24 March 2025

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Annual Research Day at School of Dentistry emphasizes the importance of how science improves health and changes lives

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Confusion and concern in the national higher education community over federal funding cuts for scientific research served as a backdrop for the annual Research Day held at the School of Dentistry.

The annual day celebrates the school’s longstanding commitment to scientific research as the essential foundation of its educational mission of training dentists, dental hygienists and researchers. This year, 147 posters detailing a wide variety of research were submitted by the school’s students, postdoctoral trainees, staff and faculty. The presentations provided insight into basic and translational science in areas such as cancer biology, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and skeletal biology, while also exploring behavioral science related to public health and educational methods.

Between morning and afternoon poster sessions at the Michigan League on Feb. 13, a keynote address and several awards were presented at Kellogg Auditorium at the dental school. In his welcoming remarks, Dr. Vesa Kaartinen, the Dr. Roy H. Roberts Professor of Dentistry and Associate Dean for Research, said Research Day is a celebration of the impressive work being done in the dental school labs that is shaping the future of oral health and healthcare in general.

“We gather here at a time when science is being questioned in ways we haven’t seen in generations,” Kaartinen said. “But let me be clear: Science saves lives. Research finds ways to treat deadly diseases. Research improves the quality of life. These are not opinions; these are facts, demonstrated every day in our labs, clinics and communities.”

“At the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, we are not just discovering knowledge – we are applying it to make a difference. From advancing regenerative medicine to pioneering new treatments for craniofacial disorders or malignant diseases, our researchers are driving innovation that changes lives. Today, you will hear from brilliant minds tackling some of the most pressing challenges in dental, medical and biological sciences. I encourage you to engage, ask questions, and be inspired – because the future of oral and craniofacial healthcare depends on all of us.”

The keynote address was delivered at the School of Dentistry by Dr. Russell Taichman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Basic and Clinical Translational Science at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. He also serves as the Associate Dean for Research for the dental school. Taichman was previously a faculty member at the U-M School of Dentistry and served as Associate Dean for Research. He spoke on “The Power of Questions: Turning Challenges into Breakthroughs in the Quest for Discovery.”

Taichman recounted highlights of his career as a way to illustrate the excitement and promise of scientific research. His work focuses on identifying osteoblast-specific factors that support hematopoiesis. Over time he expanded his focus to understanding the mechanisms used by tumor cells to metastasize to bone marrow. Currently, the Taichman lab explores the identity and function of mesenchymal stem cells in regulating tumor dormancy.

Before outlining the complex science in a few of his many experiments and research papers, Taichman said the foundation of scientific research is much simpler: It is about asking questions, realizing that they haven’t been answered, and getting excited about pursuing the answers. Once a question is raised by science – or even by just a basic observation – scientists want to know, with enthusiasm, “Why is THAT?!?!” Taichman said.

He cited several examples of basic questions about nature and life that he has encountered during his career that prompted him to learn more and realize the interconnections of many aspect of nature and science. For example: We know the science of how deciduous trees use their leaves to “breathe” in the summer, but what happens in the winter when the leaves have fallen? Can animals count? Why do animals lick their wounds?  The scientific research behind questions like those is fascinating and instructive for researchers in many other pursuits.

“When I set out to do my science, I wanted to find questions like these, that immediately start your mind racing,” Taichman said. He cited an expression attributed to President Jimmy Carter and others: “Go out on a limb because that’s where the fruit is.”

“As you start your scientific careers,” he said, addressing the early-career trainees in the audience, “it’s important to take on projects that you are passionate about but will have a high-yield of fruit long-term. I would also say, go ask big questions. Go ask big questions that are based in nature. Nature isn’t wasteful. Whether it is animal counting or licking their wounds, or whether trees breathe in winter. These are just metaphors for asking good biologic questions that start the mind racing as soon as you read it.”

Taichman acknowledged that the current uncertainty over major cuts in federal research funding makes it a turbulent time in the scientific community, but he urged colleagues and trainees to remain positive.

“We need to keep at what we do,” he said. “And make sure that we promote the truth in all the things that we do. And the best way to examine the truth is by looking at it rigorously and examining it in an unbiased fashion. That’s what science is all about – trying to understand what our world is all about so we can treat human disease.”

A complete list of the 2025 Research Day Awards is posted on the Research Day webpage. It also lists the dentistry- and research-related companies who attend the event as exhibitors and-or provided sponsorship and advertising to support it.

Research Day is organized by the school’s Office of Research, under the direction of Dr. Vesa Kaartinen, Associate Dean for Research.

On June 12-13, the School of Dentistry will host a research symposium, “150 Years of Research Innovation in the Oral Health Sciences,” as one of the special events scheduled in 2025 to celebrate the school’s sesquicentennial. The two-day agenda of speakers will cover the school’s history of leading research and will conduct a visionary look ahead to what oral and craniofacial research holds in the next 150 years. More information is available on the symposium website.

Source: https://news.dent.umich.edu/