S2CL Research Overview
At S2CL, we use multidisciplinary methods from social epidemiology, neuroscience and genetics to investigate why some individuals are more vulnerable than others to oral diseases and related major health conditions. We study a host of social and environmental risk factors that can contribute to oral and systemic health such as early-life adversity and psychosocial stress, as well as their underlying pathobiological processes such as epigenetic alterations and the role of the oral microbiome. Our ultimate goal is to inform targeted precision approaches that promote oral and systemic health along the life-course.
Research at S2CL focuses on two interrelated areas:
Understanding biological embedding: Although adverse social, environmental and psychosocial exposures have been consistently linked to oral and systemic health conditions, the pathobiological underpinnings of this association is unclear. We study how such adverse exposures, particularly those occurring in early-life and childhood, can "get under the skin" — or become biologically embedded — thus contributing to the pathobiological determinants of oral and systemic health along the life-course.
Impact of clinical and public health interventions: One in five Canadians does not have access to oral health care, thus affecting their quality of life and potentially putting them at a higher risk for a host of major health conditions. One facet of our research aims to promote access to oral health care through studying the impact of the provision of dental care as a clinical and public health intervention on the pathobiology of oral health and related systemic health conditions.
