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Since 1983, the ������ School of Dentistry Research and Clinical Symposium has provided a scientific program and forum to achieve a balance of current and updated clinical, basic science, case studies and evidence-based research. The symposium provides a forum for interaction, communication, and education for a broad spectrum of research for the school’s dental students, dental hygiene students, dental residents and dental faculty. This year’s 40th annual symposium, hosted by the San Antonio Chapter of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (SA-AADOCR) and held virtually on February 16, was the largest annual symposium on record, with more than 500 attendees. The event began with opening remarks from Georgios Kotsakis, DDS, MS, president-elect SA-AADOCR and Dean Peter Loomer, BSc, DDS, PhD, MRCD(C), FACD, followed by keynote speaker Mansour M. Zadeh, PhD, distinguished professor and director of The Center for Mucosal and Microbiome Biology at the Long School of Medicine. Oral Presentations were made to all attendees and moderated by Dr. Georgios Kotsakis with judging by Dr. Chi-Ko Yeh, Dr. Dana English, and Dr. Milos Marinkovic. Poster Presentations were divided into three breakout rooms with moderators Dr. David Ojeda Diaz, Dr. Tiffany Tavares and Dr. Shivani Ruparel. Judges for the poster presentations were Dr. Alejandro Arango, Dr. Sohini Dhar, Dr. Rahma Mungia, Dr. Asma Khan, Dr. Yu Shin Kim and Dr. Yvonne De Paiva Buischi. The symposium ended with the announcement of the faculty research mentor awardee and closing remarks given by Brij B. Singh, PhD, associate dean for research. 2022 School of Dentistry Virtual Research and Clinical Symposium Awardees: Distinguished Research Mentor
Armen N. Akopian, PhD, professor of endodontics Oral Presentations
1st Place Dental Student Category
Kathryn Marie Ellis: “Implant-Specific Cleaning-Aid Selection Through Anti-Biofilm Efficacy and Titanium
Oxide Stability” Author(s): Ellis, K., Jackson, D., Garcia, B., Zhou, P., Kotsakis, G. 1st Place Resident / Master’s Category
Pardis Soleimanzadeh Azar: “Quantitative assessment of resolution of mechanical allodynia following
endodontic treatment” Author(s): Azar, P., Khan, A.A., Diogenes, A.R. 1st Place PhD / Postdoctoral Category
Katherine Vivian Lillis: “Transcriptomic Regulation of Apical Periodontitis Lesions by Nociceptors”
Author(s): Lillis, K.V., Diogenes, A.R. Poster Presentations
1st Place Dental Student Category
Alaa Asim Diab: “From Didactic to Clinical Practice Confidence: The Dental Student Perspective”
Author(s): Diab, A., English, D., Farokhi, M.R. 2nd Place Dental Student Category
Christina Thanh-Truc Lieng: “Oral Health Promotion and Education Partnership with Community Health
Workers” Author(s): Lieng, C., Aguilar, R., De la Torre, M. 1st Place Resident / Master’s Category
Girish Suresh Shelk: –“Impact of Prenatal Health Conditions in Pregnant Women on Orofacial Clefts in
Infants” Author(s): Shelke, G.S., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S.N. 2nd Place Resident / Master’s Category
Nima Moaven: “Hypoxia-Induced Heat Shock Proteins in The Dental Pulp: Possible Endogenous
Activators of The Innate Immune Response” Author(s): Moaven, N., Simanavicius, R., Diogenes, A.R 1st Place PhD / Postdoctoral Category
Michael Eskander: “Transcriptomic profiling of human biopsies from symptomatic and asymptomatic
endodontic microsurgery patients” Author(s): Eskander, M.A., Patel, B., Chang, P.F., Chapa B., and
Ruparel, N. 2nd Place PhD / Postdoctoral Category
Karen Lindquist: “Identification of trigeminal sensory neuronal types innervating masseter muscle”
Author(s): Lindquist, K.A., Belugin, S., Hovhannisyan, A.H., Corey, T.M., Salmon, A., Akopian, A.N.
The School of Dentistry would like to thank the San Antonio Chapter of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research, Office of the Dental Dean, Office of Vice President for Research, Omicron Kappa Upsilon, American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and Dentsply Sirona for their dedication and sponsorship of this annual event.