42nd Annual Scientific Day
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry held its 42nd Annual Scientific Day on Tuesday, April 11. Scientific Day is an event where dental students, dental hygiene students, residents and graduate students present findings from their research projects or describe new and innovative clinical techniques.
Sharukh Khajotia, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, and Professor of Dental Biomaterials, described research being conducted by students as well as faculty members at the college. “Students in the Doctor of Dental Surgery program and undergraduate students working toward a Bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene can choose to participate in the annual Student Research Program,” said Dr. Khajotia. “The students perform research projects under the guidance of faculty mentors over a 9-month period, and develop additional expertise on a topic of clinical relevance in the dental, oral and craniofacial sciences. We are fortunate to receive tremendous support from the J. Dean Robertson Society of the OU Foundation, Inc. and the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation, both of whom have sponsored Scientific Day for many years and also fund faculty and students’ research projects.”
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Rena D’Souza is the Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health. She is deeply committed to the organization’s mission — advance fundamental knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease and translate these findings into prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies that improve overall health for all individuals and communities across the lifespan.
As the director of NIDCR, Dr. D’Souza oversees the institute’s annual budget of over $500 million, supporting basic, translational, and clinical research in areas of oral cancer, orofacial pain, tooth decay, periodontal disease, salivary gland dysfunction, and the craniofacial development and the oral complications of systemic diseases.
Prior to becoming NIDCR’s director, Dr. D’Souza served at the University of Utah as Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs and Education for the Health Sciences. She held the Ole and Marty Jensen endowed chair in the School of Dentistry that she led as inaugural dean. As a clinician-scientist, D’Souza has been strongly committed to discovery and mentoring throughout her academic career. She is past president of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).
Dr. D’Souza is an internationally recognized researcher and has authored over 150 publications and book chapters in the areas of craniofacial development, matrix biology and tissue regeneration for over 30 years. She is a Fellow of AAAS and also of AADR. She received the 2010 Presidential Award for Research Excellence from the Texas A&M Health Science Center and was inducted into the German National Academy of Sciences in 2012. Columbia University College of Dental Medicine’s awarded Dr. D’Souza the Birnberg Research Medal in 2016. She also received the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award in Pulp Biology Research in 2002 and the Irwin D. Mandel Distinguished National Mentoring Award in 2017.
Dr. D’Souza is active on several trans-NIH committees and maintains an active research laboratory in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH.
Ishmael Essay Contest
Established in 1987 by Dr. and Mrs. Don Ishmael, the Ishmael Essay Contest is an integral part of Scientific Day. Dr. Ishmael was an advocate of scholarship and professionalism and provided the funding to provide a cash award to the top scholarly essays each year. This year, the essays were then narrowed down to six semi-finalists to give an oral presentation.
Below is a list of this year’s Ishmael Essay Contest winners:
Dental Hygiene Category:
First Place: $500 award goes to Jessica Venard, DH2
Second Place: $250 award goes to Victoria King, DH2
Third Place: $100 award goes to Morgan Wong, DH2
Dental Category:
First Place: $500 award goes to Monica Wang, DS3
Second Place: $250 award goes to Katherine Sullivan, DS2
Third Place: $100 award goes to Alexandra Ahearn, DS2
Poster Contest
In addition to the Ishmael Essay Contest, student researchers are required to present their research findings in a poster format at Scientific Day. On average, sixty posters are presented at Scientific Day each year.
Below is a list of this year’s Poster Contest winners and the name of the award:
Monica Wang, DS3
Dentsply Sirona - AADOCR Trip (New Orleans, LA)
Jessica Venard, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $1000
Emma McIntosh, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $500
Morgan Wong, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $500
Mubarika Ali, DS2
Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation - $500
Gracie Nimrod, DH2
Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation - $500
Dr. John Corbett
Paladini Financial Management - $500
Joseph Acquaviva, DS2 and Hannah Shelton, DS3
Omicron Kappa Upsilon Probst-Felton Award - $500
Dr. Sonali Demla and Dr. Kurren Virk
Oklahoma Orthodontics Society - $500
Abbie Coulter, DH2
Dr. and Mrs. Don Ishmael Dental Hygiene Research Award - $400
Grace Reed, DH2 and Lizzy Tatum, DH2
Dr. and Mrs. Don Ishmael Dental Hygiene Research Award - $400
Dr. Junior Cruz, Dr. Romali Kamat and Dr. Aziz Pradhan
Oklahoma Section of the American College of Prosthodontists - $400
Victoria King, DH2
Oklahoma Association of Women Dentists - $300
Dr. Sarah Fita
Oklahoma Dental Association - $300
Alexandra Ahearn, DS2
Michael D. Rohrer Fund - $300
Katherine Sullivan, DS2
Donald L. Mitchell Excellence in Prosthodontics - $300
Julia Daugherty, DS2
Dean L. Johnson Excellence in Prosthodontics - $300
McKenzie Bedford, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $250
Alyssa Hudson, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $250
Olivia Young, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $250
Dr. Frank Kajiwara
Anonymous Benefactor - $250
Manas Kommareddi, DS2 and Ghazaleh Fazel, DS2
Anonymous Benefactor - $250
Alex Woods, DH2
Anonymous Benefactor - $250
Rachel Hill, DH2
Anonymous Benefactor - $250
Dr. Tyler Hendricks
Oklahoma Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons - $250
Dr. Sandra Perozo
Oklahoma Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons - $250
Dorna Akhavain, DS3
Staples Society - $250
Shaylee Johnson, DH2
Staples Society - $250
Riley Crismon, DS2
American Student Dental Association - $250
Fnu Fatimah, DH2
Oklahoma Dental Hygienists' Association - $250
Holly Parker, DH2
Oklahoma Dental Hygienists' Association - $250
Kendall Schnoebelen, DH2
Oklahoma Dental Hygienists' Association - $250
Amisha Bhatt, DH2
Donald L. Mitchell Excellence in Prosthodontics - $200
Kayli Bennett, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $150
Paige Williams, DH2
Student American Dental Hygiene Association - $150
Monica Wang, DS3
Student Council (Student Choice Award) - $125
Malli Cole, DH2 and Lainey Jestis, DH2
Student Council (Student Choice Award) - $125
Dr. Shiyamali Sundararajan
Oklahoma County Dental Society - $100
###
COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY
The OU College of Dentistry is home to the state’s only doctor of dental surgery program and baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. More than 70 percent of the state of Oklahoma’s dentists are graduates of the OU College of Dentistry. The college provides general dental care and specialty care to Oklahomans through student, resident and faculty practice clinics. The OU College of Dentistry has established a reputation of training its students to provide the highest quality of clinical care available.