A/P Vinicius Rosa
Biosketch

Vinicius ROSA

Associate Professor, NUS Faculty of Dentistry. Director of ORCHIDS — Oral Care, Health Innovations and Designs Singapore.

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A/P Vinicius Rosa develops oral-health technologies at the intersection of materials science, artificial intelligence, regenerative dentistry and translational research. His work connects biomaterials, cell-based models, data-driven design and research infrastructure to make oral-health innovation more predictive, clinically relevant and ready to move beyond the laboratory.

A/P Rosa obtained his DDS from the University of Passo Fundo in 2005, the same year he received the Academy of Dental Materials Student Award. He later completed his Master's and PhD in Dental Materials at the University of São Paulo, with doctoral work developed in collaboration with Prof. Jacques E. Nör at the University of Michigan.

His doctoral research demonstrated that dental pulp-like tissue could be regenerated in full-length human root canals using dental pulp stem cells and injectable scaffolds. This work helped shape his long-standing interest in regenerative endodontics and in the design of biomaterials that do more than replace damaged structures: materials that interact with cells, guide tissue formation and create conditions for repair.

After joining the National University of Singapore in 2012, A/P Rosa built an interdisciplinary research programme around a central question: how can dentistry move from testing materials after they are made to designing technologies around the biological responses they are expected to generate? This question led his group from dental materials and pulp regeneration into advanced biointerfaces, stem-cell-derived models, material informatics, on-demand biomaterial design and living experimental systems.

Across these areas, his work has focused on creating platforms that change how oral-health technologies are discovered, tested and translated. Rather than treating materials, cells and clinical needs as separate problems, his research integrates them into experimental and computational systems that can better predict performance, safety and biological relevance.

As Vice-Dean Research at NUS Dentistry, A/P Rosa led the strategic transformation of the Faculty's research enterprise and authored the roadmap that laid the foundation for ORCHIDS — Oral Care, Health Innovations and Designs Singapore. He now directs ORCHIDS, an autonomous research centre focused on translating oral-health innovation through engineering strategies, artificial intelligence, digital tools and interdisciplinary collaboration.

A/P Rosa also led the development of Singapore's first Tooth Tissue Bank and Dental Stem Cell Bank, establishing research infrastructure that supports regenerative dentistry, biomaterials testing and future translational technologies. Together, these initiatives reflect the broader direction of his work: building the scientific concepts, experimental systems and institutional platforms needed for the next phase of oral-health innovation.

Career highlights

Awards & Recognition

2026
IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award
2023
Fellow of the Academy of Dental Materials
2021
IADR Distinguished Scientist Young Investigator Award
2021
IADR/DMG Stephen Bayne Mid-Career Award
2007
Academy of Dental Materials George C. Paffenbarger Award
2005
Academy of Dental Materials Student Award
Trainee achievements
2023
IADR Kulzer Travel Award — co-supervisor
2022
IADR Kulzer Travel Award — supervisor
2019
IADR Pediatric Oral Health Research Group Student Award — co-supervisor
2017
IADR-APR Unilever Hatton Award — supervisor
Service to the field

Editorial & Advisory Roles

Associate Editor
  • Journal of Prosthodontics2020 – current
Editorial Board & Advisory
Journal of Dental Research2018 – current
Dental Materials2020 – current
Journal of Clinical Periodontology2026 – current
JADA Foundational Science2020 – current
European Journal of Oral Sciences2024 – current
Discover Nano2024 – current
Journal of Endodontics, Scientific Advisory Board2019 – current
Committee & Working Group
President, IADR Dental Materials Group2023–2024
Board Member, Academy of Dental Materials2024–2027
IADR Young Investigator Award Committeecurrent