28 April 2025

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Students, Faculty Spotlight Research at 2025 AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting

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Penn Dental Medicine students and faculty were in the spotlight at the 2025 AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition, held in New York City, New York, March 12-15. More than 70 students and faculty researchers from the University of Pennsylvania participated in the scientific meeting, presenting cutting-edge research that is contributing to advancements in the field of oral health.

“We are deeply grateful for the faculty mentors, whose guidance shapes the next generation of practitioners, scientists, and academic leaders,” said Dr. Esra Sahingur, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Student Research. “Generous support from our school, NIH-funded grants, and dedicated alumni donations enables groundbreaking discoveries and empowers students to advance science, share their findings with broader community, and improve patient care.”

Several researchers received prestigious awards and recognitions for their contributions. Among the notable recognitions include the following.

Student Awards/Recognitions

AADOCR Student Research Fellowship

This fellowship encourages dental students in the U.S. to consider careers in oral health research. Upon completing their research projects, recipients present them at a future AADOCR meeting. Five DMD students were recognized with a fellowship award.

• Dayoon Chang, D’27, Dissecting Elastic Mechanics in Oral Cancer Tumor Regulation, (Mentor: Kyle Vining, D.D.S., Ph.D.)
• Zilin Guo, D’27, Production and Characterization of Bispecific Antibodies Targeting Herpes Simplex Virus Glycoprotein C (gC), (Mentor: Gary H. Cohen, PhD)
• Yesul (Ashley) Kang, D’27, Acetaldehyde-driven DNA Damage, Fanconi Anemia, And Oral Microbiome Carcinogenesis, (Mentor: Flavia Teles, DDS, MS, DMSc)
• Sherry Schneider, D’27, Modulation of Cytolethal Distending Toxin Induced Inflammation by Synthetic Secoisolariciresinol Diglucoside (LGM2605) in Macrophages, (Mentor: Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia, PhD)
• Samuel Suslavich, D’28, The Impact of Fisetin On Gingival Senescence and Bone Phenotype in Aging Mice, (Mentor: Sinem Esra Sahingur, DDS, MS, PhD)

 AADOCR Bloc Travel Grant

This grant supports U.S. dental and PhD students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows to attend the AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition to present scientific papers.

• Peyton Maccarone, D’26 – Stability of Le Fort III Distraction Osteogenesis in Syndromic Craniosynostosis (Mentor: Drs. Helen Jeon and Nah-Cederquist, Dept. of Orthodontics)

AADOCR National Student Research Group Recognition

The Vernon Brightman Research Society (VBRS) at Penn Dental Medicine was recognized by the National Student Research Group (NSRG) for having the most new student members in the 2024-2025 academic year. Society’s recent efforts to expand membership reflect its mission to cultivate the next generation of clinician-scientists and leaders in dental research.

AADOCR NSRG 411 Rapid Research Competition

• Peyton Maccarone, D’26 – 2nd Place for research on the long-term stability of Le Fort III distraction osteogenesis, a critical procedure for craniofacial reconstruction in syndromic craniosynostosis. (Mentor: Drs. Helen Jeon and Nah-Cederquist, Dept. of Orthodontics)

Source: https://www.dental.upenn.edu/