UCSF School of Dentistry Students Celebrate Science and Clinical Excellence

Students clearly had a good time at this year’s School of Dentistry Research and Clinical Excellence Day on Oct. 16. “This shows me that I’m at the right place,” said first-year student Vagan Mushegyan during the middle of a lunchtime research poster presentation. “I hadn’t realized that there were so many research projects.” Mushegyan was talking about student research projects. He already knew of the faculty’s research reputation – UCSF School of Dentistry ranks first among all dental schools in National Institutes of Health research funding. Mushegyan is enrolled in a combined PhD/DDS program. He was one of four students given the honor of talking about their research before a crowd of fellow students and faculty assembled in tightly packed Cole Hall. All were cheered loudly by their peers. Mushegyan began work at the lab bench even before starting classes this month. He came to UCSF in June to begin microbiology research in the lab of Creg Darby, PhD, assistant professor of cell and tissue biology. Mushegyan is studying a form of fast-spreading dental caries, often called “baby bottle” caries. It affects many children in the first years of life. Infection can lead to rampant tooth decay, and sometimes to treatment requiring general anesthesia. Mushegyan has found additional evidence to implicate strains of lactobacillus bacteria in this disease. “If we can understand more about the role of lactobacillus in the rapid spread of caries,” he said, “then there is the potential for identifying risk factors before the onset, so that we can take extra precautions.” Darby, now in his third year as a member of the School of Dentistry faculty, is more accustomed to mentoring graduate students than dental students. “Vagan is the first PhD/DDS student I have mentored. If they’re all like Vagan, bring them on,” he said. Dentists: Men and Women of Science During a long, but bustling lunch break, dozens of the school’s DDS, PhD and postdoctoral students presented posters in the Millberry Union gymnasium illustrating their research, enthusiastically approaching anyone who glanced at their presentations replete with images of cavities, chemicals, fluorescently lit molecules and other eye candy. Duty-bound faculty assigned to judge posters during the lunch break were intent on completing their review and deliberations in the time allotted, and waved off interviews. Peter Sargent, PhD, professor and interim chair, Department of Cell and Tissue Biology, free to take in the session at his leisure, was more accommodating. “This session celebrates the role of research in dentistry,” Sargent said. All UCSF dental students take courses in basic science during the first five quarters of the four-year dental school curriculum, Sargent explained. There is little unscheduled time in the curriculum except for the summer months between the first and second year. Many students apply for research fellowships to conduct research in the labs of faculty members during this time. Even for students who do not pursue careers in research, the extensive coursework and research opportunities help prepare graduates to think for themselves when it comes to choosing the best treatment practices for their patients. It’s best to train students to become familiar with the research literature, lest they lapse into allowing themselves to be influenced by advertising and sales pitches, according to Sargent. “We would like all of our graduates to be men and women of science,” he said. Translating Research into Clinical Care Second-year student and poster presenter Janice Chen was happy to talk about her summer research experience in the lab of Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, associate professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery. In fact, she is continuing her project by working weekends in the lab. Chen has been investigating genetic changes in oral cancer and surrounding tissue, in research aimed at developing better ways to decide how much tissue surrounding a tumor to remove during surgery. “I’m doing bench work, but I want to see it applied in the clinical setting,” Chen said. Chen aims to earn her DDS degree and then to complete a residency in oral surgery. But she also wants to play a role in translating research discoveries into clinical care. “I see the goal of the health care professions as helping people lead better lives,” she said. The diagnostic techniques she is working on could help prevent cancer recurrence and improve lives profoundly, she believes. At the morning session, another student speaker was Alexander Nee. Nee described how a protein called sonic hedgehog helps guide the behavior of stem cells that, in turn, give rise to new tooth tissue. This line of research may eventually make it possible to regrow teeth. Two other dental students spoke from the lectern. Negin Saghafi presented a talk, entitled “Cannabinoid Receptor Activation Reduces Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Proliferation,” and Saba Hedayatollahnajafi addressed the issue of “Dentin Bond Strength After Ablation Using a High-Speed CO2 Laser.” The poster judges did indeed manage to complete their lunchtime task. Winners in the postdoctoral fellow category included Venu Varanasi, third place; Luiz Bertassoni, second place; and Jasjit Dillon, first place. In the graduate student category, the second-place winners were Phuong Quang and Annie Chou, and the first-place winner was Francis Smith. In the predoctoral category, the winners were Charles Kim, third place; Stephen Sadler, second place; and Alexander Nee, first place. Outstanding research faculty also were honored. Barbara Gerbert, PhD, professor and chair of the Division of Behavioral Sciences, Professionalism and Ethics in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, presented the Faculty Research Lecture. Her research generated data used to improve infection control, access to care for HIV-infected patients and supportive care for victims of domestic violence. Radhika Chigurupati, BDS, DMD, associate clinical professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery, was chosen by students to receive the Mentor of the Year Award, presented by the John C. Greene Society. The keynote speaker was Lyndon Cooper, DDS, PhD, professor and chair of the University of North Carolina Department of Prosthodontics, who discussed challenges in regenerating lost oral tissues and structures. This year, the research day also was dedicated to clinical excellence. Raymond L. Braham, BDS, MScD, clinical professor of pediatric dentistry emeritus, was honored with the Outstanding Clinician Award.