Deborah Greenspan B.D.S, D.Sc. (Med)

"My areas of interest include clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological studies relating to the oral manifestations of AIDS; the oral effects of cancer therapy; and the development of new therapeutic approaches for oral mucosal and salivary gland disease. I am part of a major epidemiological study of the oral lesions of HIV infection and direct a group of investigators identifying the oral lesions and providing treatment to people with these lesions. Some current studies include the following: the prevalence, incidence, and predicators of oral lesions in women with HIV infection (as part of the Women's Interagency HIV Study -WIHS), and the changing patterns of oral disease in the era of highly active antiretroviral therapy in different HIV-positive populations. In addition, I am collaborating with Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez (Dept. of Growth & Development) on studies of injuries to dental heath-care workers.

I am involved in several clinical drug trials, including the treatment of aphthous ulcers, the treatment of oral warts, and the use of antifungal medications in the treatment of oral candidaisis. In the future, I plan to continue with my work in all of these fields, to learn more about the significance of the oral lesions of HIV infection and to develop better drugs for the treatment of a variety of oral conditions, such as oral candidasis, warts, xerostomia, and aphthous ulcers."