Research and Clinical Excellence Day 2025 Features Record Participation

***Photo gallery on Flickr***

Ackerman Grand Ballroom played host to the UCLA School of Dentistry’s Research and Clinical Excellence Day on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, which was highlighted by record participation in the event’s annual poster competition.

The UCLA Dentistry and broader scientific communities gathered for a full-day exploration into oral and overall health care, the second straight year of an expanded program centering innovation in both research lab and dental clinic settings.

Following opening remarks from the School’s Associate Dean of Research Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila and Dean Paul H. Krebsbach, Dr. Todd Presner – Special Advisor and Chair of European Languages and Transcultural Studies – delivered key updates on behalf of UCLA’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activities, remarks that carried extra salience in the midst of shifting federal-level policies.

A series of lightning talks by seven UCLA School of Dentistry faculty members served dual purposes: To highlight basic science and clinical discovery over the past year as well as support for these endeavors through the Office of Research’s seed grant and grant writing initiatives. The morning closed with postgraduate-level poster competition participants explaining their findings to an engaged audience.

Stomachs full and minds focused after an hour-long networking lunch, it was time for a pair of interconnected keynote speeches. Dr. Steven Shoptaw, Director of the UCLA Center for Behavioral and Addiction Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine, delivered a compelling talk titled Building a Career in Los Angeles: Using Evidence-Based Services and Increasing Impact. He shared strategies for implementing research-based interventions to maximize community impact.

Dr. Shoptaw’s longtime collaborator Dr. Fariba Younai, Chair of the Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences and the Bob and Marion Wilson Endowed Chair at the UCLA School of Dentistry, then took the stage for a deep-dive into more than 30 years of work on both coasts leading oral health care initiatives for patients living with HIV and AIDS. Oral Health and HIV Coordinated Care: A University-Community Partnership highlighted the numerous intersections between her critical work and that of addiction medicine specialists like Dr. Shoptaw.

Segueing from established to budding scientists, the formal program closed with predoctoral students detailing their research and clinical findings on topics as diverse as streptococcal-based anti-cancer therapeutics and special needs patient care.

The day’s attendance was at an all-time high as classmates, colleagues, and collaborators gathered for the announcement of 12 poster competition award recipients selected by faculty judges across five categories (see list below).

The 90 poster competition entrants – most in School history – plus four scholars who chose not to compete were then invited to elucidate their work as attendees mingled through the ballroom. The robust participation is attributable in part to the Dental Research Fellowship Program launched in 2024, creating new pathways for D.D.S. students.

“Seeing such a high level of engagement this year was truly inspiring,” Dr. Hernandez-Kapila said. “We are grateful to our keynote speakers for bringing addiction medicine and large-scale coordinated care to the forefront. Their insights, alongside the impressive projects showcased today, underscore the power of collaboration in advancing oral health and patient care.”

Research and Clinical Excellence Day is organized by the School’s Office of Research, working closely with the Research Advisory Committee led by Drs. Nini Tran and Xinli Zhang. Generous event sponsors Straumann, BISCO, Thermo Fisher, and Kenvue were on-site throughout the day, sharing their newest products and professional support initiatives with attendees.

Basic and Clinical Research, Postdocs
First Place: Changlu Xu, M.Eng., Ph.D. | Hydrogel-Integrated Exosome Mimetics Derived from Spheroid MSCs Enhance Bone Regeneration | Mentor: Dr. Min Lee

Basic and Clinical Research, Ph.D. Candidates
First Place: Soomin Park, D.D.S., Ph.D. candidate | Icariin-Releasing 3D-Printed Scaffolds for Cleft Bone Regeneration | Mentor: Dr. Chang Lee
Second Place:  Amr Badrelin, Ph.D. ‘25 | Histone Variant MacroH2A1 Regulates MSC Lineage Commitment During Bone Formation | Mentor: Dr. Jia Chang

Basic and Clinical Research, Residents and M.S. Candidates
First Place: Abigail Baldwin, D.M.D., E ‘25 | Characteristics and Outcomes of Vital Pulp Therapy | Mentor: Dr. Nadia Chugal
Second Place: Jiaping “Douglas” Pan, D.D.S., E., M.S. ‘26 | Pro-inflammatory Factors Affect Histone in Oral Cancer Cells via NF-κB | Mentor: Dr. Jia Chang
Third Place: Carson Hunt, D.D.S. ’22, P. ‘25 | Lateral Window Osteotomy Guide with Digital Planning and 3D Printing | Mentor: Dr. Yusuke Hamada

Basic Research, D.D.S. Students
First Place: Justin Choi, D.D.S. ‘26 |Time-Dependent Degradation of Soft Tissue Adhesive Capability of Titanium | Mentor: Dr. Takahiro Ogawa
Second Place: Eirene Ding, D.D.S. ‘26 | Streptococcal Anticancer Activity is Characterized by an Altered OSCC Gene Expression Network | Mentors: Drs. Yvonne Hernandez- Kapila and Hossein Beheshti
Third Place: Jun Yaung, D.D.S. ‘26 | Anti-RANKL Neutralizing Antibody Enhances Primary Stability of Immediate Implant in Mice | Mentor: Dr. Reuben Kim

Clinical Research, D.D.S. Students
First Place: Caitlin Mispagel, D.D.S. ‘26 |The Effect of Fluoride Varnish on White Spot Lesions and the Oral Microbiome | Mentor: Dr. Renate Lux
Second Place: Sung Ha Park, D.D.S. ‘26 | Impact of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) on Periodontal Health – A Systematic Review | Mentor: Dr. Beatriz Bezerra 
Third Place: Sarah Donahue, D.D.S. ‘27 | Investigating Dental Accessibility for Californians with Special Health Care Needs | Mentor: Dr. Paula Ortega-Verdugo