Principal Investigator

Iacopo Cioffi, DDS, Phd, Dip.Ortho., FRCD(C)

Dr. Iacopo Cioffi is a full-time tenured Associate Professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Dentistry. He is a clinician-scientist with expertise in temporomandibular disorders (TMD), functional anatomy of the masticatory system, and orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. He was trained in dentistry, orthodontics, and TMD at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy, and completed a PhD program in oral sciences and a clinical specialty program in orthodontics at the same institution. During his training, he also worked at the Clinic of Masticatory Disorders, Centre for Dental Medicine, at the University of Zurich (Switzerland), and the Department of Functional Anatomy at ACTA (Amsterdam, the Netherlands). He also completed the dental specialty training and assessment training program (DSATP, orthodontics) at the University of Toronto. Dr. Cioffi is a board-certified orthodontist and a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada.

 Dr. Cioffi' s research focuses on masticatory muscle function and dysfunction, understanding mechanisms of TMD, and developing neural and muscular biomarkers of this condition. Dr. Cioffi's work is unique in TMD research as it employs a multimodal approach, including imaging, behavioral measurements, and electrophysiological recordings, to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms of muscular TMD, and is particularly suitable to study the biopsychosocial determinants of TMD comprehensively.

 Since 2015, Dr. Cioffi's research has been supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Ontario, the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation, the European Orthodontic Society, Align Technology, and UofT Dentistry.

 Dr. Cioffi is actively involved in orthodontic and pain education. He teaches oral physiology, orofacial pain, TMD, and orthodontics. He is the course director of the graduate program “The diagnosis and management of TMD” (DEN1017) at UofT Dentistry and chairs the evaluation Committee of the University of Toronto Centre for The Study of Pain Interfaculty Pain Curriculum. This extensive interprofessional curriculum involves more than a thousand UofT students each year across seven different health disciplines. He also coordinates the scientific methodology and Journal review courses in the graduate orthodontic program at UofT. In 2019, Dr. Cioffi was awarded the Manly G. Bardner Memorial Award for exceptional dedication to orthodontic education.

 Dr. Cioffi has authored > 60 manuscripts in the fields of TMD pathophysiology, pain, and orthodontics. He is an active Reviewer of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, The Angle Orthodontist, the European Journal of Orthodontics, the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, the Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache, and many other dental, orthodontic, and pain journals. He is An Associated Editor of Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research and an editorial board member of the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation and the Journal of Aligner Orthodontics.

 Dr. Cioffi also is actively involved in national and international scientific pain and orthodontic research groups ( International Association for Dental Research Neuroscience and INfORM -International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders Methodology- groups, and the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research orofacial pain working group). He also is an active member of the Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists (Eastern Chapter). Dr, Cioffi has been a speaker at many international meetings organized by the International Association for the Study of Pain, the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, the International Association for Dental Research, the Canadian Pain Society, and the Angle Society East. Dr. Cioffi's clinical activities are limited to clinical orthodontics and the management of patients with TMD.

Associate Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto – University of Toronto Centre for The Study of Pain

Graduate Students

  • PhD CANDIDATE

    Pedram Mouseli completed his Master of Science in engineering at the K. N. Toosi University of Technology in Iran. He is currently a PhD student at the Faculty of Dentistry with a specialization in Neuroscience under the supervision of Dr. Iacopo Cioffi and Dr. Massieh Moayedi. His thesis focuses on identifying a novel neuromuscular biomarker signature of chronic temporomandibular disorders (TMD) using functional and structural brain imaging and muscle recordings. He is developing machine learning models that capture biomarker patterns associated with TMD and can be used for a more personalized diagnosis and treatment.

  • MSc CANDIDATE

    Suha completed a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Immunology (Honours) at the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing an MSc under the co-supervision of Dr. Cioffi and Dr. Moayedi. She is investigating chronic pain in temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and mapping trigeminal brainstem pathways in healthy individuals and patients. She is keen on exploring pain pathways in the brain and hopes to improve people's quality of life. Outside the lab, Suha enjoys painting and volunteering.

  • PhD CANDIDATE

Undergraduate Trainees/Research Assistants

  • Undergraduate Trainee

    Sarah is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto majoring in physiology and health & disease. She is a research assistant under Dr. Iacopo Cioffi working with graduate students Suha and Pedram, where she assists with studies on chronic temporomandibular disorders using quantitative sensory testing and muscle & brain imaging. 

  • Research Assistant

    Nicole obtained her Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Human Biology, from the University of Toronto in 2024. She is a research assistant in the Faculty of Dentistry under the supervision of Dr. Iacopo Cioffi, where she supports studies related to oral behaviours and facial pain, including temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Outside of the lab, you could find Nicole spending time outdoors with friends and family and training for half and full marathons.

Staff

Christine Sexton, HBA, MSc.

Nathaniel De Vera, BSc.

Previous Undergraduate Trainees

  • Undergraduate Trainee (2023-2024)

    Katrina is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto majoring physiology and health & disease. She is currently completing an independent research course under the supervision of Dr. Iacopo Cioffi, studying the relationship between screen time and oral muscle activity. She uses EMG to observe non-functional oral behaviours and how these behaviours differ between screen time and reading. Outside of the lab, she loves to travel, her favourite country being Switzerland!