Dr. Ian A. Boggero is an assistant professor in the Department of Oral Health Science, Division of Orofacial Pain, at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. He earned his B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kentucky. He also completed a graduate certificate in biostatistics and a two-year fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital working with children and families with chronic pain.

Dr. Boggero is a leading voice on the psychological aspects of temporomandibular and orofacial pain and serves as the Director of Psychological Services and Director of Research at the UK Orofacial Pain Clinic. In this role, he oversees both clinical care and the research mission of one of the world’s foremost orofacial pain programs. A clinician-scientist, his research explores how fatigue and poor sleep quality influence chronic pain and how psychological interventions can improve outcomes for patients with orofacial pain. He has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed publications and delivered over 100 presentations, with his work cited in the literature more than 2,000 times. His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Psychological Association and other organizations, and he is currently leading a National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)-funded K23 clinical trial testing brief psychological interventions for chronic masticatory muscle pain disorders.

Beyond his research, Dr. Boggero chairs the Research Committee of the American Academy of Orofacial Pain and serves as the health psychology representative on the board of the Kentucky Psychological Association. As a first-generation college graduate, he brings a unique, psychologically informed perspective to orofacial pain care and is advancing how clinicians understand and treat temporomandibular disorders through his teaching, leadership and research.