Full-Time Faculty

Ramzi Abou-Arraj
Associate Professor
SDB 412
(205) 934-4984Research Interests: Mucogingival surgical therapy around teeth and implants; Periodontal regeneration; Site development for endosseous dental implants; Implant surface modification techniques Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Hope Amm
Assistant Professor
SDB 702
(205) 934-5405
Research Interests: Non-invasive imaging of ameloblastoma; Genetics and therapy of odontogenic tumors; Oral cancer biology and therapy; Oral microenvironment and cancer

Manika Arora
Assistant Professor
SDB 617
(205) 934-1038

Hussein Basma
Assistant Professor
SDB 412
(205) 934-4506 Research Interests: Soft and hard tissue augmentation in preparation for endosseous dental implants; Digital technologies to enhance dental implant surgical treatment plan; Integration of digital dental implant planning into dental education

Christine Blass
Assistant Professor
RWUH B50
(205) 934-4178

Edward Bradford
Associate Professor
SDB 171
(205) 996-5326 Research Interests: Caries Control; Fluoridation; Operative Dentistry materials; Dental simulation teaching
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Kimberly Carr
Associate Professor
SDB 804
(205) 934-7016Research Interests: Oral microbiological disease and its association with systemic disease, and special care dentistry
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Rama Kiran Chavali
Associate Professor
SDB 604
(205) 934-9722 Research Interests: Dental Implants; Dental Biomaterials; HIV/AIDS in Dentistry; Prosthodontics

Po-Hsu Chen
Assistant Professor
SDB 524D
(205) 975-0692Research Interests: Prosthodontics, maxillofacial prosthetics, dental materials, digital dentistry, public health dentistry.
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Kyounga Cheon
Associate Professor
SDB 802
(205) 975-4303Research Interests: Regenerative Dental Research - to develop a highly innovative injectable nitric oxide releasing biomimetic nanomatrix gel targeting root canal disinfection and pulp-dentin complex regeneration with multidisciplinary team approach (Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Endodontics, and Biomedical Engineering at UAB)

Terpsithea (Teti) Christou
Assistant Professor
SDB 314
(205) 934-4547Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Shandra Coble
Assistant Professor
SDB 607
(205) 934-4122Research Interests: Outcomes of Endodontic Treatment; Rotary Instrumentation

Farahnaz Fahimipour
Assistant Professor
SDB 412
(205) 934-4506 Research Interests: Regenerative dentistry, stem cell therapy and tissue engineering

Joana Cunha-Cruz
Professor
SDB 117
(205) 996-5298Research Interests: Dental-practice based research; Community-based research; Implementation Sciences; Behavioral Sciences; Oral Epidemiology; Health Inequities and Disparities

Ashraf F. Fouad
Professor
SDB 609
(205) 934-5373 or (205) 975-5067Research Interests: Pathogenesis of pulpal and periapical disease, association of systemic disease with apical periodontitis and with outcomes of endodontic treatment, dental pulp regeneration, vital pulp therapy, antibiotic resistance in endodontic infections and effectiveness of antimicrobial therapies in endodontics.

Chin-Chuan Fu
Associate Professor
SDB 617
(205) 996-5110 Research Interests: Dental Implants; Dental Materials with special focus in dental ceramics and dental cements; Oral Microbiology; CAD/CAM dental prostheses; Dental education

Mia Geisinger
Professor
SDB 412
(205) 934-4984 Research Interests: Periodontal-systemic interactions related to periodontal infection and immuno-inflammatory response in patients with diabetes, pregnancy outcomes, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, and dementia; Plaque control in special populations to improve oral and systemic health; Nonsurgical intervention for periodontal and peri-implant diseases; Periodontal hard and soft tissue regenerative materials and techniques
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Nicolaas Geurs
Weatherford/Palcanis Endowed Professor
SDB 412
(205) 934-1074 Research Interests: Community outcomes of implant therapy; Clinical translation research of periodontal therapies; Regenerative medicine; Oral disease system health relationship
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Gregg Gilbert
Distinguished Professor
SDB 109
(205) 934-5423Research Interests: Practice-Based Research Networks; Oral Epidemiology; Dental Behavioral Science
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network Bibliography

Daniel Allen Givan
Professor
SDB 522B
(205) 934-9809 Research Interests: 3D Printing; CAD/CAM; CBCT; Dental Implants; Dental Materials; Digital Dentistry; Optical Impressions; Milling; Prosthodontics; Virtual Implant Planning
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Snigdha Gummadi
Assistant Professor
SDB 555C
(205) 934-5459 Research Interests: Dental materials; Adhesion/bonding; Composites; Minimally invasive dentistry; Ceramic onlays; 3D Printing; CAD/CAM; Dental Implants; Digital Dentistry
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Quamarul Hassan
Professor
SDB 707
(205) 975-3020 Research Interests: Craniofacial Development; Genetics

Jeff Hill
Professor
SDB 510
(205) 934-3000

Yung-Tsung Hsu
Professor
SDB 534
(205) 975-2284 Research Interests: Outcomes of denture and partial denture treatments; Implant-retained overdenture; Hybrid denture; Dental materials; Ceramic Implants; Attachments

Janice Jackson
Professor
SDB 304
(205) 934-7016Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Amjad Javed
Professor
SDB 714
(205) 996-5124 Research Interests: Craniofacial Development; Osteopenia/ Osteoporosis; Genetics of Mineralized Tissue; Cartilage Development and Degeneration; Cleido Cranial Dysplasia; Mineral Metabolism; Regulation of Bone Adiposity

Michael Kase
Associate Professor
SDB 419
(205) 934-5334 Research Interests: Oral cancer; Prosthodontics; Implants; Dental oncology; Facial prosthetics; Obturators; Speech protheses; Sleep apnea prostheses; TMD splints

Chung H. Kau
Professor
SDB 305
(205) 934-2782 Research Interests: 4D Jaw tracking; Juvenile idiopathic Arthritis in the TMJ; Accelerated Tooth Movement; 3D Imaging (including Cone Beam Technology and Surface Imaging); 3D modeling of surgery; Demineralization studies of teeth; Orthodontic tooth movement and Craniofacial Syndromes; Deformities and Anomalies
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Maninder Kaur
Associate Professor
SDB 412
(205) 934-4506 Research Interests: Periodontal disease and periodontal therapy and its effects on adverse pregnancy outcomes; Inflammatory markers in gingival and serum samples in patients with systemic diseases and conditions, including anxiety/depression, diabetes, and pregnancy; Multilineage potential of gingival mesenchymal stem cells for dental tissue regeneration; Role of growth factors for bone regeneration at extraction sites; Nonsurgical treatments of periodontal diseases

Brian Kinard
Assistant Professor
SDB 419 Research Interests: Orthognathic surgery efficiency; Orthognathic surgery enhanced recovery after surgery; Maxillomandibular advancement for obstructive sleep apnea; Cleft orthognathic surgery

Ejvis Lamani
Assistant Professor
SDB 313
(205) 994-3251 Research Interests: Dental and Craniofacial Anomalies; Genetics; Genotype-Phenotype correlations; Short Root Anomaly; Root Resorption; Tooth Agenesis

Nate Lawson
Associate Professor
SDB 603
(205) 975-8302Research Interests: Laboratory testing of biomaterials including mechanical, applied, esthetic, surface and bioactive properties; Clinical testing of biomaterials including Class V retention studies, Direct restoration studies and bleaching studies
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Yu-Yin Lin
Assistant Professor
SDB 310B
(205) 934-9190Research Interests: Dental public health for children; Material science; Dental traumatology

Patrick Louis
McCallum Endowed Professor
SDB 419Research Interests: Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJ); Trauma; Dental Implants; Cosmetic Surgery; Orthognathic Surgery; Pathology; Reconstructive Surgery; Aesthetic Surgery
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Kristy L. Marker
Assistant Professor
SDB 608
(205) 975-8604Research Interests: Diagnosis and management of acute odontogenic and non-odontogenic pain. Vital pulp therapy and pulp regeneration.
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Emerson Martins
Assistant Professor
SDB 512
(205) 975-9742 Research Interests: Cariology & Preventive Dentistry - Minimally Invasive Dentistry; Biomaterials/Dental Materials for use in preventive/restorative dentistry; Biomedical engineering: corrosion, biocompatibility, assessment of the local cellular reactions following implantation of biomaterials, nanotechnologies used for surface modification; Hospital and Geriatric Dentistry; Problem based learning in dentistry; Clinical cariology and caries risk assessment; Research in Digital Dentistry
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Raquel Mazer
Associate Professor
SDB 115
(205) 996-2724 Research Interests: Dental biomaterials; Adhesion; Implants; Health outcomes and Patient services

Carly Timmons McKenzie
Associate Professor
SDB 125
(205) 996-2208Research Interests: Behavioral Sciences Curriculum Development; Utilization and effectiveness of simulation; Future dental practice intentions, as related to underserved populations

Stephen Mitchell
Professor
SDB 322J
(205) 934-1136

Anthony Morlandt
Professor
SDB 419
(205) 996-2799 Research Interests: Head and neck cancer survival; Predicting cancer risk in oral premalignant lesions; Mapping of ameloblastomas using fluorescence imaging; Functional outcomes in head and neck cancer surgery; Third molar surgery; Craniomaxillofacial trauma

Kathlyn Kruger Powell
Associate Professor
SDB 419 Research Interests: Oral Surgery; Craniofacial and Cleft Lip/Palate Surgery; Benign Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology; Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and TMJ; Orthognathic Surgery; Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Impacted Teeth; Dental Implants

Augusto Antonio Robles
Associate Professor
SDB 510
Research Interests: Dental materials; Adhesion/bonding; Composites; Minimally invasive dentistry; Ceramic onlays
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Sory Shannon
Associate Professor
SDB 311

Somsak Sittitavornwong
Professor
SDB 419
(205) 934-4345Research Interests: Dental Implants; Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Clefts; Orthognathic Surgery; Obstructive Sleep Apnea; Maxillofacial Pathology; Trauma; Bone Reconstruction

Nathan Smith
Assistant Professor
SDB 112
(205) 934-1179 Research Interests: Geriatric dentistry; minimally invasive restorative techniques; biomaterials; population health
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Nada Souccar
Associate Professor
SDB 302A
(205) 934-3737

Russell Taichman
Professor
SDB 406
(205) 934-4720 Research Interests: Bone Biology; Bone Metastases; Hematology; Leadership training for oral health professionals; Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) and how they home, localize and engage the bone marrow microenvironment or niche for survival, function and protection from injury
Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Christos Vlachos
Associate Professor
SDB 307
(205) 934-4547Member, National Dental Practice Based Research Network

Jennifer Wadiak
Assistant Professor
SDB 536
(205) 975-2080

Yedeh Ying
Associate Professor
SDB 419
(205) 934-4345 Research Interests: Microvascular reconstruction outcomes; Facial trauma

Ping Zhang
Professor
SDB 801-A1
(205) 996-9803Research Interests: Osteoimmunology; Host/microbial interactions in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease and dental caries; Mucosal vaccines for oral infectious diseases; Adjuvant development and characterization