Educational and Professional Background
Dr. Chiappelli left the University of Bologna, Italy, where he was a 1st year medical student in the early 1970’s to visit UCLA for one quarter. He stayed and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in 1975. He entered the graduate program at UCLA, but was forced into a five-year leave of absence for personal reasons. In 1981, he obtained a Master’s degree at UCLA while a full-time staff research associate. Continuing in full-time employment, he obtained a Ph.D. from UCLA in 1986. In 1987, he entered the postdoctoral training program in psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA, as the second trainee in that program. In 1988, he obtained a joint NIH-funded fellowship in human fundamental and clinical immunology. By 1990, he completed his postdoctoral training, and was recruited in the research faculty of the School of Medicine at UCLA. He obtained his first NIH independent research grant in 1992, and set up his laboratory on the grounds of the west Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In 1994, he was recruited as an assistant professor at the UCLA School of Dentistry.
Research/Creative Activities
Dr. Chiappelli’s research has focused on mind-body interaction for the last 15 years. As a system biologist, he studies the pathways that regulate and modulate cellular immune surveillance. His fundamental hypothesis is that external factors, such as stress, pain, alcohol, nicotine or drugs of abuse, put a serious load on the T cells of the immune system, and prevent them from functioning well in the defense against infection and cancer. Specifically in the context of dentistry, he has examined the role of mind-body interactions in “stress-related” oral ulcers, including canker sores (recurrent aphthous stomatis) and oral lichen planus. He is presently writing a book entitled Stress in Dentistry, which should be published in 2005-2006.
In the last three years, Dr. Chiappelli has developed a second area of research that focuses on evidence-based research in dentistry. He conceptualizes this domain of research as consisting of two fundamental domains: one dedicated to developing, characterizing and establishing the tools and the modalities to perform evidence-based research optimally; the other dedicated to applying these tools in specific clinical domains of dentistry. He works closely with the Cochrane group to develop a consensus of the best available evidence for recurrent aphthous stomatis. He is finalizing a textbook on evidence-based research in dentistry and medicine to be published in 2004-2005.
Courses taught
Dr. Chiappelli teaches evidence-based dentistry to first and second year dental students. He also teaches biostatistics and research methodology graduate students.
Dr. Chiappelli participates in the teaching of human gross anatomy to first year dental students, and of human immunology to dental students and graduate students.
Professional memberships and activities:
Dr. Chiappelli is an active member of IADR/AADR, the international society of psychoneuroimmunology research (PNIRS) and the international statistical institute (ISI).
Recent Publications
- Chiappelli F Prolo P Cajulis E Harper S Sunga E Concepcion E. Consciousness, emotional self-regulation, and the psychosomatic network: Relevance to Oral Biology and Medicine. In Consciousness, Emotional Self-regulation and the Brain; M. Beauregard, Ed. Advances in Consciousness Research, John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2004; Chapter 9, pp. 253-74.
- Chiappelli F, Cajulis OS. Psychobiological views on “stress-related oral ulcers”. Quintessence International, 2004, 35:223-7.
- Prolo P Chiappelli F Harper SR Neagos N Fiala M Grasso E Mondino F Rosso MG Fanto’ F Masera MG Sartori ML Dovio A Angeli A. Profile of cytokines and Amyloid-b in saliva: Putative markers of probable Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Aging, 2004, (In press).
- Chiappelli F , Guest Editor-in-Chief, Evidence-Based Research in Dentistry for the Next Decade. Brazilian Journal of Oral Sciences (special issue) 2003 2(5).
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There is something magical about teaching, about conveying new and complex ideas to a young mind, and observing this individual blossom when the “information transaction” has been successful. Both systems biology (i.e. psychoneuroimunology) and evidence-based research (i.e. biostatistics and methodology) are difficult subjects to grasp, and often students shy away from and avoid complicated material. Teaching is a challenge, a mission that requires complete dedication, and all the more when the subject matter is not quite along the most frequently beaten path. However, it is the most rewarding of professional endeavors when those students who decide to dedicate themselves to the subject matter achieve the expected level of competency. A few years ago, a student was heard screaming as he ran toward Dr. Chiappelli’s office one evening, where the door was still open as he was engaged in some late hour writing (writing is best done, Dr. Chiappelli says, when no one is around). “It works, Dr. Chiappelli, it works!,” the student was joyfully yelling for all to hear. That moment, that joy in the student’s eyes, Dr. Chiappelli says, is the best reason to remain in the teaching profession.
Dr. Chiappelli always says that it wasn’t he who chose dentistry, but rather dentistry that chose him because of the emerging interest in issues pertaining to stress and mind-body interaction in clinical dentistry, and because of his expertise in that field. And he is most happy that he joined the UCLA School of Dentistry, where he can make a relevant contribution both in stress research and in evidence-based research, and plans to continue to teach here for many years to come.
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