Our People

Dr. Ulf ME Wikesjö currently holds appointment as Associate Dean for Research (interim), Professor of Periodontics & Oral Biology; Director, Laboratory for Applied Periodontal & Craniofacial Regeneration, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA. He received his DDS from Lund University, Sweden, and a DMD from Temple University, Philadelphia, PA; certification for advanced training in Periodontology at Lund University from the National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden, and from Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA; and a Ph.D. (Odont. Dr.) on Experimental Wound Healing from Lund University. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology. He serves on the Editorial Board of several scientific journals in Periodontology and Implant Dentistry.

Prior coming to Medical College of Georgia, Dr Wikesjö served as Professor of Periodontics, Loma Linda University, Head, Principal Scientist, Preclinical Research, Oral/Maxillofacial Studies, Bone Biology & Applications, Genetics Institute, Inc. (Wyeth Research), Andover, MA, and Professor of Periodontology and Oral Biology, Temple University. He is the founding Director of the Laboratory for Applied Periodontal & Craniofacial Regeneration. Dr. Wikesjö is a leader in his field and he presents his research worldwide. He is the author of more than 160 original articles in refereed scientific journals and texts and more than 35 chapters, proceedings and reviews. Dr Wikesjö has made more than 200 invited presentations at international scientific workshops and conferences, academic institutions, and learned societies.

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email: uwikesjo@mcg.edu

Dr. Cristiano Susin is currently appointed as Senior Scientist at the Departments of Periodontology & Oral Biology, Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. Dr. Susin has been participating of the LAPCR activities since 2003. A duel citizen of Brazil and Italy, he completed his DDS degree at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil in 1996. During his undergraduate dental studies he was awarded a 3-year research scholarship. 1997 through 1999, Dr. Susin completed a fellowship and was awarded an MSD in Periodontology at the Lutheran University School of Dentistry, Canoas, Brazil. In 2004, Dr. Susin received his PhD from the University of Bergen, Faculty of Dentistry, Bergen, Norway. His doctoral thesis research, fully funded by a federal Brazilian grant, focused on the epidemiology and risk indicators for destructive periodontal diseases in an urban population in Southern Brazil. Before joining LAPCR Dr Susin was Associated Professor of Periodontology at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul School of Dentistry, Porto Alegre, Brazil and Assistant Professor of Periodontology at Temple University School of Dentistry, Philadelphia, USA. Dr. Susin has co-authored over 40 scientific articles in peer-reviewed dental journals.

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email: csusin@mcg.edu

Dr. Jaebum Lee is currently appointed as Chief Clinical Scientist at the Laboratory for Applied Periodontal and Craniofacial Regeneration. Dr. Lee has been participating of the LAPCR activities since 2007. Dr. Lee completed his DDS degree at Younsei University Dental College, Seoul, Korea in 1992 and received his Certificate in Prosthodontics at Korea University, Seoul, Korea in 1995. He received a MSc degree in Dental Materials at KyungHee University, Seoul, Korea in 2003 and a doctoral degree from Korea University, Seoul, Korea in 2006. His doctoral work focused on cellular response to implant surface using DNA microarray. He taught at graduate school of Korea university for several years as clinical and adjunct faculty. He also worked as committee member of Korea Academy of Prosthodontics and Korean Academy of Esthetic Dentistry. Now, he focused his study on bone regeneration related with implant and growth factors.

email: jaelee@mail.mcg.edu

Dr. Douglas P. Dickinson is appointed currently as Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Biology at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. He earned his Masters degree in Biochemistry from Cambridge University, England in 1976 and his Ph.D. in Cell Biology from Edinburgh University, Scotland in 1979. Following post-doctorates at Edinburgh and Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, NY, he joined the faculty of the Department of Oral Biology at the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1984 as an Assistant Professor. In 1987 he moved to the Dental Branch at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston TX, where he remained as a tenured Associate Professor until 1998 when he joined the faculty at MCG. He teaches in predoctoral biochemistry-related courses (and is the director of one), as well as in graduate courses, and mentors residents in their Masters degree research. Dr. Dickinson has co-authored and published over 60 peer-reviewed scientific articles. His research interests, funding and publications concern primarily the pre- and postnatal development of oral tissues, their regeneration following disease, and the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing these events.

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email: ddickins@mail.mcg.edu

Nancy A. Rodriguez is currently appointed as director of Laboratory Animal Services at the Medical College of Georgia. She served as interim director since August 2008 and associate director  from April 2005-August 2008. Dr. Rodriguez joined the MCG faculty in 2001 as a clinical veterinarian after completing a veterinary postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago Biological Resources Laboratory. She is graduate of Tuskegee University School of Veterinary Medicine. Her memberships include the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Society of Laboratory Animal Practitioners and the Association of Primate Veterinarians, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science and the association's Southeastern Branch.

email: nrodriguez@mail.mcg.edu

Jamie DeStefano is currently a resident in the Periodontics Advanced Education Program of the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. Dr De Stefano completed her BS in Biology at Chatham College, Pittsburgh, PA, in 1983. She received a PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, in 1991, and completed a five-year Postdoctoral fellowship at the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, in 1996. Her work centered on elucidating the intricate carbohydrate structures of Pneumocystis carinii cell walls and comparing glycosylation patterns in developmental stages of the organism. Dr De Stefano broadened her education into a clinical direction, and completed her dental education at the Medical College of Georgia, School of Dentistry, receiving her DMD in 2001. Prior to joining our laboratory, Dr De Stefano served as Assistant Professor in the Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology Department of the Medical College of Georgia, School of Dentistry.

email: jdestefa@mail.mcg.edu