The Skeletal, Craniofacial, and Oral Biology program encompasses the study of basic biological properties related to the oral cavity, craniofacial development, bone and connective tissue, and health and disease. It has evolved as a discipline due to the unique qualities of the specialized tissues. Trainees may enter either a Ph.D. or combined Dental Residency/Ph.D. Program. Research in Skeletal, Craniofacial, and Oral Biology is problem oriented and multidisciplinary, incorporating contemporary research techniques of cellular and molecular biology, chemistry, and physics. Among the topics currently investigated by faculty are: aging; craniofacial and skeletal differentiation and development; craniofacial physiology and neurophysiology; collagen structure, function and gene regulation; cellular and molecular aspects of the pathogenesis of inflammatory disease; bone and extracellular matrix structure, regulation and function; mutagenic effects of ionizing radiation on oral tissue cells; and genetics and gene regulation.