Research Day
Research Day 2025
The 41st Annual Research Day was held Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
Adams School of Dentistry hosts an annual Research Day to highlight the school’s continued commitment to inspiring, creating, and supporting all aspects of research, discovery, and innovation. This celebration aims to capture the diverse, inspiring, and high-quality accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, research fellows, and visiting scholars.
This in-person event will highlight all aspects of research, discovery and innovation with emphasis on the accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff, research fellows and visiting scholars. Oral and poster presentations will be on display with an awards ceremony and address from keynote speaker Shelton “Shelley” Earp, MD, to conclude the day’s activities.
Keynote Speaker
H. Shelton “Shelley” Earp, MD
Shelley Earp, MD, is the Lineberger Professor of Cancer Research and a professor of medicine and pharmacology at the UNC School of Medicine. He is recognized nationally for his leadership and research contributions in the field of cancer.
Additional Information for Presenters
H. Shelton “Shelley” Earp, MD
As director of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (1997–2014 and 2016–2024), Shelley Earp, MD, oversaw remarkable growth in the center’s federal funding, faculty and research initiatives. UNC Lineberger is one of the nation’s top cancer centers and the only public National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina.
Earp has led a high-achieving laboratory that is investigating receptor kinase signaling in cancer cells and the body’s immune response to malignancy. Specifically, the Earp Lab is exploring new therapeutic options to treat a range of cancers, including breast, lung, pancreatic and prostate cancer, as well as leukemias and melanoma. His lab collaborated with UNC Lineberger’s Stephen Frye, PhD, to create small molecule MerTK inhibitors that can reverse immunosuppression and enhance immunotherapy. Based on this research, they founded a UNC start-up company, Meryx, Inc.
Earp has earned many notable academic and research honors, including the O. Max Gardner Award in 2023, UNC’s most prestigious faculty honor. He also received the Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award in 2017, the UNC Distinguished Service Award in 2015 and the Faculty Service Award UNC General Alumni Association in 2009.
In addition to his many roles at UNC, Earp has helped shape the future of cancer research through his service to external organizations. He currently serves as chair of the National Cancer Institute’s Board of Scientific Advisors, and he has held leadership roles with the American Association for Cancer Research, the Association of American Cancer Institutes, the American Cancer Society, and the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
He is a proud alumnus of the UNC School of Medicine and has been a faculty member since 1977.
POSTER SIZE
The poster board will be used VERTICALLY. Maximum dimensions of the poster board are 7 feet high x 3 feet wide. Posters should be created smaller than the maximum dimensions.
The recommended poster dimensions are 4-5 feet high x 2.5 feet wide. The accompanying PowerPoint poster template is 4 feet high x 2.5 feet wide.
ASOD DEPARTMENTS
- Department of Biomedical Sciences
- Department of Craniofacial and Surgical Care
- Department of Periodontology, Endodontics, and Dental Hygiene
- Department of Restorative Sciences
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences
- Department of Orthodontics
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Dental Public Health
POSTER DESIGN TIPS
- Avoid dark background for text boxes. Dark text on white is the easiest for most people to read.
- Make sure that details on graphs and photographs can be comfortably viewed from 6 feet away.
- Briefly describe procedures and materials. Define all trade names first then use generic names throughout. All compounds and drugs must be identified.
- In general, posters have defined sections and layouts. These sections often include the Abstract (optional), Introduction, Methods and Materials, Results, Conclusions, References, and Acknowledgements.
Tables and Figures
Tables need to be fully self-explanatory. In other words, the reader should be able to understand what is being presented and not rely on definitions, terms, and other elements present within the other sections of the poster. Figures require figure legends. The legends provide key information needed to understand the content/results represented in the figures.
References
You are encouraged to use a bibliographic format and in text citations that conform with a scientific journal (i.e. Journal of Dental Research). It is recommended to keep the number of citations to those that are critical.
Acknowledgements
You are expected and often required to give credit to your sponsors/funders. This is mandatory for research supported by federal agencies like the NIH, CDC, DOD, and others.
A specific acknowledgement of NIH grant support:
“Research reported in this presentation was supported by [name of the Institute(s), Center, or other NIH offices) of the National Institutes of Health under award number [specific NIH grant number(s) in this format: R01GM987654].”
Then follow with the disclaimer: “The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent official views of the National Institutes of Health.”
NOTE: If you plan to use your poster at the IADR/AADOCR General Session, display your Final Presentation Number on the poster. This number is often positioned in the top right corner.
POSTER FORMAT RECOMMENDATIONS
- PowerPoint has limited dimensions of slides. If you plan on printing a poster that has a dimension >56” you will need to create it in another software such as Photoshop. Images are generated in at least 150 DPI and insert the image directly into PowerPoint – do not copy and paste.
- Images, Graphs, and Tables should constitute at least 60% of your poster – “a picture is worth a 1,000 words.”
- Use a sans-serif typeface throughout (i.e. Arial, Lucida Sans, etc.)
- Font Sizes
- Title: ≥72 point
- Headings/section titles: ≥40 point
- Body text: ≥24 point
- Captions: ≥18 point
Past Research Day Award Winners
Award: James W. Bawden Student Research Award
Awardee: Courtney J. Garneau, DDS ’26
Mentor: Bert Vasconcellos, DDS, MS, PhD
Title: “Effect of Ultrasound Application on Biofilm Formation in Glass Ionomer Cements
Classification”
Award: James W. Bawden Faculty Mentor Award
Awardee: Julie Marchesan, DDS, PhD
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Poster (DH)
Awardee: Sofia E. Rooney
Mentor: Roxanne M. Dsouza-Norwood, EdD, MS, RDH
Title: “Assessing Caries Risk in Varsity College Athletes Using Modified CAMBRA”
Award: Dentsply Sirona ADHA Graduate Student Clinician’s Research Program
Awardee: Jasmin S. Balcazar-Romero, RDH
Mentor: Jennifer L. Brame, EdD, MS, RDH
Title: “Standardized Patients in Dental Hygiene Education: A Pilot Study”
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Poster (DDS)
Awardee: Nikitha L Lanka, DDS ’25
Mentor: Jane Weintraub, DDS, MPH
Title: “North Carolina Foster Parents: Oral Health Knowledge and Barriers”
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Oral Presentation (DDS)
Awardee: Ysabella J. Gallo, DDS ’26
Mentor: Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD
Title: “Caregiver Education, Oral Health Behaviors, and Childhood Caries”
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Poster (ADE)
Awardee: Christine Esposito, DMD
Mentor: Laura Jacox, DMD, PhD, MSc
Title: “Longitudinal Outcomes of Bone-Anchored Maxillary Protraction Treatment”
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Oral Presentation (ADE)
Awardee: Kameron Wilding, DDS
Mentor: Patricia Miguez, DDS, MS, PhD
Title: “Late healing characteristics of BMP-induced bone regeneration when modulated by dietary Hesperidin”
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Poster (PhD)
Awardee: Pradham Tanikella
Mentor: Di Wu, PhD
Title: “Drug Repurposing From Electronic Health Records in Head and Neck Cancers”
Award: Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Oral Presentation (PhD)
Awardee: Xin Li, MDS
Mentor: Aimin Peng, PhD
Title: “Targeting Aurora A to Overcome Cisplatin Resistance in HNSCC”
Award: Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application (SCADA) sponsored by Dentsply Sirona
Awardee: Hyunseong “Sean” Ahn, DDS ’27
Mentor: Poojan Shrestha, BDS, PhD, MSc
Title: “Genome-wide Association Study of Periodontitis in Multi-ethnic Populations”
Award: AADOCR Student Research Day Award
Awardee: Angela Chen, DDS ’26
Mentor: Christina Graves, PhD
Title: “Acidic Environments with Microbial Ligands Promote Pro-Oncogenic Oral Epithelial Phenotypes”
Awardee: Kyla Augustine, DDS ’26
Mentor: Dr. Lance Thurlow
Title: “Impact of Diabetes on Polymicrobial Infections and Antibiotic Efficacy”
Awardee: Ysabella Gallo, DDS ’26
Mentor: Dr. Kimon Divaris
Title: “Parental Education & Childhood Oral Health Behaviors”
Awardee: Phillip Goldstein, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Joshua Little
Title: “Proteomics study identifying potential mechanisms of sex differences in musculoskeletal pain”
Awardee: Jennifer Judd, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Laura Jacox
Title: “Longitudinal Outcomes of Bone Anchored Maxillary Protraction Treatment in Class III Patients”
Awardee: Ecaterina Lungu, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Apoena Ribeiro
Title: “Impact of HIV Infection on Oral Microbiome, Oral Health and Systemic Health in Women of Reproductive Age.”
Awardee: Darius Mahboubi, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Aimin Peng
Title: “Selective Inhibition of MASTL: A High-Throughput Approach to Overcome Cancer Treatment Resistance”
Awardee: Emiri Michishita, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Apoena Ribeiro
Title: “Does oral microbiome modulation represent a promising targeted preventive therapy for dental caries?”
Awardee: Ali Morton, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Marta Musskopf
Title: “In vitro Effects of Non-Fluoride Products on Dental Materials”
Awardee: Yamini Pandrapagada, DDS ’26
Mentor: Dr. Joshua Little
Title: “Synthesizing evidence for exercise and physiotherapy interventions in reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry”
Awardee: Tina Roozbehi, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Vivia Sequeira
Title: “Influence of Operator Expertise and Scan Body Design on the Accuracy and Efficiency of Intraoral Implant Scans”
Awardee: Kathy Zhou, DDS ’26
Mentor: Dr. Takashi Komabayashi
Title: “Determining the Efficacy of Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation in Removing Tricalcium Silicate Sealer Using Micro-CT Imaging”
Awardee: Sean Ahn, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Poojan Shrestha
Title: “Genome Wide Association Study of Dental Caries in Hispanics/Latinos from HCHS/SOL Study”
Awardee: Hannah Archer, DDS ’27
Mentor: Dr. Joshua Little
Title: “Examining Reliability and Validity of Novel Authentic Assessments for Evidence-Based Dentistry”
Awardee: Riggan Ayscue, DDS ’27
Mentor: Caroline Sawicki
Title: “Psychosocial Contributions to TMD Pain in Adolescents”
Awardee: Catherine Bingham, DDS ’26
Mentor: Caroline Sawicki
Title: “Identifying Gaps in Predoctoral Craniofacial Education”
Awardee: Tang Jehan Blanton, DDS ’25
Mentor: Dr. Wendy Clark
Title: “Clinical Quality of AI Design in Removeable Appliances”
Awardee: Molina Shah, DDS ’25
Mentor: Dr. Kimon Divaris
Title: “What Influences the Caries-Preventive Efficacy of Community Water Fluoridation”
ADHA Graduate Student Clinician’s Research Award
Jennie Ledbetter
Mentor: Jennifer B. Harmon
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – DDS Category – Oral Presentation
Skylar McGaughey
Mentor: Pat Miguez
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – DDS Category – Poster Presentation
Emily Stallings
Mentor: Bert Vasconcellos
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – MS/Resident Category – Oral Presentation
Auvi Tran
Mentor: David Zajac
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – MS/Resident Category – Poster Presentation
Do Kim
Mentor: Ibrahim Duqum
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – PhD/Post-Doctoral Category – Oral Presentation
Christopher Genito
Mentor: Lance Thurlow
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – PhD/Post-Doctoral Category – Poster Presentation
Benjamin Darwitz
Mentor: Lance Thurlow
James Bawden Student Research Award
Nishma Vias
Mentor: Julie T. Marchesan
Hinman Student Research Symposium Award
Bijan Mahboubi
Mentor: Chengwen Li
SCADA Student Clinical Science and Public Health Research
Bree Smith
Mentor: Kimon Divaris
NC AADOCR Research Day Award
Poojan Shrestha
Mentor: Kimon Divaris
James Bawden Mentor Award
Laura Jacox, DMD, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor for Research in Orthodontics, Division of Craniofacial and Surgical Care, Division of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – DDS Category
1st Place: Bijan Mahboubi
Mentor: Chengwin Li, PhD
2nd Place: Zachary Burk
Mentor: Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – MS/Resident Category
1st Place: Miguel Simancas-Pallares, DDS
Mentor: Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD
2nd Place: Joy Gerasco, DDS, PhD
Mentor: Shannon Wallet, PhD
Derek T. Turner Student Research Award – Post-Doctoral Category
1st Place: Surya Tripathi, PhD
Mentor: Tony Amelio, PhD
2nd Place: Marta Musskopf DDS, MSD, PhD
Mentor: Cristiano Susin, DDS, MS, PhD
James Bawden Student Research Award
Angeliz Rivera-Concepcion
Mentor: Patricia Miguez, DDS, MS, PhD
ADHA Graduate Student Clinician’s Research Award
Allison Carron
Mentor: Antonio Moretti, MS, DDS
Hinman Student Research Symposium Award
Emily Imes
Mentor: Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD
SCADA Student Clinical Science and Public Health Research
Kaitlin Jones
Mentor: Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD
NC AADOCR Research Day Award
Miguel Simancas-Pallares, DDS
Mentor: Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD
Steven Offenbacher Award for Excellence in Dental and Craniofacial Research
Kamaira Philips
Mentor: Jim Beck, MS, PhD
Philips KH, Zhang S, Moss K, Ciarrocca K, Beck JD. Periodontal disease, undiagnosed diabetes, and body mass index: Implications for diabetes screening by dentists. J Am Dent Assoc. 2021 Jan;152(1):25-35.
James Bawden Mentor Award
Dr. David Zajac, PhD, Division of Craniofacial and Surgical Care
Burton C. Borgeli/SCADA Faculty Advisor Award
Kimon Divaris, DDS, PhD, Division of Pediatric and Public Health
Dentsply Sirona/ADHA Graduate Student Clinician’s Research
Wai-Sum Leung
Mentor: Beth Kornegay
Student Research Group James Bawden Award
DDS Category
Gabriella Gallo and Deborah Liu
Mentor: Laura Jacox
Mentor Category
Apoena Ribeiro
Hinman Student Research Symposium Award
Zachary Burk
Mentor: Kimon Divaris
AADR Student Research Day Award
Amanda Swanson
Mentor: Jennie Brame
Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application (SCADA) Award
Emily Imes
Mentor: Kimon Divaris
NC-AADR Turner Award
DDS Category
1st Place: Mylan Young and Davied Sanchez
Mentor: Rishma Shah
2nd Place: Adam Hoxie
Mentor: Apoena Ribeiro
Masters Category
1st place: Kristen Cockrell
Mentor: Jennie Brame
2nd place: Miguel Simancas-Pallares
Mentor: Kimon Divaris
PhD Category
1st place: Kshitij Parag-Sharma
Mentor: Antonio Amelio
2nd place: Ryan Murphy
Mentor: Antonio Amelio
Staff/Postdoctoral Category
1st place: Clare Bocklage
Mentor: Laura Jacox
Dentsply Sirona/ADHA Graduate Student Clinician’s Research Program
Caroline McLeod
Student Research Group James Bawden Awards
Student Award
Kayla Kopczynski
Mentor Award
Sylvia Frazier-Bowers
Hinman Student Research Symposium Award
Babak Yousefi
AADR Student Research Day Award
Ian Stewart
Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application (SCADA) Award
Mustafa Girnary
NC-AADR Turner Awards
DDS Category
1st Zachary Burk and Coco Roening
2nd Beatrice Williams
Masters Category
1st Adam Lietzan
2nd Sing-Wai Wong
3rd James Goglia and Lara Heimisdottir
Dental Hygiene
Andrea Faust
PhD Category
1st Adele Musicant
2nd Lauren Katz
3rd Kshitij Sharma
Post-doc Category
Marta Musskopf