News from the Student Research Group

News from the Student Research Group
TUFTS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE
July 2012
Volume 3, Issue 1
Most Student Abstracts at the 2012 AADR Meeting
Leslie Slowikowski, Shruti Pore, Maureen
Timmeny, and Urvi Ruparelia at the AADR
Tufts reception
Tufts was recognized by the
National Student Research
Group (NSRG) for having
the most student abstracts
accepted for the 2012
AADR/CADR Annual Meeting
in Tampa, FL. Associate Dean
Gerard Kugel and Director
of Predoctoral Research Eileen Doherty accepted the
award on behalf of TUSDM
at the NSRG Business Meeting at the AADR meeting.
All counted, Tufts had 69
people presenting at the
meeting (see pages 2-4
for a complete listing of
presenters). There were
forty predoctoral students
who presented research
at the meeting. Four postgraduates and twentyfive faculty and staff
were also presenting at the
meeting.
The 41st Annual Meeting of
the American Association for
Dental Research, held in conjunction with the 36th Annual
Meeting of the Canadian
Association for Dental
Research, took place
March 21-24, 2012. The
meeting drew a total
registration of 2,619
scientists from 37 countries.
Michael Kreitzer presenting his poster
New this year, AADR
offered a Meet-the-
at the AADR.
Upcoming Deadlines:
OCTOBER 5TH —
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION
DEADLINE FOR THE AADR
MEETING IN SEATTLE, WA
Inside this issue:
BATES DAY 2012
2
CRTP FELLOWS
2
LIST OF AADR POSTER
2-3
PRESENTERS
SRG Officers—Changing of the Guard
The new 2012-2013 officers are looking forward
to another great year!
Feel free to talk with any
of them if you have any
questions about doing research or suggestions for
the SRG.
Mentor Luncheon to student
attendees. The session featured senior scientists, who
were also past recipients of
the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award and/or past
NSRG Mentor of the Year
awardees, led motivational
and realistic discussions
about the paths they took
during their academic careers. Associate Dean
Kugel participated as a
past Mentor of the Year.
awardee.
Q&A WITH JEFF & HELEN 3
ANDREWS DINNER
4
President—Jeremy Plourde
LIST OF AADR ORAL
PRESENTERS
4
Vice President—Julianna Bair
MRSP FELLOW
4
Treasurer—Courtney Michelson
SUMMER 2012 STUDENTS 5
Secretary—Shruti Pore
ADEA RESEARCH EVENT
5
ANDREWS INDUCTEES
5
BATES DAY PHOTOS
5
BATES DAY WINNERS
6
News from the Student Research Group
Bates Day 2012 a Success
Sung Hong discussing her research
with Dr. Leavis
AADR POSTER
PRESENTATIONS
Wei Liu, D14
Abdulaziz Altamimi
Matthew Cannavo, D14
Yusuf Bhatti, D14
Courtney Michelson, D14
Elizabeth Tzavaras
Michael Kreitzer, D14
Susan Macdonald
Corey Decoteau, D12
Leslie Slowikowski, D14
The rooms and hallways on
DHS 14 and 15 were again
abuzz with activity for Bates
Day 2012. There were 53
poster presentations and 21
commercial exhibitors taking
part in the day-long festivities on March 7, 2012.
Our Keynote Speaker was
Anne C. R. Tanner, BDS,
PhD, MDCH (Hon) Dr Tanner
is a Senior
Member of
the Staff in
the Department of
Molecular
Genetics at The Forsyth Institute, and she spoke of her
work in “Severe-Early Childhood Caries: Microbiota and
Diet Revisited”. Dr. Tanner
has worked with several
TUSDM students in the past.
Maureen Timmeny, D12
Pamela Corrado
Samantha Keck
Sung Hong, D14
Paul Stark
Kasun Rajapaksha, D14
Ramesh Thondapu, D14
Ronald Perry
Patrick Girouard
Steven Scrivani
Elaina Kazes, D14
Britta Magnuson
Eunice Lee, D12
Chanook David Ahn, D13
Joon Lee, D14
Lindsay Fox, D15
Marek Ogledzki, D12
Chase Larsen, D14
Erica Stutius D13 spent a
year in Dr. Tanner’s lab prior
to coming to dental school
We were also pleased to
welcome President Anthony
Monaco back to Bates Day
for the 2nd year in a row. He
spent a great deal of time
talking with many of the student presenters.
Congratulations to all of
the students who worked
hard on their research.
They all did a phenomenal job of presenting their work to
the faculty judges
as well as to their
peers.
awards:
Drs. Kane (D74), Tesini
(D75), Soporowski
Dr. Chad Anderson (D04)
Dr. Kistama Naidu (D02)
Dentsply International
Massachusetts Dental
Society
The Proctor & Gamble
Company
Omicron Kappa Alpha
The award winners are
listed on the last page
of this newsletter. Many
thanks to the donors who Dean Thomas discussing research with Ivy
Ahluwalia and Dr. Addy Alt-Holland
give money for the
The NIH experience—Jeff Tsai and Helen Fassil back at Tufts
On Wednesday July 25th,
Jeff and Helen each gave
Jeffrey Tsai and Helen Fasbrief overviews of the resil spoke about their recent
search projects that they
experience as NIH
worked on at the
Clinical Research
NIH. Helen
Training Program
worked with a
(CRTP) fellows.
cancer researcher
Jeff and Helen
who is studying
explained that they
chronic Grafthad been in the last Jeff Tsai and Helen Fassil versus-Hostclass of CRTP train- talking about their NIH
Disease (GVHD),
ees, because a new experiences.
including its oral
program combining
manifestations.
the CRTP and the Howard
Jeff’s research involved a
Hughes Medical Institute
clinical condition called fi(HHMI)-NIH Research Scholbrous dysplasia of bone,
ars Program has started for
which is characterized by
the 2012-2013 year (see
areas of abnormal growth or
story about Kelly Leong on
lesions in the bone. Jeff’s
page 4).
group was studying a protein
Page 2
expressed in fibrous dysplasia bone marrow stromal
cells, and looking at how a
specific drug affects those
cells. Both projects allowed
Jeff and Helen to see the
whole continuum of medical
research—from bench to
bedside and back.
The D14 students in attendance at the meeting were
interested to hear how Jeff
and Helen were adjusting to
being back at Tufts, with a
different class. They said it
was definitely challenging,
but that the administration,
faculty, PCs and their peers
have been incredibly supportive.
Volume 3, Issue 1
Q&A with Jeff and Helen
What made you decide to
apply for the CRTP?
Jeff: The CRTP provided the
opportunity to engage in
mentored research at an excellent institution filled with
many of the nation’s greatest
scientific minds. The thought
of exchanging ideas with
some of these scientists and
learning from them proved to
be the biggest motivator for
me to apply.
Helen: I’ve always enjoyed
being a part of the research
experience, so when Dr. Lahey, a Tufts alumnus came to
share his experience in the
CRTP, I decided that this was
the chance to marry my interest in research and my desire
to provide direct clinical care.
What was the best aspect of
the program?
Jeff: Upon arriving at the NIH
the fellows were provided
the freedom to explore any
of the clinical trials and labs
that were of interest. Additionally, I feel like I gained
much from the mentoring of
my principal investigator,
who also gave me a lot of
independence to run and
design experiments on my
own. By being so involved, I
felt capable of contributing
good work to important clinical and translational research.
Helen: It was the relationships
I formed with the remarkable
team of scientists and clinicians that I worked with. I
was given the freedom to
design my own projects, but I
was supported by a group of
dynamic, motivated and
creative people who nurtured
my curiosity and encouraged
me to challenge myself. I
worked with a multidisciplinary team of clinicians
and the highlight for me was
the opportunity for a collaborative exchange of ideas
and expertise among the
group during rounds.
How has this experience affected your future plans?
Jeff: Research has always
been an interest of mine, but
never had I considered it a
career path. The CRTP was
instrumental in allowing me to
experience and observe the
life of a clinician scientist. My
time at the CRTP has inspired
me to become a clinician scientist, and I hope that, in addition to treating patients
directly, I will be able to contribute to the wider body of
scientific and clinical research
to improve the care of patients beyond my physical
reach.
Helen: From dental clinicianscientists that served as my
mentors at the NIH, I’ve
learned first-hand what it
takes to forge such a career.
As a participant in the CRTP, I
realize that a career in dental clinical research is feasible and that the NIH provides
a unique platform where a
balance between science and
clinical care can be easily
achieved. I now know that
there are several paths I can
take professionally where
research can remain a
significant aspect of my
career without sacrificing
my desire to provide direct clinical care.
Helen Fassil and Jeffrey Tsai, 2011-2012
What advice can you give NIH Clinical Research Training Program
other students thinking
about applying to NIH proAADR POSTER
grams?
Jeff: Make the jump and do
it. This is a rare opportunity in
our dental school lives to take
some time out of the normal
curriculum and explore beyond our walls. If you have
that curiosity, it is imperative
that you explore it.
Helen: It can be very intimidating to think about spending an entire year away from
school. Though the transition
may be challenging, the experience is well worth it. If
you have any interest in research, the MRSP is a remarkable opportunity to
learn from the best scientists
and work in the most renowned labs in the world,
and I strongly urge you to not
be deterred by logistical
challenges. Remember that
your participation in this program is a strong and positive
reflection of Tufts’ commitment to improving dental and
oral health through research,
and the school wants you to
succeed.
PRESENTATIONS:
Catherine DeFuria, D12
Chris Choi, D12
Eileen Doherty
Laura Rein, D13
Rajvir Jutla, D14
Derek Nobrega, D12
David Miyasaki, D13
Derek Nobrega, D12
Ashley Brown, D13
Masly Harsono
Nicolas Freda, D13
Michael Neglia, D13
Nikki Shakourian, D12
Lily Hu, D12
Yumi Ogata
Yong Hur
Kelly Leong, D14
Julianna Bair, D13
James Stein
Jeremy Plourde, D13
David Nill, D13
Robert Mier
Kristina Hazipetrou
Shankeertha Sundaralingam
Fatma Alrayes
Hsiang-Yun Huang
Me-Hsuan He
.
Helen Fassil, D13
Hemanth Kunduru, D14
Esther Yun, D14
Page 3
News from the Student Research Group
Robert R. Andrews Research Honors Society Awards Dinner
dents and faculty are inducted into the Robert R. Andrews Research Honors Society.
The dinner was held at the
Rustic Kitchen Bistro & Bar,
and our speaker for the evening was Dean Huw Thomas.
Dean Thomas spoke of his
path to academia, and underscored the importance of
research in advancing the
Andrews Society Officers starting the evening’s
program.
AADR ORAL
PRESENTATIONS:
Erica Stutius, D13
Jeffrey Tsai, D13
Mabi Singh
Addy Alt-Holland
Athena Papas
Pamela Yelick
Sapan Bhatt, D14
Michelle Tsao, D14
Shruti Pore, D14
John Morgan
One of the highlights
of the year for student researchers is
the Andrews Honors
Society Dinner, held
during Senior Week
in May. At this dinner,
the Bates Day award
certificates are given
out, the plaque for
the ADA/Dentsply
Award is presented
by our Dentsply representative, and stu-
Dean Thomas giving his Keynote
Address.
dental profession.
The Andrews Society Faculty
Inductees announced at the
dinner were Dr. Matthew
Finkelman and Dr. Masly
Harsono. The names of the
twenty-two 2012 student
inductees are listed on the
next page.
Ramesh Thondapu accepting the ADA/Dentsply
award from Joel Monteiro, Key Account Manager, Dentsply North America. Ramesh’s research mentor, Dr. Addy Alt-Holland is on the
right.
NIH Medical Research Scholar—Kelly Leong
Kelly Leong is one of four
dental students selected for
the inaugural class of the NIH
Medical Research Scholar
Program (MRSP). There are a
total of 45 medical, dental,
and veterinary students representing 34 US-accredited
universities in this year’s first
MRSP class.
The new NIH MRSP is a yearlong research program
blending elements of two
previous successful programs—the NIH Clinical Research Training Program and
the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute-NIH Research ScholPage 4
ars Program. In addition
to participating in mentored research, Kelly will
be attending courses,
seminars, a structured
lecture series, and clinical
teaching rounds, as well
as presenting her research
to the NIH community and
at professional conferences.
Best of luck to you, Kelly!
We’ll see you when you
return to Tufts next spring
with an incredible new
Kelly Leong will be spending this
breadth of knowledge
next academic year conducting
under your belt!
research at the NIH in Bethesda, MD.
Volume 3, Issue 1
Busy Summer of Research!
Thirty-five students have
been funded to do summer
research with various faculty
members this summer through
the TUSDM Summer Research Fellowship Program.
The funding was determined
after a competitive review of
research proposals handed in
to the Research Committee
back in April.
There are also approximately twenty other students
who will be working on company-sponsored materials
research projects this summer.
are a student who is looking
to get involved with dental
research, contact Eileen Doherty for help. There may still
be time to get a small project
up and running for this summer!
If you are a faculty member
with a research idea that
could use a student, or if you
ANDREWS SOCIETY
INDUCTEES:
Sapan Bhatt, D14
Yusuf Bhatti, D14
Matthew Cannavo, D14
Alayna Corden, D14
Jeffrey Greenberg, D12
ADEA Event Spotlights Research
There was an excellent turnout for the July 19th ADEA
event, “Dental Research in the
Academic Environment: come
see what you’ve been missing!” The ADEA board, Irina
Dragan, Courtney Michelson, David Miyasaki, and
Pooyan Refahi organized
the event, with sponsorship
from ADEA and corporate
support from Colgate, Ivoclar
Vivadent, Philips, Bicon, and
Centrix
Associate Dean for Research
Gerard Kugel and Associate
Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs Robert Kasberg
Jr. welcomed and thanked all
of the students and faculty
present for contributing to
Tufts’ successful research program.
Rebekah Pryles, D11, and
current endodontics resident,
talked about the research she
did as a dental student and
how doing research contributed to many aspects of
her dental education.
Dr. Paul Stark, Director
of the Advanced and
Graduate Education
Sung Hong, D14
Rajvir Jutla, D14
Elaina Kazes, D14
Michael Kreitzer, D14
Hemanth Kunduru, D14
Dr. Paul Stark speaking at the
ADEA event.
department, spoke about the
work he and the COHRI
group are doing on an electronic health record system,
and the many possibilities it
holds with regard to record
review research.
Judging by the turnout at this
event, there is much to be
anticipated by future research at TUSDM!
Chase Larsen, D14
Joon Lee, D14
Kelly Leong, D13
Wei Lui, D14
Courtney Michelson, D14
Shruti Pore, D14
Kasun Rajapaksha, D14
Leslie Slowikowski, D14
Ramesh Thondapu, D14
Maureen Timmeny, D12
Michelle Tsao, D14
Esther Yun, D14
Bates Day photos
Page 5
TUFTS UNIVERSITY
Research Administration
DHS 1513
One Kneeland Street
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617-636-6870
Fax: 617-636-6511
E-mail: eileen.doherty@tufts.edu
The Tufts University School of Dental Medicine’s Student Research Group is a student-run organization to foster an environment whereby students interested in diversifying their dental education are
encouraged to do so.
The primary objective of SRG is to aid TUSDM students in ensuring that research is seen as a vital
aspect of dentistry. SRG hopes TUSDM students recognize the benefits of incorporating research
into their education. The SRG aims to provide TUSDM students with various research opportunities
and expand the critical thinking skills of those students involved.
The Mission of the TUSDM SRG is to incorporate intellectual diversity through the discipline of research.
Check us out on
Facebook!
Bates-Andrews Day Prize Winners
Best Postgraduate Poster Presentation:
Dr. David Ching, “Efficacy of the
Dental Vibe Injection System for Pediatric Patients”
Best Scientific Research Presentation
by a Senior:
Eunice Lee, “Effect of Chlorhexidine
in Dentin Bond Using Total-Etch and
Self-Etch Adhesives”
ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician
Award for Best Overall Table Clinic:
Ramesh Thondapu, “Evaluation of
Bacterial Susceptibility to Disinfectants at the Dental Clinic”
Second Place Award for Predoctoral
Table Clinic:
Courtney Michelson, “Shear and
Tensile Strength of Silk Coatings on
Titanium Surfaces”
Third Place Award for Predoctoral
Table Clinic:
Arpan Desai and Victor Mai,
“Peptides Derived from Leptin Inhibit
Prostate Cancer Signaling”
Research Committee Award for Basic
Science Research:
Alayna Corden, “Neutralizing Antibodies against AAV2, 4, 5, 12, and BAAV in
Sjogren’s Patients: Implications for Gene
Therapy”
Massachusetts Dental Society and ASDA
Public Health Award:
Erica Stutius, “Oral Health Considerations: Developmentally Disabled Adults
Treated under General Anesthesia”
Omicron Kappa Alpha (OKU) Hilde
Tillman Award:
Diego Camacho, James Koehler, and
Jessica Silva, “Retrospective Evaluation
of Implant Failure Predictors at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine”
Procter & Gamble Traveling Fellowship
Award:
Catherine DeFuria, “Flexural Loading
Strength of Provisional Restorative Material”
Dr. Chad Anderson Family Award for Innovative Methodology and Research Design:
Nicolas Freda, “Shear Bond Strength of
Self-Adhesive Resin Cements (Lithium
Dissilicate/Zirconia) to Dentin”
Multicultural Award for the Advancement
of Dental Research:
Shruti Pore, “E-Cadherin Loss Promotes
Squamous Cell Carcinoma Development
through Dab-2 Down-regulation”
Oral Health Disparities Award:
Chris Choi, “Adults with Intellectual/
Developmental Disabilities: Medication
Utilization and Untreated Caries”
Bates Student Research Group “Peerreviewed” Award:
Daniel Gonzalez and Diego Camacho,
“Evidence-based Recommendations Regarding Bilingual Youth Prevention Programs for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma”