Dr. Sangamesh Gurappa Kumbar, PhD, has been appointed as the associate dean for research at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry, effective October 1. Dr. Kumbar, who joined UNMC earlier this year, operates his research laboratory on the Omaha campus. His work centers on the development and characterization of innovative biomaterials for tissue engineering and targeted drug delivery, including tissue-instructive micro- and nanostructures designed to enhance regeneration and therapeutic outcomes.
In his new role, Dr. Kumbar emphasizes the importance of collaboration, noting that joint efforts can achieve research outcomes beyond the scope of individual projects. “Often we work in silos, focusing solely on our own R01 grants or projects,” he explained. “By combining expertise, teams can accomplish research that a single investigator cannot, from grant proposals to translational applications.”
Currently a professor in UNMC’s Department of Growth and Development, Dr. Kumbar has already initiated collaborations with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering. He plans to expand partnerships across UNMC, UNL, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and the broader University of Nebraska System. “My original role was intended to bridge the UNMC College of Dentistry with UNO’s College of Engineering,” he said. “Being in Omaha allows me to connect researchers and foster collaboration.”
Dr. Kumbar has begun working with musculoskeletal engineering experts and pharmaceutical scientists, including Drs. Edward Fehringer and Dong Wang, and hopes to engage with specialists in osteoarthritis, rheumatology, and orthopedics to address unmet clinical needs.
Gerard Kugel, DMD, PhD, dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry, praised Dr. Kumbar as “an exceptional scholar whose visionary work bridges basic science and translational innovation,” highlighting the impact of his appointment on advancing interdisciplinary research and innovation at the college.
