Research
The Department of Basic Science has an active research program that conducts basic and translational research in each of the areas of emphasis at the College. These include (1) cancer, (2) tissue engineering, (3) infectious diseases, and (4) bone biology.

In cancer, the research ranges from fundamental mechanisms of apoptosis and programmed cell death (Kathleen Kinnally, Laurent Dejean), to work on studying premalignant to malignant cell transformation using human oral epithelial cells (Peter Sacks). The latter includes research on mutagenesis in lacZ mice (Joseph Guttenplan), investigations of tobacco use and oral cancer (Guttenplan, Sacks), and the role of bacteria and inflammation in oral cancer (Sacks,Saxena).

The work in tissue engineering focuses on muscle, cartilage and hard tissues (Louis Terracio, Tim Bromage, John Evans, Cristina Teixeira, Dianne Rekow) with the long-range goal of developing artificial tissues that could be used to repair damaged or lost craniofacial tissues. Members of the department have close collaborations with the bone research group in Biomaterials at NYU College of Dentistry and also with the NYU School of Medicine.

Studies in infectious diseases focus on caries and biofilms and the oral aspects of HIV/AIDS. One group of investigators (Deepak Saxena, Robert Boylan, Simone Duarte , Yihong Li, Page Caufield) brings expertise ranging from molecular biology of oral pathogens to molecular epidemiology. The other group (Daniel Malamud, Bill Abrams, David Levy, Deepak Saxena, Manuela Rehtanz, Yihong Li) investigates the oral manifestation of HIV/AIDS and anti-HIV therapies. This group has NIH funding that brings together the faculty from basic and clinical research at the College of Dentistry, School of Medicine and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Institute and is generating the only bank of specimens from HIV positive subjects pre- and post HAART treatment.

In addition, the department has fundamental research projects going on in various areas including molecular mechanisms of taste and applied research for smoking prevention (Andrew Spielman), oral-systemic disease linkage and Practice Based Research Network (Ron Craig), and oral-based diagnostics (Daniel Malamud, Bill Abrams). Furthermore, the department participates in NIH-supported training grants, providing hands-on research experiences for dental students as well as training in clinical research.