On October 18, 2008, DENTSPLY International hosted the 49th Annual ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Awards Program and Reception. The awards program was held in San Antonio during the 2008 ADA Annual Session.
The Student Clinician Research Program was initiated in 1959 to commemorate the centennial of the ADA in New York City, as a joint venture between DENTSPLY International and the American Dental Association. Dr. Harold Hillenbrand, then Executive Director of the ADA and Mr. Henry M. Thornton, then President of DENTSPLY International launched the first program in New York City to encourage student research and participation in organized dentistry. Over 5,000 students have participated in this program which today includes students in 36 countries. The Student Clinician Research Program has evolved from a table clinic presentation in which the students demonstrated a new technique to poster presentations where the students present the results of their clinical, basic science or public health research.
The scientific presentations are divided into two categories – Basic Science Research and Clinical Science / Public Health Research. Three awards are presented in each category for first, second and third place. The 2008 ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program winners are:
Clinical Science / Public Health:
1. Rita Y. Chuang - University of Southern California presenting “Late Maxillary Protraction: Novel Treatment Modality for Cleft Lip and Palate Patients”
2. Todd W. Walker - Tufts University presenting “Effect of Adhesive System and Composite Type on Dentin Bonds”
3. Nejay P. Ananaba - University of Michigan presenting “Liberian Middle School Students' Oral Health and Quality of Life”
Basic Science Research:
1. Neil A. Robertson - University of Pittsburgh presenting “Multi-Lineage Differentiation Potential of Pericytes Isolated from Human Dental Pulp”
2. Poonum Bharal - Virginia Commonwealth University presenting “Transcriptional Response of Mouse Fibroblasts to Porphyromonas Gingivalis Infection”
3. Estee P. Wang - Harvard School of Dental Medicine presenting “Potential Role of a Zinc Finger Transcription Factor in Cerebral Cortical Development”
| Back row: Nejay Ananaba (University of Michigan) and Neil Robertson (University of Pittsburgh). Front row: Estee Wang (Harvard School of Dental Medicine), Rita Chuang (University of Southern California), and Poonum Bharal (Virginia Commonwealth University). Not pictured is Todd Walker (Tufts University). |
| 2008 International Student Clinicians attending the ADA in San Antonio, Texas |
Dr. Linda Niessen, VP and Chief Clinical Officer for DENTSPLY, served as host for this year’s Awards Program. Dr. Niessen congratulated the participating 2008 Student Clinicians from the 55 U.S. Dental Schools and 12 International Dental Schools. Dr. Niessen stated, “These men and women of science are clearly contributing to the generation of new knowledge which serves as the foundation for the profession of dentistry. Our goal at DENTSPLY is to create healthy smiles throughout the world. This goal depends on scientific advances and technical innovations. As a result, we are honored to support the research efforts of these student scientists.”
Ms. Taryn Consani, a 2008 SCADA participant from the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, expressed her appreciation by stating, “Being sent to the national competition and ultimately being sent to the international meeting has not only been a huge honor for me but also has opened many opportunities for my future.”
Following the awards program, DENTSPLY hosted a reception in honor of this year’s participants and all members of SCADA. DENTSPLY Executives, Managers, Scientists, and Professional Services Associates were in attendance to congratulate the students on their exceptional research efforts.
Upon presenting research at their national research program, these talented students are invited to join SCADA (Student Clinicians of the American Dental Association), an alumni association for former student clinicians. Members of SCADA serve as judges for future Student Clinician Research Programs held in conjunction with the ADA Annual Session. SCADA also annually awards fellowship funding for eligible members’ graduate education and honors a faculty advisor. To learn more about SCADA, visit the website www.scadaresearch.org.
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University of Michigan School of Dentistry Presents Awards During Annual Research Day
For over 40 years, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry has hosted an Annual Research Day for student researchers. The February 12, 2008 event showcased approximately 70 poster presentations and 30 exhibitors. The presentations demonstrated the breadth and depth of research conducted by students, staff and faculty at the school. Research projects ranged from fundamental investigations on the role of factors regulating cell and tissue function to clinical and a health sciences study in which basic knowledge is applied to clinical interventions. Research is integral to the School of Dentistry, enhancing their missions in education, patient care and service.
| Mr. Lenny Saia, Key Account Manager, DENTSPLY International, presents the first place ADA/DENTSPLY award to third-year student Nejay Ananaba. |
Harold C. Slavkin, D.D.S., former Dean of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, former director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), and one of the world's leading authorities on craniofacial development and genetic birth defects, served as the 2008 keynote speaker. His address titled “Emerging Opportunities for Dental Research and Education” was delivered to a standing-room only audience.
Third-year dental student, Nejay Ananaba, won the Grand Prize Award and represented the University of Michigan at the ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program in San Antonio, Texas. Nejay conducted her research with mentors Drs. Marilyn Woolfolk and Marita Inglehart on “Liberian Middle School Students’ Oral Health and Quality of Life.” This unique research project assessed the oral health-related quality of life (ohrqol) of middle school students in Liberia, to explore whether their self perceived oral health is significantly correlated with (a) their pain related ohrqol, (b) the ohrqol impacts on their lives, and (c) their overall ohrqol. The conclusion included data that showed the tremendous impact that poor oral health has on middle school students’ oral health-related quality of life.
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University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine Research Day 2008
On February 20th, 2008, the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine held its 24th Annual Research Day. The featured presenter, Dr. Clark Stanford, University of Iowa, presented data on the use of nanotechnology in the study of prosthodontics. He also discussed ideas for how to build collaborations between the basic and clinical sciences. The event included three other prominent speakers. Dr. Stephanie Bryant from the Biomaterials Department presented data on the science of tissue regeneration. Diane Brunson from the Colorado Department of Health gave an update on the status of oral health in Colorado and the mechanisms by which public health officials are striving to improve oral health in Colorado. Dr. Cheng Hu, a recent addition to the dental school, presented data on his study of tumor cell response to hypoxic conditions, and how tumor cells can survive hypoxia through the actions of hypoxia inducible factors.
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Mr. Lenny Saia, Key Account Manager, DENTSPLY International, presents the first place ADA/DENTSPLY award to third-year student Nejay Ananaba. |
An important aspect of the Research Day Program is the contribution by dental school students, two of whom were among the featured speakers at the event. Eleven of the thirty-three research posters displayed were presented by University of Colorado dental students. Sung Kim was selected as the First Place winner in the 2008 ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program based on his outstanding performance during the student poster competition. His work titled "Comparing Mechanical Properties of Chain-Growth Dimethacrylate and Step-Growth Thiol-ene Network Polymers" was conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Jeff Stansbury. This important work explored the ability of novel polymerization mechanisms to produce enhanced dental composite restorative materials.
University of Colorado Health Science Center student, Sung Kim was selected to represent the school at the 2008 ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program.
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UTHSCSA Celebrates Their 27th Annual Dental Science Symposium
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) hosted their 27th Annual Dental Science Symposium on April 16, 2008. This special event was presented by the dental school and the San Antonio Chapter of the American Association for Dental Research. Students, fellows, residents, and faculty presented their research in various venues throughout the day. The Symposium also included a clinically oriented table clinic session. Over 60 research and table clinic presentations attracted wide attendance from the dental school community according to AADR chapter President, Dr. Erica Oliveira, Assistant Professor, Department of General Dentistry. She credits this year’s Symposium success to organizer, Dr. Peter Gakunga, Department of Orthodontics at UTHSCSA.
The Symposium began with keynote speaker Dr. Lynne Opperman, Baylor College of Dentistry, who presented a lecture titled “Technology Transfer and the Student Inventor.” The Distinguished Scientific Lecture Lunch & Learn was given by Dr. John Rugh, Chairperson of the Department of Orthodontics with a talk titled “Dental Practice, Research and Education: Building Bridges for Tomorrow.” The Distinguished Faculty Speaker for the Symposium was Dr. Thomas Oates, Vice Chairperson for the Department of Periodontics. His lecture was titled “Dental Implant Integration and Clinical Implications: Understanding What We Know.”
The Symposium culminated with an Award Ceremony and Reception. The winner of the Pre-Doctoral Poster Competition was second-year dental student, Susan Putthoff. Putthoff represented the UTHSCSA Dental School at the 2008 ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program. Her poster is titled “Characterization of a Novel Assay for Orofacial Hyperalgesia and Allodynia.” Her research mentors were Drs. Jill Fehrenbacher and Ken Hargreaves of the UTHSCSA Department of Endodontics.
| Second year dental student Susan Putthoff, Pre-Doctoral Research Poster First Place winner receiving congratulations from her mentors Dr. Erica Oliveira and Dr. Chuck Hermesch. |
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine Holds Research Activity Day
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine held a joint Table Clinic Program and Research Activity Day on April 22, 2008. The program featured a presentation by guest speaker Dr. Margaret R. Byers, Research Professor of Anesthesiology and Biological Structure; Research Affiliate, Center on Human Development and Disability at the University of Washington. Seventeen table clinics were presented. The day concluded with the announcement that third-year dental student, Kathryn Kosten, had been judged overall student winner with her clinic titled "Snap, Crackle, Pop: Interpreting the Sounds of the TMJ."
Ms. Kosten represented the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine at the annual ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program. Additionally, she presented her research at the Illinois State Dental Society and Chicago Dental Society meetings.
Third-year dental student Kathryn Kosten with her winning poster presentation.
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AADR President Brian Clarkson Addresses Research Day Gathering at Indiana University
Hundreds of Indiana University School of Dentistry faculty, staff, and students gathered at the school on April 9, 2008, for the 16th Annual Research Day Program. The event featured incoming American Association for Dental Research President, Dr. Brian H. Clarkson as the keynote speaker.
The event is co-produced each spring with the American Association of Dental Research (AADR) Indiana Section. Clarkson, who was recently installed as President of the AADR, delivered an address on the topic of cariology titled “A Cariologist and/or The Wizard of Oz.”
Complementing Clarkson’s talk were 57 poster presentations by IUSD faculty, staff, and students. These, included two special group-poster presentations by eight researchers associated with the schools new Tobacco Cessation and Biobehavioral Center.
During the awards program, 15 individuals were honored for their efforts in research and teaching, including two winners of the ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program award. The first-place award recipient, Rachel Dunlop, worked under the mentorship of periodontics Professor Dr. Michael Kowolik on a project titled “Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Present on Dental Student Laptop Computers.”
The Valparaiso, Indiana native found her research opportunity stimulating. “This research experience was meaningful because it allowed me to go beyond my own limits of knowledge and engage in independent thinking,” Dunlop said. “I enjoyed the fact that I was not bound by books or class lectures; rather, my mind was allowed to roam free, and I obtained information that had never been reported in the literature.”
Second-place honors in the ADA/DENTSPLY competition went to dental student Erin Coleman. Coleman completed her project “The Antimicrobial Effect of a Copper-Containing Sealant,” in Indiana University’s Microbial Caries Facility under the mentorship of Dr. Margherita Fontana, a preventive and community dentistry professor.
Rachel Dunlop, First Place winner of the ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program.
Erin Coleman, Second Place winner of the ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program.
University of the Pacific Students Showcase Accomplishments in Research During Excellence Day
Students from University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry showcased their research skills during the school’s Annual Excellence Day on May 21, 2008. Students presented 48 different projects focusing on topics such as oral cancer treatment and the use of saliva for DNA analysis. Each student was paired with a faculty mentor to conduct their research.
Students competed for a spot at the ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program during the ADA Annual Session in San Antonio, Texas; the Hinman Student Research Symposium in Memphis, Tennessee; and the CDA Annual Scientific Session in Anaheim, California.
A committee of faculty members selected the University of the Pacific Student Representatives for research in the following categories:
ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Competition: Cassidy Lavorini-Doyle with his poster presentation “Cell Biological Basis for the Highly Variable Transfection of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells by Non-Viral Vectors.”
CDA Scientific Session Awards: George Kohout and Robert Passaman
Hinman Symposium Awards: Jason Ouellette and Beau Ulrich
Senior Research Competition: First Place, Andrew Michael; Second Place, Blake Kitamura; Third Place, Nicole Sakai
Presenting Cassidy Lavorini-Doyle the ADA/DENTSPLY First Place Award are from the left, Daniel Noll, Sales Representative for DENTSPLY Professional, Cassidy Lavorini-Doyle, Mark Pimentel, Regional Sales Manager for DENTSPLY Professional, and Dr. Nejat Duzgunes, Chairperson of the Department of Microbiology and Student Research Coordinator. Photo by Jon Draper.
Awards Presented at the 8th South African Student Clinician Research Program
September 2008 saw the presentation of the 8th DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program in Johannesburg, South Africa. The adjudicators, some of the most eminent professors and opinion leaders in the local dental community, commented that the standards set by the students this year were extremely high. All four South African Dental Schools were represented with 5 students participating.
The importance of the program was highlighted during the awards dinner by South African Dental Association, President Dr. Ian Erasmus. Dr. Erasmus thanked DENTSPLY International for its continued support and the part the company plays in bringing better dentistry to the region.
With over 47 million people, South Africa has a large population that requires better access to dental care. Only a small proportion of the population can afford and receive necessary treatment. With approximately 3000 practicing dentists, the students participating in the program are vital to the future of South African dentistry.
Plans are underway to expand the South African Student Clinician Research Program to include some of the other developing countries in the sub-Sahara region where the provision of basic dentistry is limited, but very much needed. In time, the Student Clinician Research Program will help raise awareness of the importance of dental health and provide better access to care to members of a population in need of oral health care.
The 2008 winner is Taryn Consani from the University of the Western Cape. Her project is titled “Tooth Size Prediction Formulae - Derived from Black Orthodontic Patients Presenting at South African Dental Schools”.
First Place winner, Taryn Consani with her poster presentation.
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The Turkish Student Clinician Research Program Celebrates Their 3rd Anniversary
The 4th of July 2008 was a significant date in Turkey this year. It marked 100 years since the inception of scientific dentistry in Turkey. This occasion also coincided with the 3rd DENTSPLY/Turkey Student Clinician Research Program.
Eight students participated in the DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program in which, according to the independent judges, the overall standard of the research was considered to be very high and made it a difficult task to select a winner. Members of the judging committee included, Professor Taner Yucel, Head of Istanbul University Restorative Department; Professor Nejat Bora Sayan, Dean of Ankara University, Professor Bulent Kesim, Dean of Erciyes University and from the United Kingdom, Professor Nairn Wilson, Dean of Guy’s Kings College and St. Thomas Hospitals in London.
The award ceremony was part of the larger celebration honoring 100 years of scientific-based dentistry in Turkey. The Turkish Dental Association hired an outdoor arena and attendees were entertained by Turkish singing star, Nilufer, as the highlight of the celebration. Near the end of the evening, Dr. Harika Gokcesu, DENTSPLY Turkey’s Regional Manager and Richard Markwick, DENTSPLY’s Vice-President and General Manager for the region, took to the stage to present the Student Clinician Awards. The students were thrilled to be honored and appreciated by such a large audience.
The First Place winner was Nazmiye Sonmez, from Gazi University. Sonmz was the guest of DENTSPLY at the American Dental Association meeting in San Antonio, Texas where she met other student researchers from around the world.
Ms. Nazmiye Sonmez joins DENTSPLY International representatives Richard Markwick and Dr. Harika Gokcesu on stage to receive her First Place award.
The Southeast Asian Student Clinician Research Program Presents Awards
The 8th Southeast Asian Student Clinician Research Program was held October 8, 2008 in Manila, Philippines. The program originated with India and Thailand in 1998 and has grown to include the countries of Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar and Hong Kong. It is supported by the SEAADE and the IADR along with DENTSPLY International. To date, there has been 37 participants in the Student Clinician Research Program.
This year’s First Place Award was given to Maggie Astrid Liando of the Hang Tuah University, Faculty of Dentistry, Subrabaya, Indonesia. Her poster presentation is titled “The Effect of Nigella Sativa Extract on Inhibiting Mandibular Bone Resorption in Diabetes Mellitus Wistar Rats.”
Bernard Liang of the University of Hong Hong, Faculty of Dentistry, earned the Second Place Award. His poster presentation is titled “Modifications of the Conventional Horizontal Parallax Technique to Calculate Relative Alveolar Depths Between Embedded Mesiodens and Incisor Roots.”
Third Place was awarded to Zixiang Lim of the National University of Singapore. His poster presentation is titled “Testing a Light Activated Therapy (ANILAD) to Eliminate Bacteria in the Root Canal.”
The following students also competed in the program: Christian Noel Paghubasan and Carmina Reyes of the College of Dentistry of Philippines, Manila, Philipines; Joo Ming Cheong of the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malasia; Okkar of the University of Dental Medicine, Yangon, Union of Myanmar; Hong Phuong Van of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, HoChiMinh City, Vietnam.
Congratulations to all of the student clinicians of the Southeast Asian Student Clinician Research Program.
Congratulations to Maggie Astrid Liando, First Place Winner (left), Bernard Liang, Second Place Winner (middle), and Zixiang Lim, Third Place Winner (right).
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