Stephanos Kyrkanides Aims for Excellence Through Research

Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Stephanos Kyrkanides began a project during his orthodontic residency studying asymmetries in children born with cleft lip and palate. It was this project that sparked the realization for him that research is crucial, that has been a driving force throughout his career.

“It was through the cleft lip/palate project, and others that I came to the realization that research is the main engine in producing new, original knowledge so we can advance our science, both in medicine and dentistry, in order to improve patient care,” Kyrkanides said.

Dean of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Kyrkanides is both a dentist and neuroscientist. He came to UK last year from Stony Brook University, one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

Kyrkanides has many accomplishments including inventing Natural Enamel, a new biomaterial for use in CAD/CAM dentistry. Also, in collaboration with Dr. Kerry O’Banion (University of Rochester) and Dr. Sabine M. Brouxhon (Principal Inventor) in the Department of  Surgery, UK College of Medicine, he helped develop a novel cancer drug while at the State University of New York that is licensed by COI Pharmaceuticals Inc., an  Avalon Ventures/GlaxoSmithKline consortium.

During his early training in orofacial pain and temporomandibular joint disorders, Kyrkanides was assigned to a project to understand how pathogenesis of internal derangements in the temporomandibular joint created pain. This project led Kyrkanides to devote his life mission to finding answers and improving the quality of life of the 90 percent of people, over age 65, who suffer with temporomandibular joint arthritis. 

Currently, Kyrkanides and his team are dedicated to researching regenerative dentistry and are working to prove that dental enamel and fillings can be made out of patients’ cells. This would eliminate having to use plastic, metal or glass for dental reconstruction.

“What I've come to realize, and what I try to teach to my own students, including student dentists, is the fact that dental school is a doctorate level program,” he said. That leads to what we call lifelong learning, so our dental graduates, for many, many years, are able to keep up with all the innovations and expansion in dentistry, for the benefit of their own patients.”

Kyrkanides has worked extensively researching pain, which led to his discovery that pain is more than just a symptom of disease but part of the disease itself in osteoarthritis. This research is the basis for what he calls central nervous system (CNS) two-way “cross-talk,” where pain is transmitted from the site to the spinal cord and brain, and then spread through the CNS from one joint to another spurring further pain and disease.

“The peak of my research career was in 2007, when our discovery of how the brain affects disease development in joints, including that of the temporomandibular joint, was picked up by popular media, in the United States and around the world,” he said. “And, we were in position to educate millions of people of a new way helping those in need, improve their quality of life, and find treatment.”

“Having joined UK from the east coast, I have realized that UK, as a campus, is the place to be as a researcher,” said Kyrkanides. He believes that UK provides a warm and encouraging environment when it comes to research.

“It offers many collaborative opportunities through its many centers, such as the Markey Cancer Center, an NCI designated center now going for Comprehensive,” he said, as well as “The Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, the Center for Oral Health, and many others. There's probably no other place where all this activity happens on one campus.”

Kyrkanides has excelled during his career and continues to accomplish more goals at UK. He believes that he is in a great atmosphere for research and has big plans to further transform the school of dentistry.

“As dean of the College, I'm committed in leading UK Dentistry into its full potential,” he said. “What I realized from the beginning, is that we have a group of faculty, staff and students that are very talented, very motivated, and willing to work hard, to join me into making UK Dentistry the number one dental school in the country, maybe in the globe.”