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Visit www.dental.umaryland.edu for the latest news updates and be sure to email azewe@umaryland.edu to sign up for the alumni e-newsletter. Dental and dental hygiene students collaborated to place sealants during the outreach event. The students also examined children’s teeth for decay and referred those without a dental home to the Perryville Clinic for treatment. In addition, two public health students from the University of Maryland School of Medicine were on hand to provide health and nutrition counseling for patients.
SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON RECOGNIZES STUDENTS, DONORS The School of Dentistry held a celebration recognizing scholarship recipients and honoring the donors who support the awards. The special luncheon, held at the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry on March 24, brought together students, faculty, alumni and friends. Dean Mark A. Reynolds, DDS ’86, PhD, MA, congratulated the students on their accomplishments and thanked the many donors who support more than two dozen scholarship funds. “These scholarship funds are absolutely critical to our institution,” Reynolds said. “Your support and encouragement helps our students achieve even greater success.”
Dental hygiene students Joyce Martinez (left) and Molly Stranigan with a young patient.
RESEARCHER RECEIVES GRANT TO STUDY POTENTIAL TARGET FOR CRANIOFACIAL PAIN TREATMENT Man-Kyo Chung, DMD, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, recently received a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Man-Kyo Chung Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to study the TRPV1 receptor’s role in chronic temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. Working closely with colleague Jin Ro, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, as well as Michael Caterina, MD, PhD, professor at Johns Hopkins University, and Luda Diatchenko, MD, PhD, professor at McGill University, Chung has begun a collaborative project that explores how genetic variations of the TRPV1 receptor could impact craniofacial pain. By examining common genetic mutations of the TRPV1 receptor in patients who develop chronic TMD pain, Chung hopes to find a link that could ultimately improve diagnosis and treatment.
(from left) Scholarship recipients Jennifer Park, Krystal Donaldson, Taylor Duckworth, Dustin Hawley and Christina Weaver
Donors have created eight new scholarship funds this year and have contributed more than $120,000 to existing funds. A unique program offered by the University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc. matches 50 cents on the dollar for donations to scholarship funds. The matching program will continue to be available through December. The event also featured remarks from Lindsay Roberts, DDS ’15, recipient of the Fusion Dental Scholarship, who discussed how important scholarships are for students. “All the donors who support scholarships, it really shows how committed you are to students and our success. … We are very grateful to you and we feel humble to be recognized by you,” she said.
MDENTAL | SUMMER 2015
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