The Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology

The Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology, a Louisiana state-acknowledged center, is operated under the auspices of the LSUHSC School of Dentistry (LSUSD). Faculty in basic science and clinical departments participate in center activities. Its research laboratories occupy three floors at LSUSD with the director and staff housed in the laboratories. The Center was formally established in 1999. In the same year the center was awarded a $4.8 million grant from the Louisiana Board of Regents Millennium Trust Health Excellence Fund (HEF); the center's proposal ranked second among 79 proposals statewide. The grant provided infrastructure and laboratory funding to fully initiate the Center of Excellence.

In 2004, the Center received NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) award of $10.7 million to develop junior faculty into independent researchers and enhance the administrative, equipment and statistical infrastructure at the dental school.  The grant ran through September 2011. The theme of the COBRE is 'oral infectious diseases' which has become a research strength at the dental school. Current efforts center on opportunistic infections, periodontal disease and caries.

There is also a strong biomaterials research program at LSUSD that is focused on fluoride-releasing bioactive dental restorative materials. The Division of Biomaterials in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry and Biomaterials is responsible for teaching and research in biomaterials and dental materials. Dental materials courses are offered to undergraduate dental, dental hygiene, and dental technology students. An advanced dental materials course is offered to residents and fellows. The division supports Advanced Education programs and the research activities of faculty, students, and residents in the school. It has several laboratories located on the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors of the Clinic Building in the LSUHSC School of Dentistry, with a total space of over 3000 square feet. The laboratories are equipped with state-of-the-art analytical and testing instruments. Currently, the division has three faculty members (Dr. Xu, Dr. Sarkar, and Dr. Fan) and four postdoctoral research associates.

The Biomedical Equipment Core provides major research equipment and support for COBRE. It is led by Dr. Thomas Lallier, and houses several pieces of major equipment. The Center also has a Biomaterials Equipment Core that houses several pieces of equipment. The director of Biomaterials research is Dr. Xiaoming Xu. The Biomedical Equipment Core also provides support to the investigators in the form of training and assistance in the operation of all available scientific equipment as well as advice for experimental design.  The goal of the Biomedical Equipment Core is to facilitate research by providing access to a diverse array of instruments while fostering greater collaborations among members of the Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology at LSUSD. The core provides salary support for a director who will help oversee the core and provide maintenance of the equipment.