Junichi Iwata, DDS, PhD
(Link to Iwata Lab)
Dr. Iwata’s research is focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying craniofacial birth defects (e.g. cleft lip with/without cleft palate, tooth and musculoskeletal defects) and diseases (e.g. Sjögren’s syndrome). His laboratory has been characterizing cellular metabolic processes, membrane trafficking, and non-coding RNAs—which are crucial for craniofacial development and homeostasis—using multidisciplinary approaches including genetics, genomics, proteomics, biochemistry, and molecular biology.
Noriaki Ono, DDS, PhD & Wanida Ono, DDS, DMSc, PhD
(Link to Ono & Ono Lab)
The Ono & Ono laboratory seeks to understand the fundamental characteristics of stem cells of bones and cartilages – termed “skeletal stem cells” – and how these cells orchestrate bone development, regeneration and diseases, primarily by means of mouse genetics approaches. My laboratory has substantial expertise on in vivo cell lineage analyses, and application of this technique to interrogate the essential functionality of skeletal stem cells in vivo, in combination of single-cell genomics approaches. We study skeletal stem cells across many bone compartments through the body, including those residing in the growth plate, the bone marrow and the craniofacial structure.
Simon Young, DDS, MD, PhD
(Link to Young Lab)
Dr. Young is a board-certified oral & maxillofacial surgeon and scientist whose research efforts include the synthesis and characterization of implantable biomaterials designed to elicit in situ cell recruitment and programming. His work includes the use of materials able to simultaneously deliver multiple bioactive factors with distinct release profiles. These constructs have been used in a diverse set of applications such as the promotion of craniofacial bone regeneration and cancer immunotherapy. Current work in the Young lab seeks to develop novel material-based immunotherapies for the treatment of head and neck cancer and explore mechanisms of how this approach may synergize with chemo/radiation therapy. The paradigm of in situ cell programming using biomaterials is also being utilized in separate collaborative tissue engineering research projects exploring the use of semiconductor-based materials to enhance craniofacial bone regeneration and multidomain peptide hydrogels for nerve regeneration.
Dr. Jun Wang, PhD (MMS Pediatrics)
The Wang lab research is focused in studying the molecular and genetic regulation of craniofacial and cardiac development, diseases, and regeneration, Our goal is to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for cardiovascular and craniofacial diseases. We use a combination of state-of-the-art approaches including mouse genetics, physiology studies, and next generation sequencing techniques.
