Dr. Inna Tchivileva Joins Endodontics Department as Research Assistant Professor
Professor Inna E. Tchivileva, M.D., M.S., recently joined the UNC School of Dentistry as a full-time research assistant professor in the Department of Endodontics. Dr. Tchivileva graduated from Russian State Medical University in Moscow with doctorate and Master of Science degrees in biochemistry. She worked as a clinical research associate for two years at CRO “Quintiles” managing multicenter international clinical trials. From 2004 until recently, Dr. Tchivileva performed her postdoctoral fellowship in pain neurobiology, molecular biology and genetics, and continued her research as a research associate at the Center for Neurosensory Disorders at the UNC School of Dentistry.
Dr. Tchivileva has conducted projects elucidating the role of genetic variations in regulation of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene expression and the contribution of adrenergic system in pain pathophysiology. Her findings were published in a number of top journals including Science, Molecular Pain and Trends in Genetics. The results of her pilot clinical trial on propranolol efficacy in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) therapy were distinguished by the 5th Meeting of the TMJ Association award.
In her current position, Dr. Tchivileva directs research projects aimed to translate basic genetic findings from molecular and cellular mechanisms to human clinical trials and teaches courses on orofacial pain and TMD management.
