Dr Conrado Aparicio is an investigator with a research focus on the surfaces of dental and orthopedic biomaterials, their design, modification, as well as the characterization and analysis of their physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. He is a materials engineer by training and performed his PhD under the supervision of Professor Javier Gil at BarcelonaTech-UPC developing new surface treatments to improve osseointegration of dental implants.

After getting his position as a senior lecturer in Spain, Dr Aparicio moved to Chicago where he was a visiting scholar at the Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine of Northwestern University under the supervision of Professor Samuel Stupp. Dr Aparicio investigated the biomineralization of self-assembled nanostructured scaffolds made of peptide-amphiphiles.

Dr Aparicio’s main subjects of research are the understanding of the interactions between biological and synthetic materials, biofunctionalization of biological and synthetic surfaces with biomolecules for improving bioactivity and antimicrobial properties of different dental biomaterials, and biomineralization of biomaterials.

Recently, Dr Aparicio’s research interests have expanded to studying and developing new techniques and new biomaterials, including 1) dental restorative materials and biological agents to induce bone regeneration and teeth remineralization; 2) new materials and methodologies for the assessment, management, and improvement of esthetic dental restorations; 3) tissue engineering strategies to improve outcomes of transdermal devices and implants.

Dr Aparicio’s background and record of scholarly publications reflects a multi- and interdisciplinary approach to biomaterials and biomechanics science and engineering, including several biomolecular, in vitro and in vivo studies.

Research Summary/Interests
Bioinspired surface and interfaces for dental and orthopedic applications
Biomineralization of synthetic materials and tissues
Synthetic peptides, recombinant biopolymers, and self-assembly
Regeneration of hard tissues (enamel, dentin, bone)
Prevention and Control of Biofilms