Thomas C. Hart, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Thomas C. Hart, DDS, Ph.D. is Director of Oral and Craniofacial Population Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Hart leads a research group exploring the genetic basis of diseases. His research in the field of genetics has focused on identification of genes that are altered in disease states, and understanding how these contribute to pathology. His group has identified novel gene mutations responsible for pathologies of enamel, dentin, gingival tissues as well as cleft palate and kidney diseases. He received his dental training from Emory University School of Dentistry, and earned a periodontal certificate and Ph.D. in Human Genetics from the Medical College of Virginia. Dr. Hart has served on the faculties of Wake Forest University and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as Clinical Director and Chief of the Human and Craniofacial Genetics laboratory of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. He has published more than 150 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and has served as a reviewer for multiple journals. He has also served on a variety of NIH study sections, and honors include the NIH Directors Award, the R. Earl Robinson regeneration Award, the William J. Gies Award, and the New Investigator in Clinical Science Award, Wake Forest University School of Medicine.