Research seminar series enhances community collaboration
To enhance our research community and showcase their work, a group of Adams School of Dentistry researchers, in cooperation with the Dean’s Office, will launch a research seminar series beginning Dec. 5. Seminars will take place Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. in Brauer 464. The inaugural speaker will be Lobat Tayebi, PhD, MS, an endowed professor at Old Dominion University. Tayebi’s presentation is titled: Innovative Strategies in Dentistry.
The series’ steering committee, including Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD, Laura Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS, Julie Marchesan, DDS, PhD, Apoena Ribeiro, DDS, MSc, PhD, and Aimin Peng, PhD, were tasked with revitalizing the series, a long-time initiative of the school, to promote research and collaboration.
“Research seminar series are important for vibrant research communities, serving as a valuable platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge,” Peng said.
Students interested in pursuing research can benefit from the newly launched seminar series.
The benefits of the series are two-fold, offering students the chance to explore new research avenues and collaborate with more established researchers and their peers on new ideas and for researchers to share their findings with other scientists.
“The seminars will provide opportunities for students to learn cutting-edge research, and develop skills in critical thinking and scientific communication. Hearing about innovative research and real-world applications can spark curiosity, and motivate students to pursue their own research,” Peng said.
Faculty members can also use the seminars as a vehicle to network and exchange ideas outside of ASOD and their areas of expertise.
“Researchers benefit from the seminar series by gaining greater visibility for their work and discovering potential collaborators within our institution and outside universities. It helps to raise awareness of ongoing research initiatives and promotes interdisciplinary partnerships. We aim to enrich the research community and support innovation, advancing knowledge and strengthening connections within the oral and craniofacial research community,” Ribeiro said.
“We have a strong research community within ASOD, and this seminar series can serve as a platform for us to share our research, learn from each other, and build collaborations. Exposure to diverse topics and methodologies can spark new ideas, refine hypotheses, and inspire novel approaches to existing research challenges. Bringing external speakers who are outstanding researchers and leaders is also very important for our visibility,” Peng said.
The series will cover all facets of oral and craniofacial research, and speakers are still being confirmed for the coming year.
“Some key themes include the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, speech disorders, and the complex relationships between inflammation, the microbiome, and oral/systemic disease. These topics are essential because they address critical challenges in the field and provide opportunities for groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in dentistry,” Ribeiro said.
Upcoming dates:
Dec. 5: Lobat Tayebi, PhD, MS, endowed professor at Old Dominion University on Innovative Strategies in Dentistry
Dec. 12: Laura Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS, on Influence of Surgical Correction of Jaw Disharmonies on Speech
Speakers in 2025 include: ASOD’s Lance Thurlow, PhD, Alpdogan Kantarci, DDS, MSc, PhD, Forsyth Institute and Andrean Simons-Burnett, PhD, from University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
