The Department of Biomedical Sciences serves as a hub for basic and translational research at the College of Dentistry, located in Dallas. Additional interdisciplinary and translational research opportunities are provided by research faculty located in the clinical departments or specialty areas of Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Comprehensive Dentistry, Dental Public Health, Diagnostic Sciences, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics, and Public Health Sciences. Faculty participating in the graduate programs have research interests that range widely within a central focus area of craniofacial biology. These research interests include:

Bioengineering and Regeneration

This focus area offers a wide range of research projects using bioengineering scaffolds and delivery vehicles needed for tissue regeneration, plus biomechanics of dental tissues (particularly dentin and bone, with the application of this data to the design of new dental materials).

Craniofacial Development and Genetics

New discoveries in genetic epidemiology and the functional genomics of commonly inherited disorders have opened up avenues for early diagnosis and intervention.

Mineralized Tissue Biology

This area of study includes a broad spectrum of topics covering cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions during organogenesis and structural biology.

Translational Research

A highly interdisciplinary field aimed at developing a new cadre of biomedical researchers trained formally in translational and clinical research.

Neuroscience, Pain and Sleep Apnea

This area explores craniofacial pain pathways using TMJ dysfunction as a model along with sleep disordered breathing.

Microbiology and Immunology

Molecular mechanisms of host-microbe interactions of homeostasis and dysbiosis for oral systemic health.

In addition to many well-equipped individual laboratories, the college provides access to core facilities and analytical instruments, including advanced microscopes (confocal, laser capture, multiphoton, slide scanning and scanning electron microscope), real-time PCR and microCT.

Expert faculty provide basic science instruction to students in dental, dental hygiene and graduate clinical specialty programs, as well as those in pursuit of a Master of Science (MS) in Oral Biology (OBIO) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Oral and Craniofacial Biomedical Sciences (OCBS). These graduate programs are administered by a graduate program committee, with members from basic science and clinical backgrounds.