Award-Winning Duo Punctuates Robust School of Dentistry Presence at AADOCR Annual Meeting

Dr. Paula Ortega-Verdugo earns grant while Rachel Kulchar, D.D.S./Ph.D. ’31, takes first place in research competition.

Rachel Kulchar presents an academic research poster
By School of Dentistry Communications
1 min read

Awards for an early-career faculty member and a first-year Ph.D. candidate highlighted the UCLA School of Dentistry’s robust presence at the 2025 American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) Annual Meeting and Exhibition, March 12 to 15 in New York City.

On the 54th Annual Meeting’s opening day, Assistant Professor of Public and Population Health Dr. Paula Ortega-Verdugo was awarded the 2025 AADOCR Procter & Gamble Underrepresented Faculty Research Fellowship. This $10,000 fellowship, supported by P&G Professional Oral Health, Crest, and Oral-B, aims to support early-career researchers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and to increase their representation in academia. Dr. Ortega-Verdugo's research focuses on identifying sociodemographic factors that influence oral health outcomes in adults and assessing the impact of these outcomes on quality of life and associated costs.

paula ortega-verdugo wth her research postrer
Dr. Paula Ortega-Verdugo, who earned the AADOCR Procter & Gamble Underrepresented Faculty Research Fellowship.

On March 13, Rachel Kulchar, Ph.D./D.D.S. ’31 (expected), won first place in the AADOCR’s Hatton Competition for junior researchers following a successful oral presentation of Single Cell and Spatial Analyses of ICI-Induced Granulomatous Sialadenitis to the judging panel. Along with a $1,000 award, Kulchar will represent AADOCR and UCLA at the International Association of Dental Research Hatton Competition, which will be held in Barcelona in late June. She is enrolled in the School’s combined D.D.S./Ph.D. program for scholars seeking a career in academic dentistry.

Dr. Ortega-Verdugo and Kulchar were two of 28 School of Dentistry-affiliated researchers who presented during the four-day annual meeting, ranging from D.D.S. students to tenured faculty members. The complete list of presenters is below. 

Six people in a UCLA Dentistry-branded booth
The School's branded booth space at the Javits Convention Center

Pausing from scientific discovery for some socializing and networking, on Friday, March 14 the School’ Office of Research held a mixer at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Dean Paul H. Krebsbach and Associate Dean for Research Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila hosted the School’s traveling contingent, as well as Dental Bruin alumni who have continued advancing oral and overall health in their careers.

Finally, the School activated a booth presence at the Javits Center where attendees could ask questions about its grant-funded research programs, or simply pick up some fun, branded promotional items.

Full Name Affliation Presentation Title Ahana Goswami Ph.D student Role of IL-23 in Pulp Exposure-induced MRONJ Lesions in Mice Akshay Ghai Trainee Cosmetic Alchemy: How Gingival Shades Influence Tooth Shade Selection. Anthony Nguyen D.D.S. student Dental Student Engagement in Research: A Survey of California Dental Schools Caitlin Neapole D.D.S. student Patient Satisfaction of 3D-Printed Occlusal Guards Dustin Tran D.D.S. student The Impact of Illicit Drug Use on Periodontal Health: A Systematic Review Eir