Melissa Grant’s research centres the protein players associated with oral disease. She is interested in exploring novel panels of biomarkers to detect chronic inflammatory disease, such as periodontitis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, chronic kidney disease and lung disease; the structure and function of proteins in the mouth and in circulation under these various conditions; the detection of these proteins by point of care tests; and the production of these proteins in cell models are of particular interest.

Current PhD students are examining novel ways to detect protein biomarkers in saliva, discovery of biomarkers for oral blisters from different diseases, blister fluid composition from patients with epidemolysis bullosa and biomarkers for heart health in captive great apes.