Novince Lab People

Current Lab Personnel

Profile Chad Novince 

Chad Novince, DDS, MSD, Ph.D., Principal Investigator

Dr. Novince carried out his clinician-scientist training at University of Michigan, obtaining his DDS and Ph.D. in 2011. His Ph.D. work in osteoimmunology was focused on advancing the understanding of parathyroid hormone (PTH)/PTH-related protein (PTHrP) actions in hematopoiesis and bone modeling/remodeling in the developing and adult skeleton. NIH/NIDCR F30 Fellowship research investigations delineated that proteoglycan-4 (Prg4), a novel PTH response gene with known protective actions in articular joints, regulates normal osteoimmunological processes and exogenous intermittent-PTH (1-34) actions in hematopoiesis, skeletogenesis, and degenerating joints.

Specialty periodontics clinical training, treating a pathogenic microbiota induced host immune response disease state having catabolic effects on bone, instilled scientific curiosity about the impact of the microbiome on skeletal metabolism. His postdoctoral research at University of Washington investigating commensal flora – host immune response effects revealed that the normal oral microbiota has immunomodulatory actions significantly impacting alveolar bone homeostasis in health, which challenges current empirical theory dictating that alveolar bone homeostasis is strictly regulated by pathogenic oral bacteria in periodontal disease states.

Intrigued by the realization that the commensal microbiota critically regulates physiologic osteoimmunological processes, and appreciating that peak bone mass accrual during skeletal development has lifelong health implications, Dr. Novince was inspired to pursue an academic career conducting research defining the impact of the microbiome on osteoimmunology and skeletal development. Recruited as a postdoctoral fellow to pursue his original independent research interests, Dr. Novince quickly obtained NIH/NIDCR K08 Award funding and was appointed to MUSC faculty in 2016. Ongoing K08 studies have delineated that distinct microbiome communities (gut microbiota, oral microbiota) have unique immunomodulatory actions impacting osteoclast-osteoblast mediated skeletal development and remodeling.

Dr. Novince has been selected as a fellow for the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Fellows Forum on Metabolic Bone Diseases and is a recipient of the 2017 ASBMR John Haddad Young Investigator Award and the 2018 ASBMR Rising Star Award. His research has been recognized by the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), placing 1st in the AADR Hatton Awards Competition. Dr. Novince has published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of mineralized tissue biology, oral biology, endocrinology and pathology, and has authored book chapters in Primer on the Metabolic Bone Diseases and Disorders of Mineral Metabolism and Carranza's Clinical Periodontology. His research interests include molecular/cellular aspects of (i) hematopoietic cell – bone cell interactions, (ii) osteoclast-osteoblast interactions, (iii) healthy bone development, (iv) minimizing bone loss in the adult skeleton.

View Dr. Novince's research profile

Vincenza Geiser 

Vincenza Geiser, Research Specialist

Vincenza graduated from Berry College in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science degree, focusing on Cell and Molecular Biology. She completed an internship at the Defense Forensics Science Center that sparked her interest in microbiome-based research. Vincenza plans to pursue a career as a forensics DNA analyst. During her spare time, she can be found at an equestrian barn brushing up on her Hunt Seat equitation

Profile Amy Warner 

Amy Warner, Research Specialist

Amy graduated from Yale in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree, focusing on ecology and evolutionary biology. Amy joined the Novince Lab at the end of 2018 and has helped contribute to the various study projects conducted within the lab. She began working in research during her undergraduate degree and has a keen interest in comparative anatomy and osteology. Amy is currently applying to medical school and expects to begin fall 2021. During her spare time she can be spotted surfing on Folly, running the Battery or doing yoga.

 
Profile Matthew Carson 

Matthew Carson, Ph.D. Candidate

Matthew Carson graduated from Clemson University with bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and genetics in 2018. Matthew entered the Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences program at the Medical University of South Carolina in Fall 2018 and joined the Novince Lab in Spring 2019. Matthew has taken an interest in studying immune, endocrine, and metabolic mechanisms regulating microbiota effects on the bone at oral and non-oral skeletal sites. Since joining the Novince Group, Matthew has been selected as a Fellow for the 2021 Endocrine Fellows Foundation / American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) Forum on Metabolic Bone Diseases Fellow, a Senior Category finalists for the 2021 American Association for Dental Research Hatton Competition, and has received awards at the MUSC Student Research Day (2020) and MUSC College of Dental Medicine Scholar’s Day (2020, 2021, 2022).

 
Waqar Ahmad 

Waqar Ahmad, DMD, Postdoctoral Resident

Waqar grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He graduated from York University in Toronto with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. After his bachelors, he pursued dental school at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario to obtain his Doctor of Dental Surgery. Currently, Waqar studies at the Medical University of South Carolina pursuing a specialty certificate in Periodontics as well as a Master of Science in Dentistry. His current research involves the immunologic effects of implant surgeries in animal models.

 Lee Chochrane DMD 

Lee Chochrane, DMD, Postdoctoral Resident

Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Lee attended Clemson University where he received his bachelor’s in bioengineering with an emphasis in biomaterials. From there, he attended the Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Dental Medicine and received his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree in 2019. He is now specializing in periodontics and is in his second year of residency. As a part of specialty training, Lee is completing research in the Novince Lab. In his spare time, Lee can be seen running the streets of Charleston or enjoying a new restaurant.

Novin Pishevar DMD 

Novin Pishevar, DMD, Postdoctoral Resident

Novin grew up in the Chicago suburbs in Carol Stream, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Health with a minor in Chemistry. After his bachelors, he pursued dental school at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to obtain his Doctor of Dental Medicine. Currently, Novin studies at the Medical University of South Carolina pursuing a specialty certificate in Periodontics as well as a Master of Science in Dentistry. His current research involves the immunologic effects of implant surgeries in animal models.

 

Andrew Reynolds 

Andrew Reynolds, DMD Student

Drew is a CDM is student from Sumter, SC who is working in the Novince lab this summer as a member of the SHP program. He graduated from Wofford College in 2021 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology. He worked in the Novince lab as part of the SURP program in 2019 researching the role of complement in osteogenesis. He is a student in MUSC's College of Dental Medicine class of 2025. Drew loves living in Charleston and finding new things to do around town.

Previous Lab Personnel

Jessica Hathaway-Schrader, MS., Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar- 2017 to 2022
Research Health Science Specialist, Ralph H. Johnson VAMC
Research Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pathology, College of Medicine, MUSC
Research Assistant Professor, Dept. of Stomatology - Division of Periodontics, College of Dental Medicine, MUSC

Joy Kirkpatrick/Gerasco, D.M.D., Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar- 2020 to 2021
University of North Carolina School of Dentistry Graduate Orthodontics Program, Class of 2025

Hayden VandenBerg
Summer Health Professions Program- 2021
MUSC JBE College of Dental Medicine, Class of 2024

Brooks Swanson, M.S.
Master of Science in Biomedical Science – 2018 to 2020
MUSC JBE College of Dental Medicine, Class of 2024

Megan Kuhn
Summer Health Professions Program – 2019
Summer Undergraduate Research Program – 2017
MUSC JBE College of Dental Medicine, Class of 2022 

Michael Chew
Summer Health Professions Program – 2018
MUSC JBE College of Dental Medicine, Class of 2021

Eliza Taylor
Summer Undergraduate Research Program – 2018
University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Class of 2023

Steven White
South Carolina Continuing Umbrella of Research Experience – 2018
The Citadel, Class of 2023

Nicole Poulides, M.S.
Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences – 2016 -2018
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Research Assistant

Blakely McCormick
Summer Undergraduate Research Program – 2017
MUSC JBE College of Dental Medicine, Class of 2022

Emily Huang
Summer Undergraduate Research Program – 2016
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Class of 2021