Biography
Dr. Kirkwood received his DDS degree from West Virginia University in 1991 and his clinical specialty in periodontics and PhD degree in Oral Biology from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1995 and 1997, respectively. After a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology at State University of New York at Buffalo, Dr. Kirkwood joined the faculty at State University of New York at Buffalo in 2000. He was recruited to the University of Michigan in 2004 and joined the MUSC faculty as Associate Dean for Research in 2008. He is also Chair of the newly established Department of Craniofacial Biology. His research program is focused on innate immune signaling and cytokine biology as it relates to inflammation and bone loss and head and neck cancer progression. Dr. Kirkwood is the Director of the MSUC Center for Oral Health Research and co-directs the Dental Medicine Scientist (DMD/PhD) Training Program. Dr. Kirkwood is currently Associate Professor of Craniofacial Biology and Microbiology and Immunology.