Dr. Laura Anne Jacox DMD, PhD, MS

Dr. Laura Anne Jacox is an Assistant Professor of Research and Orthodontics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, Adams School of Dentistry. She is a native of Chicago, Illinois, who moved to Boston to study biology and earth science at M.I.T. While a student there, she discovered her love of research and dentistry, through the mentorship of clinician-scientists. Dr. Jacox pursued her dental and graduate training at Harvard University in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, studying craniofacial development. She completed her residency in the Orthodontics Department at UNC Chapel Hill with Dr. William Proffit and completed her post-doctoral research with Dr. Ching-Chang Ko and Dr. David Zajac. Dr. Jacox was retained as a tenure track Assistant Professor at UNC where she established her independent research program. The Jacox lab conducts human translational research in dentistry, with a focus on orthodontic and orthognathic treatment outcomes, along with evaluating animal-assisted therapy for management of dental anxiety. The unifying theme of her research is to improve dental treatment through an enhanced evidence base and minimally invasive interventions. Dr. Jacox also practiced privately at Severt Smiles Orthodontics in Chapel Hill and Pittsboro, NC for six years, where her real-world experiences have inspired her research and talks.