.jpg)
Assistant Professor
UNC Adams School of Dentistry
University of North Carolina
Dr. Caroline Sawicki is an Assistant Professor on tenure track in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry. She is a pediatric dentist and clinical-translational researcher whose work focuses on understanding and improving the management of chronic orofacial pain in children and adolescents, including temporomandibular disorders and migraine. Dr. Sawicki leads a research program that integrates clinical phenotyping, psychosocial assessment, and biological markers of stress and inflammation to better understand the mechanisms underlying pediatric pain conditions and their comorbidities. Her work aims to identify meaningful patient subgroups and develop more personalized approaches to diagnosis and treatment for youth with chronic orofacial pain. Her research is currently supported by a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) K23 Career Development Award and an NIDCR R03 research grant, both focused on advancing the understanding of pediatric orofacial pain. Dr. Sawicki also collaborates on interdisciplinary studies examining novel approaches to pain management and improving care for children in dental settings. Dr. Sawicki completed her pediatric dentistry residency and a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical and translational research at New York University from 2020–2023. She earned her DDS and PhD from The Ohio State University in 2020 and was supported during her doctoral training by a Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA F30 Fellowship from NIDCR. Dr. Sawicki is an active member of several national and international organizations, including the International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR/AADOCR), American Dental Education Association, American Dental Association, and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.