Daniel Clark, DDS, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontics and Preventive Dentistry
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

Research Interests

Osteoimmunological approach to bone regeneration. The general goal of the lab is to better understand how the immune cells actively resolve inflammation and promote regeneration of bone after injury or disease. We focus on the macrophage due to its diverse phenotypes actively involved in the initiation of inflammation to the regeneration of tissue. A better mechanistic understanding of the molecular and cellular processes of the immune response within bone will lead to improved therapeutic options to promote regeneration of bone.

Age-related inflammatory dysregulation. The laboratory utilizes a geroscience approach to understand how age-related perturbations of the inflammatory response contribute to disease or impact regeneration of bone. We have identified age-related molecular and genetic alterations within macrophages with the goal to therapeutically target such alterations to improve care for older adults.

Technique Expertise or Resources to share

Mouse models of periodontal disease. Immune cell isolation and characterization. RNA sequencing

Keywords

osteoimmunology, aging biology, macrophage, periodontal disease