Tara Aghaloo, DDS, MD, PhD

Dr. Tara Aghaloo is the Assistant Dean of Clinical Research and Professor in the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences at the UCLA School of Dentistry. She is also the Director of the Clinical Research Center, where she works closely with the UCLA Clinical Translational Science Institute. Her research focuses on bone biology and regeneration strategies at the basic, translational, and clinical levels, while maintaining an active clinical oral and maxillofacial surgery practice. Among other research projects, she is the recipient of a 2004 – 2009 NIH K08 – Clinical Scientist Development Award (DE015800)(PI), “Prostanoid induction of egr1 in primary osteoblasts.” This grant examines the effect of prostanoids on egr1 and the effect on osteoblast differentiation and function. Dr. Aghaloo is also funded by Osteo Science Foundation for her project, “Hard and Soft Tissue Engineering to Regenerate Mandibular Segmental Defects. She is a board member of the Academy of Osseointegration, member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Committee for Research Planning and Technology Assessment, past president of the OMFS Section of the International Association for Dental Research, and associate editor of the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants.