Congratulations to the students and faculty who were recognized for their excellence at the AADR meeting. They are part of the Health Science Center’s CO STAR program.
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Faculty members and students strongly represented the Health Science Center at the recent American Association for Dental Research (AADR) meeting. The meeting took place this month in Orlando, Fla.

There were approximately 50 oral presentations and poster displays, as well as additional symposium presentations that detailed research progress. The advancing research is a result of Health Science Center Dental School scientists' research programs and their students.

"We are proud that both our students and faculty members were so widely represented at the meeting," said Bjorn Steffensen, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., associate dean for research in the Dental School.

Thomas Oates Jr., D.M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of periodontics, received the William Clark Fellowship award and Silvana Papagerakis, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in dental diagnostic science, was awarded the John Clarkson Fellowship. Both prestigious fellowships will support research training.

"Drs. Oates' and Papagerakis' progressive research directions earned them these awards that will help strengthen ongoing projects at the Health Science Center," Dr. Steffensen said.

Health Science Center dental students were also acknowledged at the meeting – several were selected as finalists in research competitions. The students included Michael Atkins, who was recognized for the Caulk DentsPly Competition; and Melissa Nix and Nataliya Inozemtseva, who placed as finalists in the Hatton Award Competition. Jessica Ibarra was awarded an AADR Research Fellowship to support her ongoing D.D.S./Ph.D. project.

Cara Knight, D.D.S., Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in department of dental diagnostic sciences, placed second in the prestigious Hatton Award Competition. This accomplishment earned her the right to represent the AADR at the International Dental Research Meeting, which will be held this summer in Brisbane, Australia.

"It is particularly rewarding that these student researchers all have been supported by the CO STAR (Craniofacial Oral-Biology Student Training in Academic Research) institutional training grant in the Dental School, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health," said Dr. Steffensen who is also the director of the CO STAR program. “Third-year dental student Anthony Morlandt, one of our CO STAR trainees, holds the position as vice president for the National Student Research Group.”

The CO STAR program focuses on research pertinent to oral biology and supports short-term research training of dental students, individuals working toward their Ph.D. degree or the dual D.D.S./Ph.D. degree. It also funds postdoctoral and faculty training positions. More information about CO STAR can be found at dental.uthscsa.edu/costar/.