Inquiry and Discovery Shine at Research Day 2023

Awards presented to 10 outstanding researchers and a keynote address on the fascinating oral microbiome highlighted the UCLA School of Dentistry’s Research Day 2023, held Feb. 8 in the Neuroscience Research Building. 

Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila – who joined the School in July 2022 as associate dean of research – presided over this annual showcase of scientific discovery for the first time. Opening remarks were delivered by Dean Paul Krebsbach, who recounted that the research mentorship he received as a first-year dental student 40 years ago shaped his career path. Dr. Krebsbach urged participants to publish their findings and make them available to the global scientific community.
 
Dr. Hernandez-Kapila then introduced keynote speaker Dr. David Pride, UC San Diego Health’s director of microbiology and a professor of pathology and medicine. After joking he was excited to be in the company of academic peers after nearly three years as “The COVID Guy” – UCSD’s pandemic point person – Dr. Pride began his hour-long talk entitled The Role of Viruses in the Oral Microbiome.
 
“Research Day was a beautiful celebration of our science and community spirit coming together as we were enlightened by our keynote presentation from Dr. David Pride about the next frontier - the infinitesimally small world of the oral microbiome and virome and the healing powers within,” said Dr. Hernandez-Kapila.
 
Continuing the presentation theme, select SOD researchers were invited to present their findings in a series of lightning talks. Adding some fun to the afternoon, Dr. Mohammed Husain played quizmaster and led the audience in an app-based trivia game, Kahoot!, to test their knowledge of the subject matter.


Closing out the formal program in the NRB Auditorium, certificates were presented to top researchers in three poster competition categories: 1) Dental Students, 2) Master’s Candidates/Residents/Trainees, and 3) Ph.D. Candidates/Postdoctoral Fellows, as judged by faculty volunteers recruited by the Research Advisory Committee. Please see the winners’ list below.
 
All 42 Research Day participants were then invited to display their posters and explain their findings in the lobby, after which the School of Dentistry community gathered for refreshments on the adjacent patio.
 
“Our student scientists and research trainees next paved the way with award-winning scientific presentations both with oral talks and poster presentations. Our community audience participated in games that recounted fun facts from the presentations and then great food and camaraderie capped off the evening!”

Research Day 2023 Poster Competition Winners
 

Category

Position

Name

Title

Faculty Mentor(s)

D.D.S.

First

Jaclyn Chalmers

Further Evaluation of the Role of MMP-9 in Periodontitis

Flavia Pirih

D.D.S.

Second

Michelle Chiang

Development of Phosphatidylserine-Modified Exosome Mimetics for Enhanced Anti-Osteoclastogenic Activities

Min Lee

D.D.S.

T-Third

Ivan Tse

SLN-Nisin Abrogates Treponema Denticola Infection in Human Periodontal Ligament Cells

Allan Radaic, Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila

D.D.S.

T-Third

Guo-Chin Hung

Metabolomic Biomarkers for Oral Cancer

Yvonne L. Hernandez-Kapila, Pachiyappan Kamarajan, Allan Radaic

Master’s Candidates, Residents, and Trainees

First

Aida Mohammadi

Development of Saliva-Based Assay for Functional Neutralizing Antibody Against SARS-CoV-2

Yong Kim

Master’s Candidates, Residents, and Trainees

Second

Sachi Bhoir

Cytotoxicity of Pulp Capping Material on Dental Pulp Stem Cells

Bo Yu

Master’s Candidates, Residents, and Trainees

Third

Berta Tarverdi

Patients’ Knowledge Regarding Endodontic Procedures is Inadequate, a Scoping Review

Shane White

Ph.D. Candidates and Postdoctoral Fellows

First

Areeg Elmusrati

Targeting TIM3 Overcomes Immunotherapy Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer

Cun-Yu Wang

Ph.D. Candidates and Postdoctoral Fellows

Second

Minjee Kang

Phosphatidylserine-incorporated Exosome Mimetics Encapsulating CXCR3 Antagonist Alleviate Osteoporosis

Min Lee

Ph.D. Candidates and Postdoctoral Fellows

Third

Naseim Elzakra

Contribution of Genetics in MRONJ Development in Mice

Sotirios Tetradis