The goal of the Clinical Oral Microbiome Research Center (COMRC) in the University of Washington School of Dentistry is to study the microbial and host determinants of oral health and identify effective therapeutic strategies for maintaining a healthy oral cavity overall.
The COMRC promotes collaborative research between basic scientists, clinical, and translational researchers and covers areas of expertise that include oral mucosal immunity and microbiology.
Core capabilties include next generation sequencing and clinical research capabilities ranging from in vitro studies to clinical trials. The work performed in the COMRC is supported both by NIH extramural grants and industry sponsors.
We believe this center can bring together collaborators working across health disciplines with an interest in the oral microbiome-host interactions as well as provide the initial infrastructure to successfully train undergraduates, dental students, and graduate level (PhD, MS, MSD) in microbiome research for clinical and translational dental research applications in the future.
Jeffrey S. McLean, Director COMRC
Kris Kerns, Associate Director COMRC
