Olga Baker, PhD, DDS

Olga Baker, PhD, DDS

Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery

Biochemistry

Professor

Profile

Olga Baker, PhD, DDS, was drawn out of dental practice by the realization that many of her patients could not be aided by existing treatments. In particular, she was struck by the suffering endured by patients who experienced hyposalivation (and did not benefit from common treatments, such as the reliance on artificial saliva and/or the use of secretory agonists). She enrolled in a doctoral program in Biochemistry in her home country of Venezuela to work in research and to gain experience in the pathobiology of salivary gland disorders. She later moved to the U.S. to increase her access to current research, facilities, and collaboration. Having gained access to these resources as a doctoral student and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Missouri, she worked among a concentrated and dedicated group of dental researchers at the State University of New York-Buffalo and later at the University of Utah.

Her current interests mirror past concerns for the well-being of people who do not produce adequate saliva, either due to genetics or treatment side effects. She focuses on a comprehensive approach to the problem, involving not just treatment but preventative aspects. She works in the areas of clinically applicable implants (using new biomaterials) and resolution of inflammation (using resolvins), which she believes to be the most efficacious treatment available. She believes this research will bring tangible benefits to those who suffer from hyposalivation and looks forward to bringing these research programs to fruition.

Baker Research Lab

Academic Information

Professor

Office

1201 Rollins St
Columbia, MO 65211
United States

Research Interests

  • Salivary gland regeneration
  • Resolution of inflammation
  • Salivary gland tight junctions
  • Effects of radiation treatment on salivary gland function
  • Saliva substitutes

Education & Training

Medical School

DDS, Central University of Venezuela School of Dentistry

Post-Graduate School

PhD, Central University of Venezuela School of Dentistry

Publications

  • Nam K, Tavares H, Maslow F, Small T, Shanbhag V, Petris MJ, Baker OJ.
    Copper Chelation Reduces Early Collagen Deposition and Preserves Saliva Secretion in Irradiated Salivary Glands.
    Heliyon Cell Press, In Press, Journal Pre-proof Published online: January 12, 2024. PMID: Pending.
  • Nam K, Tavares H, Maslow F, Small T, Samuel R, Lei P, Andreadis ST, Baker OJ.
    Fibrin Hydrogels Fortified with FGF-7/10 and Laminin-1 Peptides Promote Regeneration of Irradiated Salivary Glands.
    Acta Biomaterialia (2023:S1742-7061(23)00613-X). PMID: 37844750.
  • Tavares Dos Santos H, Nam K, Small T, Maslow F, Baker OJ.
    A Confirming the Identity of Tuft Cells in Mouse Submandibular Glands.
    Gastro Hep Advances 2023, 2:1053-1055 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gastha.2023.08.010.PMID: 38098741.
  • Tavares Dos Santos H, Nam K, Gil D, Venkata Yelleppeddi, Baker OJ.
    Current Experimental Methods to Investigate the Impact of Specialized Pro-resolving Lipid Mediators on Sjögren’s Syndrome.
    Frontiers in Immunology 2023. Section in Mucosal Immunity. Vol. 2., 100016. PMID: 36713415.
  • Tavares Dos Santos H, Maslow F, Nam K, Trump B, Weisman G, Baker OJ.
    A Combination Treatment of Low-Dose Dexamethasone and Aspirin-Triggered resolvin D1 reduces Sjögren’s Syndrome–Like Features in a Mouse Model.
    JADA Foundational Sciences. 2023, Vol. 2., 100016. PMID: 37622089.
  • Tavares Dos Santos H, Nam K, Maslow F, Galloway T, Dooley L, Tassone P, Caruso C, Zitsch R, Weisman G,  Baker OJ.
    Tuft Cells are Present in Submandibular Glands Across Species.
    Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, 2022 Aug 21;221554221120301. doi: 10.1369/00221554221120301. PMID: 35993302.
  • Tassone P, Caruso C, White M, Tavares Dos Santos H, Galloway T, Dooley L, Zitsch R, Baker OJ.
    The role of matrixmetalloproteinase-2 expression by fibroblasts in perineural invasion by oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.
    C Oral Oncol, 2022 Jun 29;132:106002. doi: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2022.106002. PMID: 35779484.
  • Li L, Jasmer KJ, Camden JM, Woods LT, Martin AL, Yang Y, Layton M, Petris MJ, Baker OJ, Weisman GA, Petris CK.
    Early Dry Eye Disease Onset in a NOD.H-2h4 Mouse Model of Sjögren's Syndrome.
    Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2022 Jun 1;63(6):18. doi: 10.1167/iovs.63.6.18. PMID: 35727180.
  • Tavares Dos Santos H, Nam K, Maslow F, Trump B and Baker OJ.
    Specialized Pro-Resolving Receptors are Expressed in Salivary Glands with Sjögren’s syndrome.
    Annals of Diagnostic Pathology. November 2021, 151865. PMID: 34847389.
  • Nam K, Tavares H, Maslow F, Trump B, Lei P, Andreadis ST, Baker OJ.
    Laminin-1 Peptides Conjugated to Fibrin Hydrogels Promote Salivary Gland Regeneration in Irradiated Mouse Submandibular Glands.
    Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. September 2021, Vol (9): 729180. PMID: 34631679.
  • Tavares Dos Santos H, Nam K, Hunt J, Buchmann L, Monroe M, Baker OJ.
    SPM Receptor Expression and Localization in Irradiated Salivary Glands.
    J Histochem Cytochem. 2021, 69 (8):523-534. doi: 10.1369/00221554211031678. PMID: 34339312
  • Yellepeddi VK., Parashar K., Dean SM., Watt K, Constance J., Baker OJ. Predicting Resolvin D1 Pharmacokinetics in Humans with Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling.
    Clin Transl Sci. 2021 Mar;14(2):683-691. doi: 10.1111/cts.12930. PMID: 33202089.
  • Nam, K, Kim K, Dean SM, Brown CT, Davis RS, Okano, T, Baker OJ.
    Using cell sheets to regenerate mouse submandibular glands.
    npj Regenerative Medicine. 2019 Jul 4;4(16). doi:10.1038/s41536-019-0078-3.
  • Dean S, Wang CS, Nam K, Maruyama CL, Trump BG, Baker OJ.
    Aspirin Triggered Resolvin D1 reduces inflammation and restores saliva secretion in a Sjögren's syndrome mouse model.
    Rheumatology (Oxford). 2019 Jul 1;58(7):1285-1292. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kez072.
  • Nam K, Dean SM, Brown CT, Smith RJ Jr, Lei P, Andreadis ST, Baker OJ.
    Synergistic effects of laminin-1 peptides, VEGF and FGF9 on salivary gland regeneration.
    Acta Biomater. 2019 Jun;91:186-194. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.04.049. Epub 2019 Apr 25.
  • Wang CS, Baker OJ. Am J Pathol.
    The G-Protein-Coupled Receptor ALX/Fpr2 Regulates Adaptive Immune Responses in Mouse Submandibular Glands.
    2018 Jul;188(7):1555-1562. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2018.04.003. Epub 2018 Apr 22. PMID: 29684359
  • Maruyama CL, Monroe MM, Hunt JP, Buchmann L, Baker OJ.
    Comparing human and mouse salivary glands: A practice guide for salivary researchers.
    Oral Dis. 2018 Jan 30. doi: 10.1111/odi.12840. [Epub ahead of print] Review. PMID: 29383862
  • Nam K, Maruyama CL, Wang CS, Trump BG, Lei P, Andreadis ST, Baker OJ.
    Laminin-111-derived peptide conjugated fibrin hydrogel restores salivary gland function.
    PLoS One. 2017 Nov 2;12(11):e0187069. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0187069. eCollection 2017. PMID: 29095857
  • Wang CS, Maruyama CL, Easley JT, Trump BG, Baker OJ.
    AT-RvD1 Promotes Resolution of Inflammation in NOD/ShiLtJ mice.
    Sci Rep. 2017 Mar 31;7:45525. doi: 10.1038/srep45525. PMID: 28361884
  • Nam K, Wang CS, Maruyama CLM, Lei P, Andreadis ST, Baker OJ.
    L1 Peptide-Conjugated Fibrin Hydrogels Promote Salivary Gland Regeneration.
    J Dent Res. 2017 Jul;96(7):798-806. doi: 10.1177/0022034517695496. Epub 2017 Feb 16. PMID: 28208029