampi Lab

drawing of  Surface deamidations at labile asparagines, N14, N76, and N143, on the eye lens protein, gS-crystallin, are associated with insolubility in aged and brunescent human lenses

The Lampi lab at Oregon Health and Science University focuses on investigating the role of deamidation in protein dynamics using multiangle laser scattering and mass spectrometry.

Wu Lab

Our focus is investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation for bacterial persistence and chronic infections.  We are particularly interested in understanding molecular cross talks between microbes and aim to develop new anti-infective approaches that prevent and treat persistent infections.​

Momeni Lab

coming soon

Tissue Engineering

Bertassoni Lab

Researchers in Dr. Bertassoni's lab

Our focus is 3D bioprinting for the fabrication of complex tissue environments with functional vascular networks for regenerative applications. We are also interested in the development of functional hydrogels for the study of the interaction of biomaterials with matrix molecules on the nanoscale.​

Hsu Lab

The Hsu lab's research in dentistry focus lies at the intersection of stem cell molecular biology and translational research. The current subjects of studies in Hsu lab include novel differentiation factors for bone repair, characterization of osteogenic perivascular stem cells, and stem cells in degenerative joint diseases.​​