Bruin Periodontists Win Awards, Provide Thought Leadership at AAP Annual Meeting

group of exuberant periodontists
The UCLA School of Dentistry's Section of Periodontics and its alumni had much to celebrate during the 2024 AAP Annual Meeting in San Diego.
November 5, 2024

The UCLA School of Dentistry had a robust presence at the recently concluded 2024 American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Annual Meeting in San Diego, highlighted by faculty, residents, graduates, and researchers bringing numerous awards back to Westwood.

“Reflecting on the recent AAP Meeting, we're thrilled to share that the event provided an amazing opportunity to connect with new colleagues, reconnect with old friends, and spark exciting collaborations,” said Dr. Flavia Pirih, chair of the Section of Periodontics. It was an inspiring experience, and we're looking forward to seeing you at UCLA’s Henry H. Takei Symposium and at the AAP Meeting in Toronto in 2025!"

Underscoring the impact of the Section’s residency training program, Dr. Ana Bujila, P ’24 took first place in the Balint Orban Memorial Program for her presentation of Gingival Inflammation Around Implant Increases the Risk of Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Mice Receiving Bisphosphonates under the primary mentorship of Drs. Pirih and Davi Silva.  Open to those currently enrolled in accredited periodontal programs in the United States and Canada or those who graduated less than 18 months ago, winning the Orban competition is a major milestone for early-career periodontists.

Dr. Priscilla Y. Young, P. ’25, placed first in the BioXclude-sponsored case competition for periodontal students and also showcased her research on the antimicrobial potential of a novel drug Halicin against Porphyromonas gingivalis and cytotoxicity during two AAP poster sessions.

Residency Program Director Dr. Yusuke Hamada had a busy annual meeting as a presenter and panel moderator, and was recognized by his peers with the Excellence in Peer Review Recognition Award for Clinical Advances in Periodontics. This honor is presented to an individual who has provided an exceptional number of high-quality reviews with efficient turnaround times.

Finally, the Hernandez-Kapila Lab team was honored with the prestigious AAP Clinical Research Award for Nisin, a probiotic bacteriocin, mitigates brain microbiome dysbiosis and Alzheimer's disease-like neuroinflammation triggered by periodontal disease.

Recognizing the most outstanding scientific published article with direct clinical relevance in periodontics, the award was presented by AAP President Dr. Stephen Meraw to Associate Dean of Research Dr. Yvonne Hernandez-Kapila, Project Scientists Pachiyappan Kamarajan and Allan Radaic, and colleagues from Chinese and Japanese universities. 

“We are honored to earn the AAP’s Clinical Research Award for 2024,” Dr. Hernandez-Kapila said. “This important study establishes a foundation for periodontal disease implications along the oral-brain axis, which we hope will inspire additional research by our AAP colleagues.”

Adding a social element as a balance to the academic rigor, the Section of Periodontics hosted an alumni reception on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. In addition to catching up with former classmates and colleagues, the nearly 140 attendees had an opportunity to learn about the second biennial Dr. Henry H. Takei Endowed Periodontal Symposium, being held on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, at UCLA. Registration is now open.

Dropbox photo gallery from AAP 2024