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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 9255
Email
carolina.loch@otago.ac.nz
Position
Associate Professor
Department
Department of Oral Sciences
Qualifications
BSc MSc PhD
Research summary
Oral Biology

Research

My research is focused on evolutionary oral biology and comparative dental morphology, mainly using animal teeth to gather a wide range of information about the biology, evolution and interactions with the environment of fossil and recent species. Comparative dental anatomy and ultrastructure are some of the key components of my research.

I am also interested in dental hard tissues processing and analyses using modern analytical techniques such as electron microscopy, biomechanical testing, geochemical analysis and micro-computed tomography.

Additional details

I am part of the Craniofacial Biology and Biomechanics and Oral Implantology Programmes of the SJWRI. I have worked in collaboration with Prof. Paul Brunton, Dr. Don Schwass, Prof. Warwick Duncan, among others. A few of my recent research projects spanned from the biomechanics of the human jaw and development of dental appliances in the interface of oral and general health, to the laboratory testing and characterisation of new dental materials.

In 2013 I concluded a multidisciplinary PhD on the "Morphology, function and evolution of teeth in fossil and modern Odontocetes (Cetacea)" in the Department of Geology and the Faculty of Dentistry. The research was supervised by Prof Ewan Fordyce (Geology) and the late Prof Jules Kieser (SJWRI), who was one of the most inspiring and influential figures in my academic formation.

Previous to my PhD, I completed a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Zoology in my home country, Brazil. In addition to the joys of science, I am also interested in martial arts, football, Latin American cultures, tramping and travelling.

@LochCarolina

Publications

Kavale-Henderson, L. A., Buckberry, J., Buckley, H., Cameron, C., King, C., Koon, H., … Loch, C. (2026). “An injurious and utterly unfit environment”: A case study comparing dental evidence of childhood stress in nineteenth century working-class peoples from British and colonial New Zealand contexts. American Journal of Biological Anthropology, 190, e70315. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.70315 Journal - Research Article

Mercado, F., & Loch, C. (2026). The role of biologically active materials in peri-implant diseases. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 15, 4868. doi: 10.3390/jcm15134868 Journal - Research Other

Loch, C., Boyd, D. H., Richter, P., Al-Mahruqi, I., Al-Adawi, M., Al-Sabahi, M., Alismaily, S., & Foster Page, L. A. (2026). Microstructural analysis of carious lesion progression beneath hall technique and conventional stainless-steel crowns in children. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/ipd.70104 Journal - Research Article

Mercado, F., Loch, C., Mustafa, A., Lee, E., & Hecker, M. (2026). Three decades of enamel matrix derivative: From Dental innovation to extra-oral applications. International Journal of Dentistry, 2026, 6556335. doi: 10.1155/ijod/6556335 Journal - Research Other

Cheong, E., Aldabe, D., Thiyahuddin, N., Farella, M., & Loch, C. (2026). The effects of stroke on oral function and oral health: A qualitative study. Gerodontology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/ger.70081 Journal - Research Article

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