About the Program

Oral Bio.

Interdisciplinary in nature, the PhD program draws upon faculty expertise in a broad range of disciplines, including biochemistry, biophysics, developmental biology, immunology, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, physiology, and pharmacology. Students choose an area of concentration from these disciplines, but may also combine work in several fields in order to support their research interests.

Program Description

The goal of this program is to expose trainees to novel and interesting research opportunities to allow them to become leaders as research faculty in the nation’s dental, medical, and health-related research institutions. The program encourages interdisciplinary training opportunities in both basic and translational research to explore questions concerning oral health and diseases in order to produce a cadre of well-trained and eventually independent investigators. The Advanced Training in Oral Biology program promotes continuing collaboration between several units within UB, including the Schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Public Health and Health Professions, the Buffalo Center for Ontological Research, and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI). Also, the Center for Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences (COEBLS) at UB provides interesting and novel research opportunities for trainees. The organization and requirements of the program center on oral health research, yet take advantage of the numerous other interdisciplinary and cross-training opportunities. The program supports 2 training pathways:

  1. Doctoral (PhD) training for dentist and non-dentist trainees
  2. Post-Doctoral training for DDS and/or PhD fellows to develop as independent investigators in dental, oral, and craniofacial research

The Training Faculty of this program consists of 22 investigators with primary or secondary appointments in nine departments in the UB Schools of Dental Medicine, Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Major Research Areas