Omaha, Nebraska, USA: UNMC College of Dentistry Appoints Indian-American Scholar as Associate Dean for Research
The biomaterials expert aims to foster campus-wide research collaboration and clinical innovation.
Sangamesh G. Kumbar has been named the new associate dean for research at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre (UNMC) College of Dentistry.
An internationally recognised authority in biomaterials science, Kumbar joined UNMC earlier this year and runs his research lab at the university’s Omaha campus.
“Kumbar is an outstanding researcher, adept at connecting fundamental science with real-world applications,” said Gerard Kugel, dean of the College of Dentistry. “His selection reflects our dedication to promoting interdisciplinary research and innovation. Under his leadership, our research programs will flourish and inspire future generations of scientists at UNMC.”
Kumbar’s work centres on designing and testing advanced materials for tissue repair and controlled drug delivery. His laboratory focuses on micro-engineered biomaterials that improve healing processes and enable targeted therapeutic release.
“Research is often pursued in silos, with scholars concentrating on individual projects or funding streams,” Kumbar said. “However, collaboration unlocks discoveries that cannot happen alone—whether it’s acquiring grants, advancing applied research, or enhancing patient care outcomes.”
Currently serving in the Department of Growth and Development, Kumbar is partnering with the Orthopaedic Surgery Department and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s College of Engineering.
He plans to extend collaborations to include more departments at UNMC, programs at UNL, the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and other campuses in the University of Nebraska system. “My role was created to link the College of Dentistry with UNO’s engineering program,” he noted. “Being based in Omaha allows me to connect teams and encourage joint innovations.”
Collaborating with experts such as Edward Fehringer in orthopaedic surgery and Dong Wang in pharmaceutical sciences, Kumbar is developing projects that target unmet clinical challenges in osteoarthritis, rheumatology, orthopaedics, and related areas.
Before joining UNMC, Kumbar held a professorship in orthopaedic surgery and biomedical engineering at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He completed his PhD in polymer science at Karnatak University in India and pursued postdoctoral studies at Rutgers University’s New Jersey Centre for Biomaterials.
