12 December 2023

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Up and Coming Scientists Join HSDM

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In early 2022, Dean Giannobile launched an effort to recruit exemplary early career scientists with expertise in a broad range of biomedical and health science specialties, including in the areas of microbiology, cell biology, immunology, stem cell biology, neurobiology, pharmacology, physiology, biomaterials and tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, bioinformatics and epidemiology, and public health. From this search effort, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) appointed two promising tenure track faculty members Drs. Ang Cui and Lakmali Silva who have begun to establish their laboratories at HSDM in the Department of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity (OMII).

Advancing Immunotherapies through Technology 

Dr. Ang Cui joined HSDM in January 2023 as a faculty member in OMII. She is an immunologist and data scientist from the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard where she was a postdoctoral fellow. Cui has established the Systems Immunology laboratory at HSDM focused on using massively high-throughput experimental and computational approaches to decipher complex immune conditions, including oral infections, cancer, and autoimmune diseases, with the goal of developing more effective immunotherapies to treat these conditions. 

Cui received her PhD in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics with a Computer Science concentration from the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology joint program and conducted systems immunology research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Yale School of Medicine, and the University of Toronto. Her research has been published in top journals, including Nature, Science, Journal of Hepatology, and Cancer Cell. Cui’s work has been recognized through numerous awards and honors, including the prestigious International Cytokine and Interferon Society (ICIS) Christina Fleischmann Award for Excellence in Cytokine & Interferon Research. Cui also served as a panelist along with Nobel Laureates for the panel discussion “Artificial Intelligence and Medicine” at the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting where she shared her insights on the progress, challenges, and future opportunities on the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and medical research. 

“Advancements in high-throughput technologies and computational methods are revolutionizing medicine,” said Cui. “This is a truly exciting time to harness such cutting-edge technologies to advance precision dental medicine and enable personalized patient care.”

Understanding Inflammation and Immunity

In July, Dr. Lakmali M. Silva joined HSDM as a faculty member in OMII from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) where she was a postdoctoral fellow. Silva received her PhD from Queensland University in Technology in Australia and her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. During her time at the NIDCR, she studied the novel fibrin-neutrophil axis that operates within the periodontal microenvironment to promote alveolar bone destruction. Her work resulted in a breakthrough in understanding the etiology of periodontal disease. She was awarded a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the NIDCR in 2021, and the IADR Women in Science Award for Distinguished Research in 2022. At HSDM, Silva’s Hemostasis and Immunity lab focuses on understanding the role of hemostatic factors in inflammatory regulation in the periodontal microenvironment and beyond. 

“I am passionate in mentoring young scientists and supporting women in STEM from minority groups. Harvard’s legacy of strong scientific research, clinical, and educational background will be a great opportunity for me to grow as an independent researcher and to establish myself as a mentor and a researcher in the field of hemostasis and immunity,” Silva said. “I look forward to working with the talented students, researchers, and clinicians within the department of OMII to build on the excellence of the department and become an integral part of its research aspirations.”

Source: https://hsdm.harvard.edu/