G Gary Demerjian Editor

G. Gary Demerjian, DDS, graduated from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, San Francisco, in 1990 and undertook various postgraduate studies. For more than two decades he has run a private practice with a focus on the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorders and sleep disordered breathing/sleep apnea. In 2014, Dr. Demerjian was awarded the position of Project Scientist, Department of Oral Biology, UCLA School of Dentistry and a position as a sleep physician at Fontana Kaiser Sleep Centr to treat obstructive sleep apnea with oral orthotics. Dr. Demerjian is a Diplomate of  American Board of Craniofacial Pain, American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine, American Academy of Integrative Pain Management, American Board of Forensic Dentistry, American College of Forensic Examiners. A Fellow of the American Academy of Craniofacial Pain and the International College of Craniomandibular Orthopedics. Is certified as a RPSGT - Registered Polysomnographic Technologist. He has been an active member of the Evidence Based Decisions-Practice-Based Research Network since 2010. Furthermore, he has given many presentations on topics concerning the temporomandibular joint at national and international meetings. He has several publications related to his research and clinical expertise.

Mayoor Patel, DDS, MS, graduated from the University of Tennessee with his dental degree and received his master’s degree from Tufts University. Dr. Patel has also received many credentials, which allow him to accurately—and properly—treat temporomandibular disorders (TMD), orofacial pain and sleep apnea in his dental office. 

 He is a Diplomate of the Academy of Integrative Pain Management, American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, American Board of Craniofacial Pain, American Board of Orofacial Pain, and American Board of Craniofacial Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr. Patel is also a Fellow of the International College of Cranio-mandibular Orthopedics, American Academy of Craniofacial Pain, American Academy of Orofacial Pain, and Pierre Fauchard Academy. And he is a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist. 

 As co-founder of Ben-Pat Institute and an experienced practitioner in craniofacial pain, TMD and dental sleep medicine, it is Dr. Patel’s goal to help dentists better understand their role in diagnosing and managing patients with craniofacial pain and TMD as well as providing services in dental sleep medicine. Through his lectures, Dr. Patel works with each dentist to ensure accuracy and confidence in diagnosis, management, and treatment.

Andre Barkhordarian, M.S., Ph.D. is a Project Scientist and a Lecturer in the Division of Oral Biology and Medicine at the UCLA School of Dentistry. He teaches an advanced course in Osteoimmunology and has taught courses in Fundamental Immunology, Cancer Immunology, Bone Biology, Biostatistics (research design, methodology, data analysis), Evidence Based Medicine and Dentistry. He was the faculty lecturer for the UCLA Pre-College Science Education Program, and the faculty consultant at the UCLA Graduate Division collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to expand fellowship resources. His research interests lie primarily in the field of translational research in Cell Biology, Osteoimmunology/Immunology for the pursuit of proteomic biomarkers of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) and related comorbid neurological pathologies as well as Tumor Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy research involving Natural Killer Cells. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Evidence Based Decisions-Practice-Based Research Network and has published several articles and books/book chapters related to his research.

Francesco Chiappelli, PhD; Dr. Endo (h.c.), is Professor Emeritus, School of Dentistry, Center for the Health Sciences, UCLA and the Department of the Health Sciences at the California State University, Northridge, and held a Conjoint Professor position at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He is a Fellow of the America Association for the Advancement of Science, and an Overseas Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine for his contribution to the field of translational research and effectiveness in health care. He is a Champion of Evidence-Based Dentistry for the American Dental Association, and the Honorary President of the Brazilian Society of EBD/CER. He served as a Fulbright Specialist in Evidence-Based Medicine/Dentistry in Brazil. As is the founder and director of the Evidence Based Decisions-Practice-Based Research Network he  authored over 200 peer-reviewed research papers, reviews and editorials; over 50 book chapters, edited or co-edited half a dozen books, and written half a dozen monographs in his fields of scientific specialty, fundamental and clinical psychoneuroimmunology and translational research and effectiveness in health care.