My name is Yaser Alsahafi, a dentist, a dental public health professional, an academician, a PhD candidate at the University of Florida (UF), a proficient molecular and basic microbiology technician, and a recipient of graduate student award from UFIC and Certified in Public Health (CPH). I received my dental degree from King Abdulaziz University (KAU) in Saudi Arabia and my dental public health master’s degree from Boston University (BU), during which I participated in multiple community outreach programs as an organizer and as an oral health screener. Currently, I am pursing my PhD in public health at UF PHHP department of environmental and global health, during which I gained a lot of experience in molecular microbiology by working in bacteriology and periodontology labs.
This database was created as part of my dissertation that investigated the genetic evolutionary patterns of human oral microbiome. My focus is on building on my understating of these evolutionary patterns as they relate to patient characteristics, disease status, and site of isolation. The goal is to improve our understanding of the interplay between pathogenesis and oral microbiota evolutionary and population genetic patterns. The understanding of evolutionary differences and dynamics holds the potential for essential foundations for “personalized medicine” in dentistry, the future standard of care. In addition, my project intends to create an annotated database to serve as resource for learning about oral microbiome diversity in patients with variable demographics and health status.