Dr. Ran Tao is a dentist-scientist whose research focuses on temporomandibular joint and trigeminal pain. He investigates molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of orofacial pain using multi-omics, molecular, and behavioral approaches. He earned his dental and master’s degrees in China and his Ph.D. in Oral and Craniofacial Biomedical Sciences from Texas A&M University. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Orofacial pain, trigeminal sensory biology, epigenetics, neuroimmune interactions, and translational pain research.