Dr. Ozge Erdogan is a dentist-scientist with formal training in dentistry (DDS, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, Turkey), endodontics (Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey), and oral biology (DMSc, Harvard School of Dental Medicine), followed by postdoctoral training in neuroimmunology at Harvard Medical School. Her research expertise lies at the intersection of clinical endodontics, neuroscience, and immunology, with a focus on elucidating the mechanisms that regulate dental pain, inflammation, and host responses in oral tissues. Building on her clinical and scientific training, her work integrates preclinical models of dental disease, prospective human studies, and advanced experimental approaches, including transcriptomics, chemogenetic manipulation of sensory neurons, tissue clearing, and in vitro assays to investigate neuro-immune interactions in the dental pulp.
Dr. Erdogan’s professional interests center on developing a rigorous translational research program that bridges neuroscience, immunology, and microbiology to advance the understanding and treatment of oral diseases. Her independent research aims to define how sensory neurons interact with immune cells and the oral microbiome to influence disease progression, pain, and tissue repair, with the long-term goal of enabling more precise diagnostics and less invasive therapeutic strategies. In addition to her research, she is committed to mentoring trainees and contributing to clinical and didactic education in endodontics, while maintaining a strong connection to patient care.