Tri-School Dental Science Symposium sets attendance records
Eight Health Science Center dental students and graduate trainees
won awards for their presentations at the Second Annual Tri-School
Dental Science Symposium held April 14.
The event was held at the Health Science Center and co-hosted by
the San Antonio Chapter of the American Association for Dental
Research (AADR) and the Dental School. Students and faculty from the
Baylor College of Dentistry and the U. T. Houston Dental Branch also
participated.
"The turnout this year was about three times higher than at
any previous dental school symposium held in Texas. This is a real
tribute to our Dental School and its faculty for their support for
student research and research in general. We have been very fortunate
to have so many companies sponsor this event, allowing it to be this
successful," said program director Dr. Kyumin Whang, assistant
professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of
Biomaterials.
"The record levels of participation and corporate support
during our 18th Annual Dental Science Symposium, together with the
high quality of the various presentations, highlights the outstanding
reputation of dental research in the state of Texas and, especially,
at our own Health Science Center here in San Antonio," said Dr.
Chris Flores, president of the San Antonio Chapter of the AADR and
assistant professor in the Department of Endodontics.
Nine companies, the Office of the Dental School Dean and the Office
of Continuing Dental Education helped sponsor the symposium, and made
possible the presentation of 20 prizes totaling more than $3,500. A
record 100 predoctoral students, postdoctoral students, faculty and
staff presented 64 poster presentations, 24 oral presentations, seven
table clinics and the special science symposium. The special symposium
was given by the Advanced Dental Restorative Systems (ADRS) teamDrs.
H. Ralph Rawls, Mary MacDougall and Don Ranly of the Dental School,
and Dr. Steven Wellinghoff of the Southwest Research Instituteon their
multidisciplinary collaboration.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Ray Dionne, clinical director of the
Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health. His address was
titled "Clinical Research in the Molecular-Genetic Era: R.I.P. or
Born Again?"
This was the 18th annual Dental Science Symposium sponsored by the
San Antonio Chapter of the AADR, but only the second in which three
schools have participated.
The Health Science Center winners were:
Predoctoral poster presentations: First place, Christopher
Daniel, "Establishment and Characterization of Mouse Immortalized
Enamel Organ Epithelium-Derived Cell Lines"; second place, Carrie
Williams, "17b-Estradiol Mediates Gender-Specific Effects on
Chondrocytes Via Activation of PLC, G-proteins and PKC"; and
honorable mention, Peggy Chang, "Fibroblast Responses to Ti
Treated with Silicone."
Predoctoral oral presentation: First place, Cara Knight,
"Characterization of Nma Transcription and Translation Patterns
during Odonto-Genesis."
Postdoctoral poster presentation: Second place, Thomas
Hummert, "Expression and Production of Stathmin in Chondrocytes
Is Cell Maturation Dependent."
Postdoctoral oral presentation: First place, Nina Tsai,
"An Evaluation of Inflammation Associated with the
Implant/Abutment Interface"; second place, Juan Dong,
"Exclusion of DMP1 Gene from a Causative Role in DGI-III &
DD-II."
Senior predoctoral/clinical post-doctoral student presentation: First
place, Scott Stratemann, "Disruption of the S. pombe aph1 and
aps1 Genes." | 