Journal of Pharmacogenomics & Pharmacoproteomics

Sompop Bencharit

Sompop Bencharit
Department of Pharmacology
The University of North Carolina, USA

Biography

Dr. Sompop Bencharit is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Prosthodontics School of Dentistry and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill UNC. Dr. Bencharit received his DDS in 1994 and Clinical Diploma in Prosthodontics in 1996 from Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand. Dr. Bencharit came to UNC in 1996 for his residency training and graduate education. He earned his Certificate and Master Degree in Prosthodontics in 1999 a PhD in Oral Biology in 2003 and a Certificate in Clinical Research in 2008 from UNC. In November 2009 Dr. Bencharit became a Diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics and a Fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists. He is one of a very few clinician scientists who are both board certified dental specialists and PhD scientists.

Research Interest

Dr. Bencharit is a protein structural biologist specializing in protein X-ray crystallography. He has his research interests in structural biology and its applications to human diseases in particular the role of signaling proteins involved in vessel and bone development. He is also interested in the clinical applications of salivary and tissue proteomics using advanced mass spectrometry. His main laboratory goals include (1) structural and functional studies of cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM), a genetic disorder resulting in vascular defects in the brain causing hemorrhagic stroke (2) salivary proteomic analysis and biomarker discovery for diabetes and HIV-related diseases, and (3) biology of bone regeneration and implant dentistry.