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Alumnus Dr. David Avenetti found his calling in public health while he was still an undergraduate at USC. Faced with the inevitable question of what’s next, he applied to both dental schools and master’s degree programs in public health, knowing he eventually wanted to pursue both. When UCLA Dentistry accepted him into their Class of 2010, he knew it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. 

Our very own, Ellisa Soberon, a dental student at UCLA with a nontraditional path to dentistry, shares her insights on the dental school admissions process and life at UCLA.

Listen to the  full interview.

UCLA discovery opens a pathway toward the discovery more effective treatments

By targeting an enzyme that plays a key role in head and neck cancer cells, researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry were able to significantly slow the growth and spread of tumors in mice and enhance the effectiveness of an immunotherapy to which these types of cancers often become resistant.

Dr. Malieka Johnson, DDS Class of 2011, is a San Diego-based private practice dentist focusing on general and adult special needs dentistry. Prior to UCLA Dentistry, Dr. Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC San Diego in 2003. During dental school, she heard the call to specialize in caring for people with special needs. Following the completion of her DDS degree, she completed a general practice residency at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, CA.

By identifying the underlying factors leading to bone loss and osteoporosis, UCLA dentist-scientists hope to pave the way to new treatments

Researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry have identified the role a critical enzyme plays in skeletal aging and bone loss, putting them one step closer to understanding the complex biological mechanisms that lead to osteoporosis, the bone disease that afflicts some 200 million people worldwide.

We are always eager to share positive news of our dental students’ accomplishments and we couldn’t be prouder of the following individuals for winning an essay competition honoring Dr. Clifton O. Dummett, Sr. surrounding diversity in dentistry. The competition honors the late Dr. Dummett, a pioneer in dentistry and dental education. Essays addressed race relations in the profession through the lens of editorials written in the National Dental Association Bulletin from 1953-1975.

Out of the 22 awards across 12 dental schools, five of our UCLA students were award recipients!

Study to focus on using saliva in the analysis of cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to accurately and non-invasively detect non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Dr. Kris Mendoza, DDS Class of 2015 and dental anesthesiology certificate holder ’18, knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a career serving others. Influenced by his parents’ commitment to the community, he chose to pursue the field of dentistry where he could fulfill his calling.

As a double Bruin, Dr. Sapna Lohiya prides herself on her allegiance to UCLA and the Westwood campus. After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Anthropology in 2009, she continued her Bruin education at the UCLA School of Dentistry. While in dental school, she was active in community service as an Inglewood Community Dental Clinic Director and editor of the student research journal “The Explorer.” 

Newly minted dentist, Dr. Michael Nedjat-Haiem, knew at an early age that he wanted to positively impact the world and make a difference, so he drifted towards dentistry at the end of his undergraduate years at UCLA. Dr. Nedjat-Haiem was drawn towards dentistry due to his strong passion for the sciences as well as having the chance to combine his manual skills with his sharp perceptual ability.