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2016

2016 DECEMBER

2016-2017 CADR-NCOHR Student Research Award Winner 

Finding the evidence in ‘evidence-based practice’

The Summer Student Research Program gives dentistry students a chance to participate directly in the science that informs their clinical work. The best way for dentistry students to understand what it means to practice evidence-based dentistry, is to be directly involved in finding that evidence. Being exposed to research early on in their careers helps students develop important critical-thinking skills vital to the practice.

Dr. A. Rizkalla awarded funds from OCE

Congratulations to Dr. Amin Rizkalla for being awarded an Ontario Center of Excellence Innovation and Productivity Award (in the amount of $20,000) for his project titled, ‘Advanced 3D Metal Additive Manufacturing for Dental Metal Substructures’. These funds are leveraged against contributions from Rotsaert Dental Laboratory Services Inc. in the amounts of $5,000 cash and $25,470 in-kind.  In addition, Dr. Rizkalla’s application has been approved for $25,000 from NSERC-Engage, conditional on activation of the OCE award.

2016 NOVEMBER

Dentistry Seminar Series - Catherine Ovitt, PhD

Nov 23 - Schulich Dentistry Research Seminar Series presents a lecture by Catherine Ovitt, PhD, Associate Professor, Biomedical Genetics, Center for Oral Biology, University of Rochester, NY

Title: 'Maintenance and regeneration of salivary and lacrimal glands does not rely on stem cells'

Drs. D. Hamilton and A. Rizkalla awarded funds from ITI Foundation

Dr. Douglas Hamilton and Dr. Amin Rizkalla (Oral Biology-Dentistry) were awarded funds from the ITI Foundation (International Team for Implantology) of US $110K for their work entitled, “Mechanisms for reduced fibrosis and enhanced healing around implants”. ITI is a major international foundation (Swiss based) whose motto is "A non-profit organization of dedicated scientists and practitioners who champion the correct utilization of implant dentistry for the benefit of the patient".  Drs. Hamilton and Rizkalla’s research area is significant in regards to keeping implants healthy.

DART Journal Club

Dental Academic Research Trainee DART is hosting their first Journal Club of the 2016-2017 year on Nov 2, 2016. Come with your questions/critiques/comments in tow to have a discussion about the paper at hand....Delivery of Apical Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Root Canals of Mature Teeth.  Chrepa V, Henry MA, Daniel BJ, Diogenes A. J Dent Res. 2015 Dec;94(12):1653-9. doi: 10.1177/0022034515596527. Epub 2015 Jul 20.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26195498. 6 PM DSB 0060.

2016 OCTOBER

Kevin Bartman awarded entry into Schulich’s Dental Clinician-Scientist (DCS) Program

The DCS program consists of pursuing a PhD degree in an area of research relevant to dentistry followed by a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree. The program is directed towards highly motivated students whose career objective is to become productive clinician-scientists in dental research or academic dentistry. Kevin Bartman was assessed using the following criteria: (a) demonstrated evidence of superior academic achievement, (b) demonstrated or potential research excellence and (c) aptitude and motivation for a career in academic dentistry. 

This is a joint-degree program (PhD/DDS).  Bartman is currently working on his PhD under the co-supervision of Dr. Harvey Goldberg (Biochemistry) and Dr. Frank Beier (Physiology and Pharmacology).

Schulich Dentistry Annual Research Day - October 13

The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry celebrated the research, innovation and collaboration of faculty and students at Schulich Dentistry Annual Research Day on October 13th. The day featured student poster presentations and the 15th John T. Hamilton Distinguished Lecture, delivered by Jocelyne S. Feine, DDS, HDR. 

Over 300 faculty, staff, studentsm, and local clinicians attended the presentations and the Hamilton Lecture entitled “Health Research - From Particles to Policy."  Dr. Feine described how her experiences as a new dentist led her to pursue a career in health research that has had an impact on practice and policy worldwide. Through examples, she demonstrated how interdisciplinary research can offer relevant and comprehensive evidence of major value to decision-makers at all levels.

Congratulations to the following students who received awards for their Poster Presentations. 

Schulich Dentistry 15th John T. Hamilton Lecture / Research Day

Research Day will feature a presentation of student posters and the 15th John T. Hamilton Lecture on Oct 13, to be delivered by:

Jocelyne S. Feine, DDS, HDR
Professor, Oral Health and Society Research Unit, Faculty of Dentistry
Associate Member, Dept. of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, and Dept. of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine
McGill University

Dr. Feine's presentation is entitled: "Health Research - From Particles to Policy"

All are welcome!   Each event qualifies for 1 Continuing Education Point

Kim Beaucage (DDS 2018) attends Colgate Dental Students' Conference on Research

This photo was taken of the attendees and mentors at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in front of a successor of Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree.

Kevin Bartman successfully transfers into PhD Program

Kevin Bartman's transfer to the PhD program was approved by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.  Bartman passed the Department of Biochemistry Qualifying Exam "With Distinction" (this designation is given when a student achieves a score of 4 out of 5 or higher).   The qualifying exam consisted of a written proposal of Kevin’s research project being examined by faculty, followed by an oral exam.

Project Title:  Bone sialoprotein in acellular cementum development and osteoarthritis

Kevin’s project addresses the role of Bone Sialoprotein (BSP) in the skeletal system, and in particular in the context of osteoarthritis.  This is highly relevant to field of Dentistry, such as general tooth development, orthodontics and osteoarthritis of the temporo-mandibular joint. Kevin is co-supervised by Dr. Harvey Goldberg (Biochemistry) and Dr. Frank Beier (Physiology and Pharmacology).

2016 AUGUST

Student Profile (Jennifer Branch) in Schulich News

Jennifer Branch (DDS 2018) is currently a Summer Research Student conducting research in the Leask Lab. Her project is entitled, 'Differences in proliferation and contraction between gingival and pulmonary  fibroblasts'. Read more

Summer Research Students - Final Presentations

Dentistry’s Summer Research Program students will present their accomplishments/conclusions of their projects on August 11.  In addition, other dental students currently involved in research projects in our School, are invited to present their work.  Dental Faculty and lab members are encouraged to attend.
     10:30 am   -   Session 1
     12:00 pm   -   Lunch / Networking
       1:40 pm   -   Session 2

2016 JULY

NCOHR Workshop - McGill University

Schulich Dentistry nominated one Dentistry Faculty member (Dr. Barry Schwartz), along with two graduate students, Edward Wang (supervised by Dr. Doug Hamilton) and Karla Crosara (supervised by Dr. Walter Siqueira), to attend The Network for Canadian Oral Health Research’s (NCOHR) 4th Annual Canadian Dental Student Workshop in June.  This workshop ‘Creating and Sustaining Successful Interdisciplinary Research Teams: A Theory into Practice Approach’ was hosted by the Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University in Montreal.  Dr. Schwartz (Assistant Professor, Dentistry) remarked, 'The foundation for the workshop centered around decreased funding opportunities from CIHR due to stagnating budgets and greater competition amongst researchers competing for fewer grants. One of the themes was to create opportunities with imaginative interdisciplinary research that is aligned with current government outcomes for research. Topics such as leadership, engendering collaborative and reflexive praxis, enabled participants to understand the enablers and disablers of effective interdisciplinary teams."

Edward Wang (Visiting PhD student from China), further commented …. 'The workshop was a good opportunity to learn interdisciplinary cooperation in research, elucidating the reflexivity and relationality, as well as leadership during interdisciplinary collaboration. What made it most worthy is making friends with people specialized in different areas. '

'The conference was a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with researchers from different universities across Canada', remarked Karla Crosara (MSc student in Medical Biophysics). 'We discussed the importance of interdisciplinary research, and how much value can be added to a proposal by bringing subjects with different expertise to work together toward a common goal. This approach is particularly important at this time when grants are getting more and more competitive and scarce. Researchers must realize that interdisciplinary research teams are more likely to achieve successful outcomes. For that reason, funding agencies are more inclined to offer grants to such projects.'   Learn more about the workshop from NCOHR.

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Dental Academic Research Trainee (DART) Journal Club

DART held a journal club meeting on July 13 to discuss ‘The effect of design on the primary stability of dental implants’.  Dr. Yara Hosein, Dentistry Postdoctoral Fellow, led the article discussion along with Dr. S. Jeffrey Dixon, as faculty representative, who provided his clinical and research expertise on the topic. A discussion session followed during dinner between the 17 attendees (summer dental research students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows).

2016 JUNE

Dentistry Summer Research Presentations

Dentistry’s Summer Research Program students will present an introduction of their projects on June 17.  In addition, other dental students currently involved in research projects in our School, are invited to present their work.  Dental Faculty and lab members are encouraged to attend. Introductory Presentations - MSB 148 | 12-2PM    

James Hutchenreuther represented Schulich Medicine & Dentistry at Canadian Student Health Research Forum

James (Physiology and Pharmacology PhD Candidate working in the Leask Lab) was one of Ten outstanding trainees representing Schulich Medicine & Dentistry and Western University at the 29th Annual Canadian Student Health Research Forum (CSHRF).  The 2016 event was held at the University of Manitoba in June.

Held annually, CSHRF provides a venue for health research trainees to present their work, network with peers from across the country, and be recognized for the excellence of their contributions. It features research poster days, socials events and a symposium on a cross-disciplinary scientific theme by some of the world’s leading experts in that field.  Read full article

Dental Academic Research Trainee (DART) Meet & Greet Mixer

DART invited Dentistry Faculty to attend their Meet & Greet Mixer on Jun 21 to mingle with fellow dental researchers, dental research trainees and faculty. Grad Club, Middlesex College, 3-5pm.

15 Summer research studentships awarded

The summer student research program provides an opportunity for students enrolled in the DDS program to contribute to clinical and basic science research being performed in Schulich Dentistry. Stipends normally are for a period of 12 weeks. Each year, there are a limited number of Studentships awarded by competition. 

15 Research Projects were funded for the summer of 2016. Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Summer Research Studentship:

2016 MAY

Michael Tiedemann (DDS 2017), presents research at the CDA annual convention

Michael Tiedemann presented his research at the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) annual convention in Vancouver, BC in March. Tiedemann was presented with this travel award for his poster 'Modulation of Myofibroblast Differentiation of Nanometric Topographies'. Supervised by Dr. Douglas Hamilton in Dentistry's Summer Research Program, Tiedemann competed for this travel award at Schulich Dentistry's 2015 Annual Research Day.

The CDA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program provides an opportunity for one dental student from each dental school in Canada to participate in a national clinical research competition. Managed by the CDA and sponsored by DENTSPLY International and DENTSPLY Canada (DENTSPLY), the program is held in conjunction with CDA's annual convention.

The purpose of the program is to stimulate ideas, improve communication and most of all, increase student involvement in the advancement of the dental profession.

Tiedemann commented, 'Dentsply and the CDA showed pride in our accomplishments and many conference attendees recognized the value of dental research and encouraged future research'. Tiedemann further remarked, 'This enriching experience has led me to see the fruition of dental research impacting technology, ideas and also shaping the direction of the future of Dentistry. This conference also provided a collegiality among dental student research participates which created a positive and enjoyable experience. The amount of interest in our student research by other researchers and dental clinicians encouraged us to continue a pursuit in dental research in the future'.

9th Annual Suzanne M. Bernier Memorial Lecture in Skeletal Biology

We are pleased to invite all members of the University community to the 9th Annual Suzanne M. Bernier Memorial Lecture in Skeletal Biology, delivered this year by Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, FRCP, Associate Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology, Clinical Epidemiology Unit and Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine.

Date: May 3, 2016   2:00-4:00pm    POSTER
Title:  Treatment Opportunities in Knee Osteoarthritis
Location:  McKellar Room | UCC 290 | University Community Centre | Reception to follow at The Wave  | All Welcome

Dr. Neogi is a rheumatologist and epidemiologist whose research has focused primarily on knee osteoarthritis and gout, as well as methodologic issues of relevance for rheumatic diseases. She has had continuous peer-reviewed foundation and NIH funding since 2003, and has over 130 peer-reviewed publications to date.  She is the immediate past chair of the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee, and serves on the Board of Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI), committees for the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and International Association for the Study Pain (IASP), and editorial boards, among others. Her work has been recognized with the prestigious 2014 ACR Henry Kunkel Young Investigator Award for outstanding and promising independent contributions to rheumatology research (awarded to no more than one clinical researcher and/or one basic science researcher each year). Neogi has also engaged in developing new classification criteria for a number of rheumatic diseases. In addition to research, clinical work, and teaching, one of her key roles is to mentor trainees and junior faculty in musculoskeletal disease-related research.

The lecture series and graduate student award was established to highlight outstanding contributions to the field of musculoskeletal research in honour of Dr. Suzanne Bernier, a wonderful colleague, collaborator and mentor, who passed away in 2007.

2016 APRIL

Dr. A. Leask and Dr. J. Pope awarded CHRP Grant

Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Leask (Oral Biology, Dentistry), and Dr. Janet E. Pope (Division of Rheumatology), for being awarded a CHRP grant in the 2015 October competition.  ‘CCN3: a novel antifibrotic treatment?’ is the project title for this 3-year grant ($274,797), and is conducted in collaboration with BLR Bio, a company founded by Bruce Riser of Chicago, IL.

'Fibrotic diseases such as scleroderma have no therapy. These diseases are characterized by extensive scar tissue deposition. The cells (fibroblasts) within the scar are subject to enhanced tension due to the surrounding scar tissue. They also themselves are abnormal in that they exert excessive tension on the scar tissue. It is believed that this excessive tension is responsible for the maintenance of the scar. A protein called CCN2 is expressed specifically in scar tissue and promotes this tension. A related protein CCN3 is not found in scar tissue, but normally acts to inhibit CCN2. We want to test whether CCN3 (and peptides derived from CCN3) can block scleroderma fibrosis. Moreover, we want to test if monitoring the CCN2:CCN3 ratio in patients can be used to monitor disease progression. At the end of the funding period, we will design andinitiate clinical trials with our peptides to see if we can block fibrosis clinically.

Dental Academic Research Trainee (DART) Journal Club

Daniel Madiac (DDS 2016) presented a Periodontics article at DART’s first journal club of 2016 on April 27. Daniel led the paper discussion with the help of Dr. Al-Osman, who graciously agreed to offer his expertise on the subject area. Dental students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows who were in attendance also partook in the critical analysis of the clinical research paper.

2016 MARCH

Dentistry Seminar Series - Christopher A. McCulloch, DDS, PhD, FRCD(C)

Mar 23 - Schulich Dentistry Research Seminar Series presents a lecture by Christopher A. McCulloch, DDS, PhD, FRCD(C), Canada Research Chair in Matrix Dynamics, Professor, Matrix Dynamics Group, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto.

Title:  Restricting Inflammatory Signaling Through Cell Adhesions. 

Collaborative Research Seed Grant

Congratulations to Dr. Amin Rizkalla (Oral Biology, Schulich Dentistry and Dept of Medical Biophysics) for his collaboration on 'Tissue engineering a resilient bio-artificial cornea for human transplantation' 

PI: Sunil Parapuram, PhD (Dept of Ophthalmology)
Co-Investigators: Dr. William Hodge (Dept of Ophthalmology), Timothy Newson, PhD (Faculty of Engineering), Amin Rizkalla, PhD (Oral Biology, Schulich Dentistry and Dept of Medical Biophysics).

Collaborative Research Seed Grants (CRSG) will provide recipients with approximately $250,000 in seed funding for the formation and development of new interdisciplinary collaborative research teams. The intent is to promote new collaborations that build on different scientific and scholarly backgrounds, to facilitate breakthroughs in solving research questions in a collaborative manner, and to position the School's researchers to successfully respond to targeted requests for proposals from Tri-Council or other funding agencies. 

2016 FEBRUARY

Dentistry Seminar Series - Eli Sone, PhD

Feb 24 - Schulich Dentistry Research Seminar Series presents a lecture by Eli Sone, PhD, Associate Professor, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), Department of Materials Science & Engineering, and Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. 

Title: Molecular control of collagen mineralization at the periodontal ligament-cementum junction

Schulich Dentistry Internal Research Grant (IRG) Program

Competition Results: Congratulations to the following Clinician Scientists who were awarded a Schulich Dentistry IRG for 2016 of $5,000 each:

• Dr. Les Kalman (Assistant Professor, Restorative Dentistry), for his project entitled "Investigation and assessment of 3D printed dental implant provisional abutments'
• Dr. Harinder Sandhu (Professor, Periodontics), along with his co-investigators Drs. Richard Bohay and Yara Hosein for his project entitled 'A retrospective clinical and radiographic analysis of dental implants placed and restored in an undergraduate dental program'.  
• Dr. Maria Jacinta Santos (Assistant Professor, Restorative Dentistry) with co-investigator Dr. Gildo Coelho Santos Jr., for her project entitled ‘Comparison of marginal and internal fit of Pressed and CADCAM ceramic onlays using different preparation designs’. 

2016 JANUARY

Dentistry Seminar Series - Les Kalman, DDS

Jan 24 - Schulich Dentistry Research Seminar Series presents a lecture by Les Kalman, DDS, Assistant Professor in Restorative Dentistry, Chair of the Dental Outreach Community Service (DOCS), Schulich Dentistry, Western University. 

Title:  Outreach, Innovation and Translation. 

Dental Academic Research Trainee (DART) Group presents:

LUNCH AND LEARN
     Jan 28  12:00-1:00 PM | Room HSA 101
     Dr. Les Kalman, Schulich Dentistry, Western University
     Research Innovation and Commercialization in Dentistry

Dr. Kalman will be presenting on his experience with Research Innovation and Commercialization in Dentistry. He will talk about his research career, which led to multiple dental innovations, funding avenues for supporting such innovation, and offer advice to trainees who are interested in research commercialization. Poster       ALL DART MEMBERS AND DENTAL TRAINEES INVITED TO RSVP-SEATING LIMITED