Marco Tizzano

Marco Tizzano is an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine within the Department of Basic & Translational Sciences. His work bridges molecular biology and oral health, with a focus on chemoreception mechanisms in non-traditional contexts.

• Current research explores taste receptors in innate immunity, oral microbiota interactions, and inflammatory responses in dental tissues.
• He investigates solitary chemosensory cells and their role in irritant detection, airway defense, and avoidance behavior.

His publications highlight a specialization in TAS2R signaling pathways, trigeminal-olfactory cross-talk, and chemosensory systems across oral and respiratory epithelia. He received the Ajinomoto Award for Young Investigators in 2019 for work on the dual role of solitary chemosensory cells in pathogen defense and inflammation initiation.

• Recent articles emphasize machine learning applications in dental imaging and translational models for periodontal disease.
• Key subfields include oral immunology, neurogenic inflammation, and epithelial chemoreceptor networks.

His work demonstrates how taste-related molecular pathways contribute to mucosal protection and inflammatory disease modulation in both oral and systemic contexts.