Research Education in Oral Health Sciences (REOHS) Program
Program Dates: June 1- July 30, 2026
The 9-week Research Education in Oral Health Sciences program has two goals
- Encourage senior high school and undergraduate students to pursue further studies or careers in oral health research
- Foster a better understanding of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research and its implications.
Housed in NYU Dentistry’s research labs and facilities, REOHS will provide an immersive summer experience through research, professional and educational workshops, and faculty and peer mentorship.
**All interested individuals, including those from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences, are welcome to apply.
Program Offerings
- Direct match with faculty research mentors at NYU Dentistry
- Classroom instruction in general research content, the responsible conduct of research, principles of translational research and introduction to clinical dentistry
- Hands-on research experience
- Individualized learning and career development opportunities
- Peer mentorship from current dental students
- Campus housing for select students
- Stipend
- Poster presentation
Required Application Materials
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Unofficial Transcript
- One Recommendation Letter (Academic Reference)
- Personal Statement
- Dr. Ana Di Gregorio, 2023
- Dr. Rajesh Khanna, 2023
- Dr. May Khanna, 2023
- Dr. Nigel Bunnett, 2023
- Dr. Rodrigo Lacruz, 2023-present
- Dr. Lukasz Witek, 2023-present
- Dr. Yi Ye, 2023-2024
- Dr. Dane Jensen, 2023-present
- Dr. Farnaz Shamsi, 2023-present
- Dr. Nicola Partridge, 2023-2024
- Dr. Deepak Saxena, 2024-present
- Dr. Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet, 2024-present
- Dr. Edwin Rosado-Olivieri, 2025-present
- Dr. Evgeny Pavlov, 2025-present
- Dr. Eugenia Mejia, NYU Dentistry, Chair
- Dr. Melody Goodman, NYU School of Global Public Health
- Dr. Xinbin Gu, Howard University
- Dr. Herminio Perez, Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
- Dr. Renaldo Alba, Fordham University
- Dr. Lorel E. Burns, Program Director, MPI
- Dr. Rodrigo Lacruz, Director of Research Mentorship, MPI
- Dr. Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet
- Dr. Cheryline Pezzullo
- Dr. Nicola Partridge
Participant Research Projects
- Laboratory Experience: Down Syndrome Heart and Kidney Dysfunction (Dr. Rodrigo Lacruz Lab)
- Comparative Analysis of ORA II-3 Expression in the Aorta and Liver of Wild Type and Down Syndrome Mouse Models (Dr. Rodrigo Lacruz Lab)
- In Vitro Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Gut Tubes (Dr. Edwin Rosado-Olivieri Lab)
- Investigating Mitochondrial Inner Membrane Conductance Using the Patch Clamp Technique (Dr. Evgeny Pavlov Lab)
- The Future of Personalized Medicine: Dipyridamole- coated 3D printed B-TCP Scaffolds (Dr. Lukasz Witek Lab)
- Ascertaining Environmental Contributers to Disease (AECD) (Dr. Deepak Saxena Lab)
- Discovering my Scientific Voice: Molecular Mechanisms of Brown Fat (Dr. Farnaz Shamsi Lab)
- Demonstrating PAR2 Endosomal Signaling in Osteroarthritis Model: An Application for TMJ Disorder (Dr. Dane Jensen Lab)
- Modeling Nager Syndrome in Frogs: the SF3B4 Story (Dr. Jean-Pierre N. Saint-Jeannet Lab)
- Exploring SEMA4C and SEMA6A Pathways: Revealing Craniofacial Disorder Mechanisms Post-SF3B4 Knockout (Dr. Jean-Pierre N. Saint-Jeannet Lab)
- Compartmentalized cAMP Signaling in Models for Oral Cancer Pain (Dr. Dane Jensen Lab)
- The Gut Microbiome (Dr. Deepak Saxena Lab)
- The Effect of Osteocalcin on Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Proliferation (Dr. Yi Ye Lab)
- Biomedical Engineering for Regenerative Medicine (Dr. Lukasz Witek Lab)
- Expression Profile of the Ca²⁺ Exchanger, NCX, in the Brain (Dr. Rodrigo Lacruz Lab)
- Brown Adipose Tissue Lab Synopsis (Dr. Farnaz Shamsi Lab)
- PTH Signaling Pathways and the Regulation of Osteoblast mRNA Expression (Dr. Nicola Partridge Lab)
- In Vitro Transcription and RNA Purification (Dr. May Khanna Lab)
- Fluoride Exposure on Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Enamel and Salivary Gland Cells (Dr. Rodrigo Lacruz Lab)
- Understanding Pain Pathways Through the Lens of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels (Dr. Rajesh Khanna Lab)
- Ciona robusta: Notochord Development Made Simple (Dr. Di Gregorio Lab)
- The Study of Tumor Progression via Maintenance of NOOC1 Cells (Dr. Yi Ye Lab)
- Inflammatory Responses and Nociceptive Pain Models; Troubleshooting PAR2 Endosomal Signaling
- Experiment and 3D Printing of Bio-Ceramic Materials for Tissue Regeneration (Dr. Bunnett, Dr. Jensen, Dr. Witek Labs)
- 3D Printing in Orthopedics; Brown Adipose Tissue in Mice (Dr. Lukasz Witek, Dr. Farnaz Shamsi Labs)
FAQs
Yes, accepted REOHS students receive a stipend of up to $5,000 for participation in the 9-week program. Distribution details will be provided upon acceptance.
Applicants must be current undergraduate students or high school seniors who are entering their freshman year of college.
Housing is available for a select number of participants. Please indicate on your application if you require housing and respond "yes" only if you are unable to commute from your permanent address. This distinction helps us prioritize housing for those with the greatest need.
The program is conducted in-person, Monday through Friday and includes both didactic and hands-on components. While you’ll be part of a cohort, you will primarily work independently in your assigned lab under the supervision of your Faculty Research Mentor. The curriculum includes hands-on research experiences, exposure to clinical and public health dentistry, professional development training, and mentorship from faculty across various departments at NYU Dentistry. Participants will also gain insights into patient-centered care and translational science.
Our faculty research mentors are based within the Department of Molecular Pathobiology at NYU Dentistry. To learn more about their specific areas of research, we encourage you to search for their names on the Molecular Pathobiology website, where detailed information about their work and expertise is available.
We generally do not recommend preparing for the DAT while in the REOHS program due to the significant demands of both the program and DAT study requirements.
Transportation costs are not covered. Accepted students will receive a stipend, which can be used to offset transportation expenses.
For more information, please contact reohsprogram@nyu.edu.
The REOHS program is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): R25DE032528 (2022-2027); MPI, Lorel E. Burns, DDS, MS and Rodrigo Lacruz, PhD.
