Dr. Scott R. Diehl is a Professor at the New Jersey Dental School and Director of the Center for Pharmacogenomics and Complex Disease Research . Scott Diehl's mission for the Center for Pharmacogenomics and Complex Disease Research is to capitalize on the abundance of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) recently discovered in the human genome.  SNPs are common DNA sequence variations among individuals.  They promise to advance the understanding of the molecular causes of disease and of differences among individuals in response to drugs and other therapies.

The center  uses advanced computational and bioinformatics tools and databases for the full range of project management, including SNP selection and the acquisition and tracking of clinical, demographic, risk factor and biospecimen data. SNP genotypes will be assayed using advanced robotic systems and high-throughput detection systems. These laboratory systems utilize the latest technologies to very quickly and accurately determine the letters of the DNA alphabet in a gene of interest for clinical studies in humans, in experimental animals such as mice, or in bacteria or viruses.

Collaborations are being developed with academic and private sector clinicians and basic scientists with interests in a wide range of diseases. Initial studies will focus on head and neck cancer, periodontal disease, the cleft lip and palate birth defect, and the pharmacogenomics of pain perception and drug responses. In addition to studies of disease, technology will be developed to increase the speed and efficiency of SNP genotyping while retaining accuracy and lowering cost.

Before moving to UMDNJ, Dr. Diehl was an intramural Senior Investigator at the NIH for nine years. His research there was funded by NIH intramural and contract resources. His UMDNJ Center now receives NIH grant support.