Mission Magazine - Dental Diagnostic Science Meets Crossroads to Success

Dental Diagnostic Science Meets Crossroads to Success

February 2005

by Natalie Gutierrez

Dr. Papagerakis was recently awarded a $40,000 Executive Research Committee (ERC) New Investigator Grant for her research project on oral cancer metastasis. Cara Knight, D.D.S, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow under the mentorship of Dr. Thornhill, earned a $15,000 ERC research award for initiating a pilot study to generate a new animal model for oral cancer metastasis.

Several dental diagnostic science department faculty members and students have earned regional and national awards for their outstanding research in oral medicine, oral cancer and oral radiology. Vidya Sankar, D.M.D., assistant professor in the division of oral medicine, earned the 2004 Robert I. Schattner Award from the American Academy of Oral Medicine. Shaza Mardini, D.D.S., third-year resident in the radiology postgraduate program, earned the 2004 Howard R. Raper Award from the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Dr. Papagerakis also earned two 2004 Hatton Awards from the American Association for Dental Research and the International Association for Dental Research.

Under Dr. Thornhill’s leadership, faculty and students in the department of dental diagnostic science have produced more than 24 scientific publications and more than 30 research abstracts and presentations at local, national and international meetings. In addition, clinical productivity in the radiology graduate clinic doubled and the radiology postgraduate program received accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Robert Langlais, D.D.S., professor and director of the graduate oral and maxillofacial radiology program, led efforts to successfully obtain more than $300,000 in consignment equipment for use by the Health Science Center community. Finally, 10 clinical trials involving dental products were conducted in 2004 in the division of oral medicine.