Establishing the Oral Microbiome of Latinx Children at the U.S.-Mexico Border

Dr. Yan Wang's NIDCR-funded study focuses on Latinx children living near the U.S. southern border, a population often underrepresented in oral health research.

USA-Mexico border fence
By School of Dentistry Communications
1 min read

Led by Section of Public and Population Health Adjunct Assistant Professor Dr. Yan Wang, a K01 project funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), focuses on Latinx children living near the U.S. southern border, a population often underrepresented in oral health research.

 

Titled Oral Microbiome Establishment and Development of Latinx Children at the U.S.-Mexico Border, this five-year study is funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Launched in July 2023, the project involves sequencing and reanalyzing a large saliva biobank from mother and child dyads, with samples collected from the prenatal stage through three years old. This longitudinal data provides a detailed profile of microbiome development during early life, offering a unique opportunity to understand how the oral microbiome is established and matures in a critical developmental period and how this is linked with early childhood caries using modern machine learning models and AI algorithms.

By analyzing early-life exposures and environmental factors, this research seeks to uncover microbial patterns that could inform new preventative strategies for oral diseases in children. These findings are critical for addressing public health disparities, especially for vulnerable populations, and may contribute to the development of interventions that can reduce oral health inequities in underserved communities.

Dr. Wang leads the project as the Principal Investigator, supported by a distinguished team of mentors providing multidisciplinary guidance:

  • Dr. Grace Aldrovandi, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA professor of Pediatrics and an expert in microbiome and pediatric infectious diseases
  • Dr. David Wong, UCLA School of Dentistry professor and a leading scientist in salivary biomarkers and diagnoses
  • Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez, UCLA School of Dentistry professor and an authority in pediatric caries with a focus on disparities in Hispanic populations

Together, they offer scientific, clinical, and public health insights that shape the success of the research. Dr. Wang presented her findings at the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) and International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) conferences, engaging the broader scientific community to further enhance the impact of her work.