Drs Michael Kowolik and Sherie Dowsett have been actively involved in clinical research projects in rural Guatemala since 1995. These investigations have been predominantly related to the study of oral health or, more specifically, periodontal disease. The link between oral and general health is receiving increasing attention in the scientific literature and Drs Kowolik and Dowsett have also addressed this issue, in terms of the role of the oral cavity as a reservoir for Helicobacter pylori as well as antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Studies have been performed primarily within the indigenous Mayan communities surrounding Lake Atitlan, in both the Tzutujil village of San Juan La Laguna and the Cakchiquel village of Tzununa. Preliminary investigations have also been conducted in villages close to Coban in the Northern Highlands, to Jutiapa, in the south-west and near the El Salvador frontier, and to Retalhuleu on the Pacific Coast.

These opportunities in Central America have led to a fostering of new ideas and movement in new directions in terms of research and collaborations within Latin America. An overview is provided in The Indiana University School of Dentistry Bulletin Special Edition, Annual Report (2000).