Head, Division of Biomaterials, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Univ. of Texas, Health Science Center at San Antonio Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Biophysics, Florida State University . Research Career Development Award for Caries and Restorative Materials Research from the National Institute of Dental Research. Research Interests:
Current research interests include innovations in dental restorative resins; e.g., non-shrinking resins, radiopacifying additives, nanoparticle fillers, toughened structures; adhesion and surface effects of biomedical polymers; development of coatings for human skin and/or synthetic materials that provide protection as a barrier and/or microbe inhibition and biofilm reduction; and microencapsulated and controlled release systems for biomedical applications.
Selected Publications:
"Thermomechanical investigation of poly(methyl methacrylate) containing an organobismuth radiopacifying additive," Rawls, H.R., Granier, R.J., Smid, J., Cabasso, I., J. Biomed. Materials Res. 31, 339-343 (1996).
"Development of a new photoinitiation system for dental light-cure composite resins," Park, Y.-J., K.-H. Chae and H.R. Rawls, Dental Materials, 15, 120-127 (1999).
"Radiopacity of tantalum oxide nanoparticle filled resins," Chan, D.C.N., H.W. Titus, K.-H. Chung, H. Dixon, S.T. Wellinghoff and H.R. Rawls, Dental Materials , 15, 219-222 (1999).
"Fluoride ion binding and adsorption affinity of polyelectrolytes," Rawls, H.R., I. Cabasso, B.F. Zimmerman and K.B. Lescale, Colloids & Surfaces, 26, 98-100 (1987).
"Dental Materials Related to Prevention: Sustained Delivery of Fluoride and Other Therapeutic Agents," Rawls, H.R., Adv. Dent. Res., 5, 50-55 (1991).
"Cytotoxicity Evaluation of a Radiopaque Resin Additive - Triphenyl Bismuth," Rawls , H.R., M.V. Marshall, H.L. Cardenas, H.R. Bhagat and I. Cabasso, Dental Materials, 7, 8, 1-7 (1992).
"Esthetic materials: the role of active agent sustained-release. Symposium on Esthetic Restorative Materials," Rawls, H.R. and Norling, B.K., Am. Dent. Assoc ., Chicago, 130-135 (1993).
"Evaluation of fluoride-releasing dental materials using in vitro and in vivo demineralization models," Rawls, H.R., Adv. Dent. Res ., 9, 324-331 (1995).
"Low shrinkage resins from liquid crystal diacrylate monomers," Rawls, H.R., Wellinghoff, V.T., Norling, B.K., and Wellinghoff, S.T., Am. Chemical Soc. Polymer Preprints (1997).
( for more information: www.adrs.org and: www.uthscsa.edu/faculty/rawls.html )