William V. Giannobile, DDS, DMSc

William V. Giannobile, DDS, DMSc, 1998 Tarrson Fellow:

1. What is your research focus?

My research focus is in the area of periodontal regenerative medicine and bioengineering. I am also involved in the role of biomarkers of periodontal diseases that have impacts on periodontal personalized medicine. My research is very much involved in translational and clinical applications to clinical care.

2. What has/have been the most significant contribution(s) of your research to our specialty?

I believe my research has had impacts in bringing forth new advances in treatments such as growth factors for the promotion of periodontal regeneration. Some of my work is early stage contributions such as the role of gene therapy for periodontal tissue engineering or novel scaffolding matrices or stem cell therapy for drug targeting for bone repair. Several of these technologies offer potential for the future, but are not yet available. Some of our work in the area of diagnostics and personalized health care are being considered for implementation into the clinical arena.

3. What are some future directions of your research program?

We are looking at future aspects of the role of epigenetics on periodontal diseases and how the influence of long-term exposure to patients by periodontal pathogens can affect oral tissues. Epigentics appears to be an important driver, especially in chronic diseases like periodontitis.

4. What influence did the support from the Foundation have on your career as a researcher?

The AAPF was a critical support for me as a junior faculty member just completing my periodontal program at Harvard. I received the Bud and Linda Tarrson Fellowship that jump started my career as a new faculty at Michigan. The award helped financially at a critical junction. Probably even more importantly was the strong encouragement from the awards committee and foundation members who gave me renewed confidence in my decision about academia. This support from the periodontal community helped me feel that I could be a contributor to the field. This type of encouragement means a great deal to a young person just getting started in a career.