Bedran-Russo Research Group Members

Ana Bedran-Russo, D.D.S, M.S., Ph.D.

Professor and Chair - Department of General Dental Sciences

Email: ana.bedran-russo@marquette.edu

Yvette Alania Salazar

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Email: yvette.alaniasalazar@marquette.edu

Dr. Alania is originally from Peru where she received her D.D.S degree. She moved to Brazil to complete her M.S. in Operative Dentistry followed by a Ph.D in Dental Biomaterials from the University of Sao Paulo. She also served as an Assistant Professor at the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia. She joined Dr. Bedran-Russo’s lab in 2017 as a Research Associate where she works with the physicochemical and mechanical assessment of the dentin extracellular matrix using plant-based proanthocyanidins. Her research interests also include the effect of glycation products and aging in the dentin. 

Mariana Reis

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: mariana.reis@marquette.edu

 Dr. Reis joined Dr. Bedran-Russo’s research group in January 2018. She holds a PhD in Biomaterials and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Her research interests included dentin, biomaterials, collagen and proteins. Her research expertise is on spectroscopy, biomechanics and proteomics. She currently is working on studies of dentin and dentin extracellular matrix biomimetic strategies using plant-derived proanthocyanidins. More specifically, her focus as a researcher is to analyze the nanomechanical properties, chemical modifications of the extracellular matrix induced by PACs, and the long-term stability of the biomodified dentin matrix. As a postdoctoral fellow, she is also responsible to train and supervise undergraduate and predoctoral research volunteer, encouraging their development in the scientific field.

Odair Bim Júnior

Postdoctoral Fellow

Email: odair.bimjunior@marquette.edu

Dr. Bim holds a Ph.D. in Dentistry from the University of São Paulo (Brazil), where he also received a Dental Degree in 2009. He has dedicated his studies and work to the development of biomaterials and biomimetic approaches for the repair of dental tissues. Dr. Bim was delighted to join Bedran Russo’s lab to help elucidate the bioactivities of robust plant-derived compounds, with a particular interest in their potential role in the biomineralization process.

Zachary Jacobs

DDS Student, Marquette University School of Dentistry

Email: zachary.jacobs@marquette.edu

 Zach was born and raised in Buffalo Grove, IL. He attended Marquette University for his undergraduate studies where he earned a B.S. degree in Biomedical Sciences. During this time, he grew a passion for research while studying bone tissue engineering utilizing 3D-printing of bone scaffolds. He currently attends Marquette University School of Dentistry where his current research focuses on analyzing the mechanical properties of dentin treated with biomodification agents such as proanthocyanidins (PACs) utilizing ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. He loves working with the team and is looking forward to new opportunities. 

Mitchell Piacsek

DDS Student, Marquette University School of Dentistry

Email: mitchell.piacsek@marquette.edu

Mitchell received his B.S. in biomedical sciences from Marquette University in 2020. He was a member of the pre-dental scholars program while in undergrad and is now a second-year dental student. He joined Dr. Bedran-Russo’s research team in December 2020, where his research focus is on the response of dental pulp stem cells to oligomeric proanthocyanidins used as a novel pulp-capping agent.

Ihab Khatib

Undergraduate Student (Biomedical Sciences), Marquette University

Email: ihab.khatib@marquette.edu

 Ihab is currently an undergrad at Marquette University College of Health Sciences, majoring in Biomedical Sciences and minoring in Business Administration. He grew up in Palestine, Jerusalem, before moving to the U.S. Ihab is involved in various clubs and student organizations at Marquette. He is extremely excited to help Dr. Bedran-Russo in her research to develop regenerative biomaterial to replace lost tooth structure.