Spring 2024 Penn Dental Medicine Journal

PDMJ

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL | SPRING 2024

ADVANCING GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH POLICY

SCHOOL’S POLICY CENTER BRINGS TOGETHER AFRICAN NATIONS, GLOBAL LEADERS TO ADDRESS ORAL HEALTH NEEDS

Building Connections

IT IS ALWAYS AN HONOR to see another group of stellar Penn Dental Medicine students move on to the next stage of their dental careers — congratulations Class of 2024! The adaptability and resilience of this class cannot be overstated. They entered Penn Dental Medicine at the height of the pandemic and came together to navigate the challenges of learning and providing patient care during that unique time. I know the strength of character and cooperation they demonstrated will serve them well as they go forward. I encourage our soon-to-be graduates to maintain the connections they’ve made with each other, our incredible alumni network, and the School as they move on. I look forward to hearing about their accomplishments as dental professionals — I’m sure there will be many.

As we celebrate with the class, it also continues to be a time challenged by the conflicts occurring in our world today that are impacting us all and have given rise to antisemitic and antiIslamic concerns at Penn and throughout our country. As we’ve shared in other communications with you, I was asked to Chair the University Task Force on Antisemitism this fall (see page 2), and while this important work continues, I am encouraged by how Penn students, faculty, and administrators are coming together to engage thoughtfully and respectfully on the hard issues and questions of this moment.

Within the School, this academic year has been a time of building connections globally through our Center for Integrative Global Oral Health with two successful conferences — Exploring Global Strategies to Promote Oral Health in The WHO African Region that took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in November, and the Global Oral Health Forum II: Evidence to Advocacy, held here in Philadelphia in April (see page 12). Through the Center, we are building collaborative relationships with educators, researchers, and policymakers to address the challenges of achieving equitable oral health — and thus overall health — locally, nationally, and around the globe.

In this issue, we also highlight the vital role scholarships continue to play for our students as they pursue their dental education (see page 22) and spotlight faculty research (see page 16), including the innovative work of Dr. Geelsu Hwang, one of our rising junior faculty members (see page 28).

As always, I encourage you to take advantage of our ongoing continuing education programming (see page 7), and hope you will plan a visit back to Penn Dental Medicine soon — my door is always open.

Stay well and stay connected.

Dean

Morton Amsterdam

INSIDE

A Seat at the Table The Center for Integrative Global Oral Health continues to extend its global reach and advocacy Opening Doors, Lightening the Load Scholarships help students navigate financing their dental

28

Following an Unexpected Path

Trained as an engineer, Dr. Geelsu Hwang is advancing innovations to disrupt biofilms Alumni Highlights Profiles, Gatherings & Engagement Class Notes News from Fellow Alumni In Memoriam Remembering Members of the Penn Dental Medicine Community Calendar Upcoming Events & Programs

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL: Vol. 20, No. 2 University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine www.dental.upenn.edu

Dean: Mark S. Wolff, DDS, PhD

Vice Dean of Institutional Advancement: Elizabeth Ketterlinus

Associate Dean for Leadership Giving: Maren Gaughan

Director, Publications: Beth Adams

Contributing Writers: Beth Adams, Katie Cottingham, Debbie Goldberg, Judy Hill, Natalie Pompilio

Photography: Mark Garvin, Kevin Monko Office of Institutional Advancement: 215-898-8951

Penn Dental Medicine Journal is published twice a year by the Office of Communications for the alumni and friends of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. ©2024 by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Penn Dental Medicine. We would like to get your feedback — address all correspondence to: Beth Adams, Director of Publications, Robert Schattner Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, 240 South 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104–6030, adamsnb@upenn.edu

ONCAMPUS

SCHOOL NEWS IN BRIEF

Dean Mark Wolff Leading Penn’s Task Force on Antisemitism

Last semester, in response to a resurgence of antisemitism and bigotry at Penn and in society, the University launched its Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism, with a centerpiece being the University Task Force on Antisemitism, which Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Mark Wolff, is leading as the Chair. Established in November 2023, the 19-member Task Force is made up of a diverse group of Penn faculty, staff, students, trustees, and alumni.

“We’ve been working quickly and are making good progress. We’ve conducted informational interviews with a wide variety of Penn experts, and we’ve been actively reaching out to, and hearing from, the University community through formal and informal channels,” says Dean Wolff. “Penn is a big, complex place, and these are big, complex issues. We’re trying to be as thoughtful and deliberative as we can, while also taking great care to meet the urgency and scale of the moment.”

Dean Wolff explains that there are four main components of the Task Force’s charge. They include listening and engaging broadly and deeply with members of the Penn community to understand how they experience antisemitism on campus, identifying best practices for addressing antisemitism, recommending to the president programmatic strategies to prevent and counter antisemitism, and serving as a resource for other campus leaders who are advancing key tenets of Penn’s Action Plan to Combat Antisemitism.

Since forming, the Task Force and its subgroups have met regularly, submitting a draft status report to Penn’s Interim President Larry Jameson in December and holding an update meeting with him in January. In March, the Task Force conducted small group, in-person listening sessions for members of the Penn campus and deployed a questionnaire as well. Members of the Penn community can also share ideas and perspectives via antisemitism-taskforce@upenn.edu.

“We’re interested not just in learning how members of our campus community view and experience antisemitism, but in collecting their ideas for how Penn can become a more welcoming, affirming, and safer place for Jewish students, faculty, and staff,” notes Dean Wolff. “If our Task Force is successful, I believe we will provide a real leadership model for other institutions.”

“We’re

interested not just in learning how members of our campus community view and experience antisemitism, but in collecting their ideas for how Penn can become a more welcoming, affirming, and safer place for Jewish students, faculty, and staff.”

— DR. MARK S. WOLFF

Expanding Care for Cancer Patients

Penn Dental Medicine has launched a new outreach effort to serve cancer patients undergoing treatment who may not have a dental care home. The program involves patients receiving head and neck radiotherapy, bone marrow transplants, and hemopoietic stem cell transplants. Patients are primarily being referred from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

“Cancer therapy can impact the oral cavity and oral health in several ways,” says Dr. Thomas Sollecito, Professor and Chair of the Department of Oral Medicine. “Maintaining optimal oral health is particularly important to patients’ overall health as they undergo treatment and beyond.”

The care supports patients from the diagnosis of their cancer and facilitates consultation and dental treatment before patients undergo their cancer therapies. Residents from the School’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program are providing care within Penn Dental Medicine.

“We hope to see these patients both during and after their cancer therapies and become their ongoing dental care providers,” says Dr. Marc Henschel, Director of the AEGD program.

Patients can reach out directly to set up an appointment, however to best coordinate care, it is advised that the patients’ oncology team arrange the appointment with their treatment requests, treatment modalities, and timeframe. Healthcare providers can refer patients via pdm-referpdm-cares@dental.upenn.edu.

New Dual-Certificate Postdoc Program CODA Approved

Adding to the depth of the School’s graduate dental education programs, Penn Dental Medicine has received approval from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) for a five-year dual certificate program in periodontics and prosthodontics. Interested candidates begin in the periodontics program for the first two years, transition to the prosthodontics program for the third and fourth years, and then complete an additional final combined fifth year, enabling them to earn certificates in both periodontics and prosthodontics. The dual periodontics-prosthodontics program enrolls a maximum of four residents each year.

“The option of a board eligible program with both a periodontics and prosthodontics certificate will be a welcome addition to our curriculum for those wishing to take the board examinations in both specialties,” says Dr. Joseph Fiorellini, Director of the periodontics graduate program, who helped manage the accreditation process for the dual-certificate program. “This builds on Penn’s long-standing tradition of training in periodontal prosthesis.”

Penn Dental Medicine will continue to maintain the standalone program in advanced dental education in Prosthodontics, which was established in 2017, as well as maintain the standalone option for the advanced dental education program in Periodontics for those candidates who wish certification in one specialty.

ONCAMPUS

CENTER SPOTLIGHT

New CiPD, Wharton Partnership to Study New Technologies Commercialization

The Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD), Penn Dental Medicine’s collaborative center with Penn Engineering, and Wharton’s Mack Institute for Innovation Management have launched a partnership that will bring together students from the three Penn schools to study the commercialization of new technologies.

The inaugural team includes Penn Dental Medicine endodontics resident and DScD candidate Chrissie Jaruchotiratanasakul (GD’25); HongHuy Tran, an Engineering postdoc studying robotics and material science; and Manali Mahajan, a Wharton MBA student with career experience in strategy and operations. They will develop a commercialization strategy for a microrobotics technology currently being developed by Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, Co-Founding Director of CiPD and Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Divisions of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry, and Dr. Edward Steager of Penn Engineering.

Koo and Steager have created shapeshifting throngs of nanoparticles that show promise as an all-in-one device that brushes, rinses, and flosses autonomously. Using an electromagnetic field, they direct the motion and configuration of the iron oxide nanoparticles to form either bristle-like structures that sweep away dental plaque from the broad surfaces of teeth, or elongated strings that can slip between teeth like a length of floss.

In both instances, a catalytic reaction drives the nanoparticles to produce antimicrobials that kill harmful oral bacteria on site. They are developing prototypes for delivering the microrobots through a mouth-fitting device.

“Many people could really benefit from this technology and it’s time we bring it to market. That’s why I’m excited about this collaboration.”

— DR. MICHEL KOO

Koo feels this technology could be crucial in clinical settings like hospitals and nursing care homes as well as the homecare market to help address low rates of compliance in brushing and flossing, especially among the elderly and disabled.

“Many people could really benefit from this technology and it’s time we bring it to market,” says Koo. “That’s why I’m excited about this collaboration.”

ABOVE: The technology created by Dr. Michel Koo of Penn Dental Medicine and Dr. Edward Steager of Penn Engineering uses shapeshifting nanoparticles that show promise as an all-inone device that brushes, rinses, and flosses autonomously, using an electromagnetic field.

Penn Dental Medicine Joins Global Discussion on Climate Change at COP28

Penn Dental Medicine joined in global discussions on sustainability and the impact of climate change on human and oral health, delivering a web-based event as part of COP28, a United Nations climate change conference held Nov. 30 – Dec. 12, 2023 in Dubai. In the three decades since the launch of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP) has convened member countries every year. The primary theme this year was for world leaders to take stock of progress on the Paris Agreement, which mobilized global collective action on climate change seven years ago.

Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Mark Wol , and Dr. Michael Glick, Executive Director of the School’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH), were among a panel of speakers who discussed oral healthcare and education topics through the lens of climate change and planetary health. Dr. Julian Fisher, Director of Oral and Planetary Health Policies within CIGOH, moderated the web-based panel discussion, which in addition to Drs. Wol and Glick, included faculty from dental schools in Colombia, Germany, Zimbabwe, England, India, and Nigeria, along with the Dental O cer in the Prevention of Noncommunicable

Diseases department of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan (2023–2030) grounds oral health in its sustainable development goals, explains Dr. Fisher, and sets out actions for sustainable oral health through a shift to less invasive and environmentally friendly dentistry, along with innovative models for the oral heath workforce that are supported by lifelong learning. The overarching global target of the Plan is that by 2030 for 80% of the global population to have access to essential oral healthcare services.

In the COP28 panel, titled “Oral Health and Climate Action: How Can We Prepare and Engage?” Dean Wol opened the program, setting out key issues and opportunities for the oral health community. Dr. Glick discussed the idea of Whole Health and sustainability that can support integrative oral health.

The panel discussion is available for viewing via Penn Dental Medicine’s online continuing education portal with the opportunity to simply view the program or to earn continuing education credit as well.

View discussion >>

By the Numbers 2023: A Year in Review

$20.62M

RESEARCH SPENDING IN FY23

44,775

PATIENTS SERVED IN 2023 WITHIN THE SCHOOL’S CARE CENTERS & PENN DENTAL FAMILY PRACTICE

8,336

LIVE WEBINAR AND SELF-PACED LEARNERS AT 207 CDE PROGRAMS IN 2023

6,001

PATIENT VISITS TO THE SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY SITES IN 2023

STUDENT PROFILE:

KEVIN ZHAO (D’26)

“A

Life-Changing Experience”

For Kevin Zhao, the Summer Mentorship Program opened up a world of possibility.

When Kevin Zhao (D’26) was in middle school, he thought he might become an engineer or mechanic. “I really liked to take apart and try to fix our very old ancient laptops,” says Zhao, who grew up in Philadelphia and attended public schools. “I broke a lot of them, but working with my hands gave me a lot of joy.”

In 2014, as a freshman at Central High School, Zhao received an email from his college counselor that would send him in an altogether different direction. She suggested he apply for the Provost’s Summer Mentorship Program (SMP), an annual Penn program designed to encourage participants to view higher education as an achievable goal and introduce them to career possibilities. At Penn Dental Medicine, students attend lectures, shadow current dental students in the clinic, and participate in workshops using some of the same equipment on which dental students learn.

“I decided to give it a shot,” says Zhao, who went on to participate in the SMP at Penn Dental Medicine and is now a second-year student at the School. “I had no idea what dentistry was and I was afraid of going to the dentist, but I knew I really liked to work with my hands, so I figured I would give it a try.”

By the time he and his 15 fellow participants reached the hands-on portion, something was starting to click for Zhao. “They let us do

impressions and wax-ups and all the fun stuff,” he remembers. “It was a very surreal feeling. I had no idea there was a field out there, on the other side of just going to the dentist, where you’re actually doing all these procedures.”

Thoughts of a dental career simmered on the back burner while Zhao pursued his undergraduate degree at Drexel University, majoring in biology. During the summer of his freshman year, an internship researching nasopharyngeal carcinoma reminded him of discussions of the head and neck area during his mentorship program. “That put me back on track and into the groove of thinking maybe a dental career was a possibility for me.”

Zhao reached out to Dr. Beverley Crawford, Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry and Director of Student Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives at Penn Dental Medicine, who oversees the SMP at the School, to inquire about gaining some clinical shadowing hours. Dr. Crawford put Zhao in touch with several dentists at Penn, as well as alumni,

“Without someone like Dr. Crawford spearheading this program and allowing me as a high schooler to be able to explore dentistry as a career path, I would have never even thought of this as something that I could do in the future.”

— KEVIN ZHAO (D’26)

and although Covid ultimately derailed his shadowing plans, Zhao applied to the School and entered the dental program in 2022.

For now, Zhao has his sights set on general dentistry, though he knows the more exposure he gets to different specialties, the better equipped he will be to make a decision about his future dental career. One thing he knows is that he wants to contribute to the Asian community. Soon after entering the dental program, Zhao joined the Chinese Dental Association and has been making trips into Philadelphia’s Chinatown to talk about dental hygiene with residents in elder care homes.

“A big part of my motivation is to help serve underserved communities,” says Zhao. “A lot of people in these communities aren't able to get dental treatment because of the cost of it.” With his church, he has been helping to run yearly health clinics, partnering with area universities including Jefferson and Temple. To improve his ability to translate medical terminology, he has taken Dental Mandarin, a selective course offered with Penn Medicine.

Zhao also plans to volunteer with the SMP this year as a way of giving back. “Without someone like Dr. Crawford spearheading this program and allowing me as a high schooler to be able to explore dentistry as a career path, I would have never even thought of this as something that I could do in the future,” Zhao says. “She basically put this on my roadmap, and it’s been life-changing.”

Upcoming CDE Programs

Mark your calendars for these upcoming continuing dental education programs.

FROM EVIDENCE TO CLINICAL DECISIONS: HANDS-ON WORKSHOP

June 5–8, 2024

This workshop at Penn Dental Medicine will equip oral healthcare providers and dental educators with the basic skills needed to critically appraise the scientific literature and apply results to patient care. Where do you search to find research articles to answer your clinical question? What type of study design is best to inform the questions you have? How do you know if you can trust the study you are reading? These questions and more will be addressed in this 3 ½-day intensive workshop offered by world-leading experts in evidence-based dentistry and through hands-on interactive critical appraisal activities.

EVOLUTION OF A PARADIGM PHILADELPHIA

September 20–21, 2024

This 1 ½-day symposium will focus on presenting classic periodontic and periodontal-prosthesis concepts with modern applications. Topics will include periodontal phenotype, featheredge preparation, perio-ortho and digitalaligner technology, peri-implantitis and its relation with evolving implant surfaces and prosthetic connections, and more. This is also a special occasion to gather with fellow alumni and friends.

FULL PROGRAM

Learn more about these upcoming programs and stay up-to-date on the full schedule of in-person and online continuing dental education courses at www.dental.upenn.edu/cde.

Penn Dental Medicine Hosts University’s Board of Trustees

Penn Dental Medicine welcomed Penn’s Interim President Larry Jameson and the University’s Board of Trustees to the School on February 29, hosting the Board dinner held in conjunction with the Board’s winter meeting. As part of the evening, Dean Mark Wolff and a group of students shared the educational and patient care experiences provided through the School’s Care Center for Persons with Disabilities. Pictured along with Dean Wolff (center) are participating students (left to right) Makuachi Ekwunife (D’24), Gabriella Ciancimino (D’24), Aaron Bradley (D’24), and Kylie Wright (D’24).

The Care Center for Persons with Disabilities is now serving more than 5,000 patients annually and providing all Penn Dental Medicine DMD students with an immersive experience in caring for this population, while also continuing to educate practicing clinicians in serving this population through its Persons with Disabilities Presentation Series.

Students Recognized for Research

Penn Dental Medicine students are excelling in research across disciplines — from advancing the use of artificial intelligence in dentistry to applying the mRNA technology to oral cancer. Following is a selection of students recently recognized for their studies.

Third-year periodontics resident Dr. Yi Te (Edward) Lin (GD’ 24) took top honors in the Scientific Poster Award for Student Excellence at the Global Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry, earning first-place for the project titled, “UNet Deep Learning Model Application in Tooth Extraction and Ridge Preservation Analysis.”

A lab member in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn Engineering, Lin’s research mainly focuses on optimizing surgical evaluation for bone grafting procedures in dental implant patients through computational methodologies.

Dr. Kantapon (Tony) Rattanaprukskul (GD’23), a combined DScD/periodontics resident, won first place in the basic science category of the Balint Orban Memorial Competition, held as part of the 109th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Periodontology. His project, titled “Cellular Senescence in Periodontitis: From Pathogenesis to Therapeutics,” focused on understanding the aging-related biological events in the oral mucosa and translational studies.

Two periodontics/periodontal prosthesis residents — Dr. Kosuke Kashiwagi (GD’24) and Marianthin Papaioannou (GD’24) — were among a select group of researchers to make oral presentations at the Academy of Osseointegration Annual Meeting. Only 15 individuals nationwide were chosen to present their work as part of the Clinical Innovations Session. Kashiwagi’s project was titled “The Use of Autogenous Dental Blocks for Localized Aveolar Ridge Augmentation” and Papaioannou presented “An Innovative Method for the Preparation of a Fresh-Prepared Bony Socket for the Autotransplantation of a Multirooted Maxillary Molar.” Papaioannou was also invited to present in the Emerging Leaders Session on her project, “Prosthetically Driven Fully Guided Protocol for Implant Placement in Full Arch Cases.”

Two fellows in the School’s Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD) were recognized at the 2024 IADR/AADOCR/ CADR General Session. Marshall Padilla, a CiPD NIDCR T90/R90 Postdoctoral Training Program fellow, won first place in the AADOCR Hatton Competition postdoctoral category for his project titled, “mRNA Lipid Nanoparticles for Next-Generation Oral Cancer Tumor Suppressor Therapy.”

Dr. Padilla’s research focuses on developing new materials to enhance the efficacy and safety of biological therapeutics. And, CiPDColgate Fellow Zhenting Xiang won first place in the Paula Fives-Taylor Award in the Mini-Symposium for Young Investigators. Dr. Xiang’s research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of severe childhood caries and seeking novel therapeutic strategies. Her award-winning study was

Dr. Yi Te (Edward) Lin (GD’ 24)

Sara Ha (D’25)

titled “Candida albicans in Dental Plaque: Unveiling Fungal Traits in the Tooth Niche.” This project was also selected for the Arnold Bleiweis Travel Award in the Microbiology/ Immunology Group of IADR. The award is designed to enhance research and attract early-career researchers into the field of oral microbiology and immunology.

Those DMD students recognized at the 2024 IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session with an AADOCR Student Research Fellowship include Manuel Acuna (D’26) for “Investigation of Anti-Adhesive Biomaterial in Single-Species and Mixed-Species Oral Biofilm;” Kyungjoon Park (D’25) for “The Role of NF-kB in Mesenchymal Stem Cells during the Mechanical Force-induced Bone Remodeling;” Lauren Rudolph (D’26) for “Evaluation of Topical Delivery of Antimicrobial Proteins in Chewing Gums to Neutralize HPV and C. albicans in Oral Cancer Samples;” and Michael Troka (D’26) for “CellStimDL: A Novel Deep Learning Approach to Predict Cytokine Stimulation in Single Cell Omics Data.”

In addition, Jessica Hao (D’26) was awarded an AADOCR Bloc Travel Grant for her abstract, “ZIF-8 as pH-Responsive 5-Fluorouracil Carrier Against Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma,” and Sara Ha (D’25) received the IADR Consortium of Translational Orthodontic Research Award for Student Excellence in Orthodontics Research for her project titled, “Histologic Analysis of Bone Remodeling during Maxillary Expansion: Young and Middle-Aged Mice.”

Taking on National Leadership Roles with ASDA

Two Penn Dental Medicine students — Parker Norman (D’25) (left) and Samarth Setru (D’25) — have been elected to national leadership roles with the American Student Dental Association (ASDA). Setru will serve as ASDA President for the 2024–2025 term and Parker will be the ASDA Speaker of the House.

“Every ASDA member has a powerful voice, and together, 23,000 voices nationwide make us the strongest student-run organization in the country,” says Setru, who most recently served as ASDA’s District 3 trustee. In his capacity as ASDA President, Setru will spearhead the development and execution of ASDA’s strategic plan and provide approval for the annual budget. Additionally, he will assume responsibility for managing ASDA’s agenda and overseeing business between board meetings

In her role as Speaker of the House, Norman will preside over all House meetings, delivering guidance on rules and procedures. Her responsibilities extend to informing delegates and members about the resolution process. Norman currently serves as VicePresident of the ASDA chapter at Penn Dental Medicine and recently served on ASDA’s National Council on Advocacy as Legislative Coordinator for Districts 1-3.

“ASDA has empowered me to be an advocate for myself, my patients, and other dental students,” says Norman. “I am eager to give back to the organization through this role and help ensure all voices are heard and that anybody can be an advocate.”

Marshall Padilla

Menty

“Being

a passionate believer in Fulbright’s values of advancing intercultural understanding through international exchange programs, cultural immersion, and free inquiry, I am looking forward to applying the newly acquired knowledge here.”

— MENTY BAYLEYEN

Bayleyen Receives Fulbright International Education Administrators Award

Menty Bayleyen, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Penn Dental Medicine, was a recipient of a Fulbright International Education Administrators (IEA) Award — one of just 14 individuals nationwide chosen for this highly selective award. Building on the school’s international relationships, Bayleyen participated in the IEA program in Taiwan during March 2024.

The fully funded Fulbright IEA program provides opportunities for U.S. higher education administrators to participate in intensive two-week seminars abroad to learn about other countries’ higher education systems. According to Fulbright, the program is designed to give participants the opportunity to build their institution’s capacity for international education, gain a cross-cultural perspective, and open doors to collaboration with colleagues and students throughout the world.

“Participating in a Fulbright Scholar program has been a long-desired professional goal of mine, and I was honored to be selected for the Fulbright IEA Scholar Award,” says Bayleyen. “Being a passionate believer in

Fulbright’s values of advancing intercultural understanding through international exchange programs, cultural immersion, and free inquiry, I am looking forward to applying the newly acquired knowledge here.”

The program included campus visits to a wide range of universities and colleges, briefings from faculty and administration at public and private higher education institutions as well as from leading educational experts and government officials, and tours of historical and cultural sites.

Bayleyen, who co-directs the school’s international student exchange program, notes that the visit to Taiwan also provided an opportunity to reinforce the relationships the

school has with five universities there, each of which has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Penn Dental Medicine for student and faculty exchange.

“We have robust exchange programs with all of our MOU schools in Taiwan. Gaining a holistic understanding of the Taiwanese higher education system will enable us to build a sustainable and a reciprocal exchange program with our partner institutions,” says Bayleyen, who also hosted a Penn Dental Medicine alumni reception while in Taiwan.

ABOVE: Menty Baylenen, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Penn Dental Medicine, participated in the Fulbright International Education Administrators program in Taiwan in March.

STUDENTPERSPECTIVE

VIEWS ON THE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE

Following a Passion to Serve Persons with Disabilities

Contributed by Gabriella Ciancimino (D’24)

There are 73 accredited dental schools in the United States, and I confidently chose Penn Dental Medicine to spend my four years of training to be the dentist I always dreamed of becoming. The process of applying was tedious, as every dental school presented indistinguishable mission statements and promised similar experiences. Deciding where I wanted to grow into the best version of myself was going to be much harder than I thought. When it comes to decision-making, I incorporate logic and reasoning to justify my choice, but above all, I rely on my intuition. My intuition guides me the most when I come across a sign or message that strongly speaks to me while I am seeking clarity in my decision. After clicking the link that brought me to the University of Pennsylvania’s Dental Medicine homepage, I got my sign. Across the top of my screen read, “Serving Persons with Disabilities” as the headline for the introduction of the Personalized Care Suite that was in the process of being built for patients and implemented into the student’s curriculum. This ignited enthusiasm in my heart, as this population of patients’ access to care had been the fire fueling me to be the change I wished to see in dentistry. Seeing the effort to address this barrier of care displayed so boldly under the name of Penn Dental was the sign I had been seeking the entire time. I knew a program with this kind of opportunity to address the inequity in oral healthcare for persons with disabilities would help me grow into the dentist I wanted to be. With only months left before my name earns the most hard-earned three postnominal letters, I reflect on the fact that my decision to become a “Penntist” was one of the best decisions of my life. One day a week, I have

the privilege of being the primary dental provider for adult patients with a wide range of intellectual and developmental disabilities and medical complexities. Through these experiences in the care center, my classmates and I have been able to address previously ableist perceptions, biases, and expectations of those with a labeled disability. Additionally, there is no better way to build confidence and competence in treating people with special healthcare needs than to be directly involved in managing their care. I have gained an insurmountable amount of joy from serving this population in the Personalized Care Suite, which only reaffirms my decision to dedicate my dental career to being a dentist especially competent in caring for people with disabilities.

Dr. Leonie Von Zesch, the first female dental surgeon in the Army who dedicated her life to helping the most vulnerable patients once said, “I feel that every human being owes something besides earning their living to the calling they have chosen.” Her words exemplify the dedication I have for being a dentist in service of one of the most vulnerable populations. Penn Dental has made chasing this dream to my fullest potential so possible, with the Personalized Care Suite being just one of many opportunities in learning about the care of those with disabilities.

People who believe in your dreams as fiercely as you do are a blessing. I am so grateful I have the mentorship and opportunities I do to support me in this journey.

The Center for Integrative Global Oral Health convened its Global Oral Health Forum II: Evidence to Advocacy in April, bringing together global leaders for discussions around the theme of health advocacy.

“Our aspiration is for oral health to have a seat at the table as an equal. When health policies are being produced, we need to be there, not as an afterthought, but as an equal partner.”

— DR. MICHAEL GLICK (GD’88)

A SEAT AT THE TABLE

WITH GLOBAL CONFERENCES AND A NEW MASTER’S PROGRAM,

THE CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH CONTINUES TO EXTEND ITS REACH AND ADVOCACY

AROUND 480 MILLION PEOPLE IN AFRICA, roughly 44% of the population, su er from oral diseases. Ethiopia has two dentists for every 3 million people. In Benin, a lowest-paid unskilled government worker would need to work more than 11 days to a ord a toothbrush and a tube of fluoridated toothpaste, compared to 0.1 days for a similar worker in the U.S.

These statistics only scratch at the surface of the oral health challenges faced by the world’s second-largest continent. “Africa is very di erent than anywhere else,” says Dr. Michael Glick (GD’88), Executive Director of Penn Dental Medicine’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health (CIGOH). “And Nigeria, for example, is very di erent from Benin, so when it comes to oral health policies, we need to be country-specific, even region-specific.”

CIGOH recently partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional O ce for Africa and the University of Nairobi to bring together oral health leaders and experts from di erent African nations to discuss the oral health needs of the populations across their respective countries. The conference, Exploring Global Strategies to Promote Oral Health in The WHO African Region, took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in

November 2023, with a goal of advancing the creation and implementation of oral health policies in the WHO African region and proposing actionable recommendations in line with the WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan.

For Glick, the Nairobi conference was a logical next step for the Center he has led since it was established at Penn Dental Medicine in 2021. Under his leadership, CIGOH has spent the past three years building collaborative relationships with educators, researchers, and policymakers to address the challenges of achieving equitable oral health — and thus overall health — locally, nationally, and around the globe.

A $5 million gift from alumnus and Penn Dental Medicine Board of Advisors member Dr. Garry Rayant (GD’77) and his wife, Dr. Kathy Fields, provided the foundational support to establish the Center.

EVIDENCE-BASED ACTION

“One of the things that we focus on at the Center is making sure we have evidence for the things we are doing,” says Glick, who is also the Fields-Rayant Endowed Professor of Integrative Global Oral Health and Clinical Preventive and Restorative Sciences. In preparation for the Nairobi conference, Glick and his team carried out two extensive scoping reviews, one covering all oral health research conducted in sub-Saharan Africa in the past 10 years and one on the barriers to and facilitators for creating, disseminating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating oral health policies in sub-Saharan Africa over the past two decades. More than 20 researchers from all over the world, including many in Africa, spent a year and a half gathering and analyzing data.

With scoping reviews in hand, Glick and his team proceeded to contact all the dental schools in sub-Saharan Africa to ask them to participate in a needs assessment survey on research and oral health policy. “The most challenging task was to actually find all these dental education institutions,” says Glick. “No one had a list of dental schools in subSaharan Africa.” Ultimately, with much collaboration from people all over the region, Glick and his colleagues were able to find close to 80 dental education institutions to survey.

Those who had filled out the needs assessment were invited to attend the Nairobi meeting to participate in workshops, discuss the scoping reviews and needs assessment surveys, and determine next steps in moving oral health research and policies forward in the sub-Saharan region.

Representatives from all 21 countries in the region with dental schools attended, 70 delegates in all. “We had people who had never met each other, deans and dental education institutions chief dental officers from neighboring countries that had no idea of each other’s existence,” says Glick.

The region’s serious shortage of oral healthcare professionals was just one of the issues discussed at the conference. Workshops also addressed specific diseases,

such as noma, a gangrenous infection of the face and jaws found in tropical countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, that is often fatal and largely affects malnourished and impoverished children. “There are very, very little data on it,” says Glick. “We are not even 100% sure what causes it.”

The pre-conference scoping reviews and needs assessment surveys had already uncovered interesting findings about oral healthcare research in the African region, and that too became a topic for discussion at the meeting. “We found that more than three-quarters of all the research done in the region was cross-sectional studies — a snapshot in time where you can see the prevalence of a disease,” says Glick. “We hardly saw any randomized controlled trials where you’re trying to actually see what treatments are going to work.”

Conference attendees talked about lacking the money and expertise to do those types of studies. “That’s very important,” says Glick. “The next question is can we help them set up different types of research designs and even technologies to help them do more randomized controlled trials? The answer is yes, it’s possible. Now we have data, we can justify why we need to do those things.”

THE NAIROBI DECLARATION

From the intensive two-day conference came the Nairobi Declaration, a written document with 10 recommendations in the areas of education, research, and policy to improve oral health for all. Recommendations included strengthening collaboration between academic institutions and ministries of health, encouraging active government support and involvement for oral health research and policy activities, and leveraging digital platforms to disseminate oral health policies and research findings. “We pledge to maintain the relationships formed at this meeting and to expand them to others who share our belief that oral health is a right and not a privilege,” read the Declaration. “As such, oral health must be considered a fundamental component of universal health coverage. We will work collectively to build the evidence required to inform policies that are actionable and lead to accessible, affordable and high-quality oral health.”

So far so good, but for Glick this was “just the foundation, just the starting point.” A committee is now working on finding ways to move the Declaration forward by crafting another needs assessment survey that asks conference attendees to pick the top three oral healthcare issues they contend with and the help they need to advance in each area.

The Center for Integrative Global Oral Health partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa and the University of Nairobi to bring together oral health leaders and experts from different African nations to discuss the oral health needs of the populations across their respective countries. The conference, Exploring Global Strategies to Promote Oral Health in The WHO African Region, took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in November 2023. Seventy delegates participated from 21 countries in the region.

“We don’t want to take over or tell them what to do,” says Glick. “What we want to do is help in any way we can to move the agenda forward.”

One positive outcome that has already emerged from the conference is that the dental deans and chief dental officer of Nigeria, which has 19 dental schools, have come together to demand from the minister of health that an oral health policy be established. “They used the data we provided and what came out of the workshop and Nairobi Declaration to justify it,” says Glick. “That, to me, is the outcome, not the conference itself.”

ADVOCACY & EDUCATION

A key theme reiterated by many at the conference was the need for more education around advocacy—how individuals, institutions, and regions can successfully campaign to secure oral health policies. Responding to that lack, Glick and his CIGOH team hosted a Global Oral Health Forum focused on advocacy at Penn in April. CIGOH had held its first, highly successful, global health forum in 2023 in Merida, Mexico. “The reason we put that one together is because there are silos within oral health, and we wanted to break those silos and get people together,” says Glick.

“Oral health must be considered a fundamental component of universal health coverage. We will work collectively to build the evidence required to inform policies that are actionable and lead to accessible, affordable and high-quality oral health.”

— DR. MICHAEL GLICK (GD’88)

The Center has also recently launched a Master of Science in Oral and Population Health (MOPH) program. The curriculum focuses on developing public and population health leaders who will contribute to policy work that addresses current and future oral health challenges. “The rationale behind it is to teach individuals how to do research, how to collect data, and also how to do advocacy,” says Glick. “How to create policies and also sell those policies, which is even more important.”

John Button (D’26), a second-year student at Penn Dental Medicine who accompanied Glick and colleagues to the Nairobi conference, recently began the MOPH program. A fluent French speaker, Button, who is researching and raising awareness of noma, helped facilitate conversations among the French-speaking delegates. “Having the opportunity to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing oral health programs and professionals across Africa was a life-changing learning experience,” says Button. He hopes to use the firsthand experiences he had in Kenya as well as the MOPH program to inform how best to create and implement evidence-based oral health policies.

GOING FORWARD

As Glick looks to the future and a busy slate of new initiatives, including a planned summit similar to the Nairobi conference for the Eastern Mediterranean region, a single overarching goal drives him forward. “Our aspiration is for oral health to have a seat at the table as an equal.” Forty five percent of the world population, or 3.5 billion people, have active oral diseases, he notes, yet while they are the most common preventable diseases in the world, it commands less attention and receives less funding than other non-communicable diseases — such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — because few people die from oral diseases.

“When health policies are being produced or being talked about, we need to be there, not as an afterthought, but as an equal partner,” says Glick. “That’s what we want to achieve with our Center. That’s it.” n

—By Judy Hill

BELOW: Dr. Eduardo Bernabé, Professor of Dental Public Health at Queen Mary University of London, was among the speakers for the patient advocacy session at the CIGOH Global Oral Health Forum II.

TRANSLATING SCIENCE TO PRACTICE RESEARCHSPOTLIGHT

Advancing Human Health

The Penn Dental Medicine research enterprise spans scientific disciplines to translate new knowledge into clinical therapies that are expanding our understanding of disease and advancing patient care. In 2023, faculty and research staff continued to move scholarship forward across their respective fields and beyond. On the pages that follow, we highlight some of these research and scholarly activities for 2023.

Funding by Investigators

Among the Penn Dental Medicine faculty, following are the total funds (direct and indirect, above $10K) spent by each principal investigator in the 2023 calendar year.

FACULTY/DEPARTMENT

Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, Oral Medicine

Dr. Dana T. Graves, Periodontics

Dr. George Hajishengallis, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr.

Dr. Cagla Akay-Espinoza,

$2,530,855

$1,514,766

$1,400,316

Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, Orthodontics/COH/Pediatrics $1,384,980

Dr. Marco Tizzano, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Gary H. Cohen, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Henry Daniell, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Temitope Omolehinwa, Oral Medicine

$1,128,350

$1,075,512

$1,047,947

$1,047,873

Dr. Shuying (Sherri) Yang, Basic & Translational Sciences $999,935

Dr. Hydar Ali, Basic & Translational Sciences $916,212

Dr. Bruce J. Shenker, Basic & Translational Sciences

$564,631

Dr. David Hershkowitz, Preventive & Restorative Sciences $556,195

Dr. Claire H. Mitchell, Basic & Translational Sciences $511,547

Dr. Geelsu Hwang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences $504,860

Dr. Kang Ko, Periodontics $501,571

Dr. Anh Le, Oral Surgery $480,433

Dr. Chenshuang Li, Orthodontics $480,433

Dr. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia, Basic & Translational Sciences $468,904

Dr. Robert P. Ricciardi, Basic & Translational Sciences $446,993

Dr. Sunday Akintoye, Oral Medicine $435,407

Dr. Kyle Vining, Preventive & Restorative Sciences $431,293

Dr. Yu Zhang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences $425,473

Dr.

Dr. Katherine France, Oral Medicine $11,203

Scholarly Impact

The impact of faculty publications measured by the h-index* is presented for a selection of faculty within both the clinical departments and the Department of Basic & Translational Sciences. Those faculty members with the top 10 h-index figures for the past five years include the following.

CLINICAL DEPARTMENTS

Dr.

DEPARTMENT OF

Dr.

Dr.

* The h-index was developed by J.E. Hirsch, Department of Physics, UCSD and attempts to measure the impact of an individual’s publications. As an example, an h-index of 20 means there are 20 publications that have

citations or more each in journals covered by the Scopus database.

RESEARCH AT PENN DENTAL MEDICINE

Learn about current research taking place across disciplines.

View Research at Penn Dental Medicine at www.dental.upenn.edu/ResearchAtPDM

RESEARCHSPOTLIGHT

2023 New Grant Awards

In 2023, the following new grants of $30,000 and above were awarded to Penn Dental Medicine faculty.

Translational Multimodal Strategy for Peri-Implant Disease Prevention

Multi-Principal Investigators: Dr. Geelsu Hwang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences and Dr. Albert Kim, University of South Florida (NIH; Total Award $2,611,802, 5 years)

Treatment and Mechanisms of Diabetic Fracture Healing

Multi Principal Investigators: Dr. Shuying Yang, Basic & Translational Sciences and Dr. Dana Graves, Periodontics (NIH; Total Award: $ $2,502,900, 5 years)

Ultrafast sintering of dental zirconia: composition-processing-property relationships with high-throughput fail-fast screening

Multi-Principal Investigators: Dr. Yu Zhang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences and Dr. Liangbing Hu, University of Maryland (NIH; Total Award $2,293,122, 5 years)

Fibroblast dysregulation promotes dermal eosinophilic/Th2 inflammation

Multi-Principal Investigators: Dr. Dana T. Graves and Dr. Kang Ko, Periodontics and Dr. John Seykora, Penn Medicine (NIH; Total Award $2,044,277, 5 years)

New upstream targets for HIF-1a-mediated regeneration in young and aged animals

Principal Investigator: Dr. George Hajishengallis, Basic & Translational Sciences (NIH; Total Award; $1,209,000, 1 year)

Multimodal profiling of microglia during HIV infection and substance use disorder

Multi-Principal Investigators: Dr. Kelly L. Jordan-Sciutto, Dr. Cagla AkayEspinoza, Basic & Translational Sciences and Dr. Yijing Su, Penn Medicine (NIH; Total Award $1,076,164, 2 years)

Penn Mental Health AIDS Research Center

Principal Investigators: Dr. Kelly L. Jordan-Sciutto and Dr. Cagla AkayEspinoza (Core E Director), Basic & Translational Sciences (NIH; Total Award $1,063,370, 5 years)

Nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine for prevention and treatment of genital herpes

Principal Investigator: Dr. Gary Cohen, Basic & Translational Sciences (NIH; Total Award $845,000, 4 years)

Association between early Candida infection (oral thrush) and severe early childhood caries

Principal Investigator: Dr. Yuan Liu, Preventive & Restorative Sciences (NIH; Total Award $839,700, 5 years)

mRNA-LNP vaccine platform

Principal Investigator: Dr. Gary Cohen, Basic & Translational Sciences (BioNTech; Total Award $ 798,577, 1 year)

Small Scale Robotics for Automated Dental Biofilm Theranostics

Multi-Principal Investigators: Dr. Hyun Koo, Orthodontics/Community Oral Health/Pediatrics and Dr. Edward Steager, Penn Engineering (NIH; Total Awarded: $ $652,182, 3 years)

Regulation of the oligodendrocyte actin cytoskeleton by the lysosomal cation channel TRPML1

Principal Investigator: Dr. Lindsay Festa, Oral Medicine (National MS Society; Total Awarded: $610,065, 5 years)

A Stepped-Care Approach to Treating Dental Fear: A Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial for Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment via Mobile App and Evidence-Based Collaborative Care

Multi-Principal Investigators: Dr. Mark Wolff, Preventive & Restorative Sciences; Dr. Richard Heyman and Dr. Amy Slep, New York University (NIH; Total Awarded: $608,564, 5 years)

Bacterial Adhesion Inhibition and Biofilm Disruption by Adaptive Piezoelectric Biomaterial

Principal Investigator: Dr. Geelsu Hwang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences (NIH; Total Award $440,311, 2 years)

Producing an Optimized Stapled Peptide that specifically targets HSV-1 to Treat herpes ocular Keratitis

Principal Investigator: Robert P. Ricciardi, Basic & Translational Sciences (NIH through Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center; Total Award $435,000, 1 year)

Collaborative Research: Novel Hybrid Metal-Piezoelectric Biomaterials for Anti-infectious Implantable Medical Devices

Principal Investigator: Dr. Geelsu Hwang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences (NSF; Total Award $400,000, 3 years)

Ryan White Part A CARE Services-AACO

Principal Investigator: Dr. Miriam Robbins, Oral Medicine (HRSA-City of Philadelphia; Total Award $382,000 1 year)

Small animal model for evaluating the impacts of cleft lip repairing scar on craniofacial growth and development

Principal Investigator: Dr. Chenshuang Li, Orthodontics (NIH; Total Awarded $325,000 2 years)

Licensing the Hemophilia program

Principal Investigator: Dr. Henry Daniell, Basic & Translational Sciences (Zea Biosciences; Total Awarded $313,120, 1 year)

Long-term Oral Complications of an Established Head and Neck Cancer

Cohort- Clinical Registry of Dental Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer

Patients: OraRad

Principal Investigator: Dr. Thomas Sollecito, Oral Medicine (NIH; Total Award $232,076, 1 year)

Novel therapeutic approaches to remediate radiotherapy-induced bone necrosis

Principal Investigator: Dr. Sunday Akintoyke, Oral Medicine (NIH; Total Awarded $200,009, 1 year)

Microsomal Transfer Protein in Retinal Lipid Homeostasis, Implications for AMD

Principal Investigator: Dr. Catharina Grubaugh, Basic & Translational Sciences (Brightfocus Foundation; Total Award $200,000, 2 years)

Predicting Caries Lesion Patterns and Trajectories in Underserved Children, from Infancy to Early Adolescence, in Primary Healthcare Settings

Principal Investigator: Dr. Alonso Carrasco-Labra, Preventive & Restorative Sciences (NIH; Total Awarded $162,275, 1 year)

Probing Mechanical Dysregulation of Myelofibrosis with Bone Marrow-on-a Chip

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kyle Vining, Preventive & Restorative Sciences (NSF; Total Award $86,940, 1 year)

Feeding Ontogeny at the Interface of Behavior and Morphology

Principal Investigator: Dr. Myra Laird, Basic & Translational Sciences (NSF; Total Award $75,439, 1 year)

Investigating chemosensory cell heterogeneity in the upper airway epithelium with single cell RNA sequencing and high-resolution light sheet microscopy

Principal Investigator: Dr. Eric Larson, Basic & Translational Sciences (NIH; Total Award $74,492, 1 year)

Metabolic Homeostasis in Dysfunctional CHM Retinal Pigment Epithelia

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia, Basic & Translational Sciences (Penn Medicine Orphan Disease Program; Total Award $ $67,936, 1 year)

Airway Prevotella enhance innate immune-mediated protection against lung infection

Principal Investigator: Dr. Eric Larson, Basic & Translational Sciences (NIH; Total Award $51,659, 2 years)

Selected 2023 High Impact Review Articles

Outpatient Early Intervention Service with Respect to HIV Disease- Part C

Principal Investigator: Dr. Miriam Robbins, Oral Medicine (HRSA-Drexel University; Total Award $34,020, 1 year)

Asymmetric Maxillary Expansion After Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion (SARPE)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Chenshuang Li, Orthodontics (AAOF; Total Awarded $30,000, 1 year)

Following is a selection of review articles with Penn Dental Medicine faculty as first or senior authors published in 2023 in journals with high impact.

AUTHORS ARTICLES

Hajishengallis G, Lamont RJ, Koo H Oral polymicrobial communities: Cell Host Microbe 30.3 Assembly, function, and impact on diseases

Kulchar RJ, Singh R, Ding S, Alexander E, Leong KW, Daniell H Delivery of biologics: Topical administration Biomaterials 1.4

Zheng, Z, Granado, HS, Li, C Fibromodulin, a Multifunctional Journal of 7.6 Matricellular Modulator Dental Research

Laird, MF, Ross, CF, Kang, V, Konow, N Introduction: Food processing and nutritional Philosophical 6.3 assimilation in animals

Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Alharbi MA, Graves DT FOXO 1 deletion in chondrocytes rescues Frontiers in

diabetes-impaired fracture healing by restoring Endocrinology angiogenesis and reducing apoptosis

Selected 2023 High Impact Original Articles: Basic & Translational Sciences

Within the School’s Department of Basic & Translational Sciences, following is a selection of original research articles with Penn Dental Medicine faculty as first or senior authors published in 2023 in journals of high impact.

AUTHORS ARTICLES JOURNAL IMPACT

Yuan, G, Yang, S, Yang, S

RGS12 represses oral squamous cell International Journal 14.9 carcinoma by driving M1 polarization of of Oral Science tumor-associated macrophages via controlling ciliary MYCBP2/KIF2A signaling

Ganesan, PK, Kulchar, RJ, Kaznica, P, Montoya-Lopez, R, Optimization of biomass and target protei Plant Biotechnology 13.8 Green, BJ, Streatfield, SJ, Daniell, H yield for Phase III clinical trial to evaluate Journal Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 expressed in lettuce chloroplasts to reduce SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission

Guan, H, Nuth, M, Weiss, SR, Fausto, A, Liu, Y, Koo, H, HOCl Rapidly Kills Corona, Flu, and Herpes Journal of Dental 7.6 Wolff, MS, Ricciardi, RP to Prevent Aerosol Spread Research

Thapaliya, M, Ali, H

GRK2 differentially regulates FcεRI and Frontiers in 7.3 MRGPRB2-mediated responses in mast cells Immunology

Wall, CE, Hanna, JB, O'Neill, MC, Toler, M, Laird, MF Energetic costs of feeding in 12 species of Philosophical Transactions 6.3 small-bodied primates of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Selected 2023 High Impact Original Articles: Clinical Sciences

Within the School’s clinical departments, following is a selection of original research articles with Penn Dental Medicine faculty as first or senior authors published in 2023 in journals of high impact.

AUTHORS ARTICLES

Huang, Y, Liu, Y, Pandey, NK, Shah, S, Simon-Soro, A, Iron oxide nanozymes stabilize stannous Nature 16.6 Hsu, JC, Ren, Z, Xiang, Z, Kim, D, Ito, T, Oh, MJ, Buckley, C, fluoride for targeted biofilm killing and Communications Alawi, F, Li, Y, Smeets, PJM, Boyer, S, Zhao, X, Joester, D, synergistic oral disease prevention Zero, DT, Cormode, DP, Koo, H

Liu, Y, Daniel, SG, Kim, H-E, Koo, H, Korostoff, J, Teles, F, Addition of cariogenic pathogens to complex Microbiome 15.5 Bittinger, K, Hwang, G oral microflora drives significant changes in biofilm compositions and functionalities

Ko, KI, Dergarabedian, BP, Chen, Z, Debnath, R, Ko, A, Distinct fibroblast progenitor subpopulation Journal of 15.3 Link, BN, Korostoff, JM, Graves, DT expedites regenerative mucosal healing by Experimental immunomodulation Medicine

Zeng, J, Ye, Z, Shi, S, Liang, Y, Meng, Q, Zhang, Q, Le, AD Targeted inhibition of eIF5Ahpu suppresses Cell Death 9 tumor growth and polarization of M2-like and Disease tumor-associated macrophages in oral cancer

Theken, KN, Chen, M, Wall, DL, Pham, T, Secreto, SA, A randomized, double-blind pilot study of Frontiers 5.6 Yoo, TH, Rascon, AN, Chang, Y-C, Korostoff, JM, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of in Pharmacology Mitchell, CH, Hersh, EV naproxen sodium and acetaminophen following dental implant placement surgery

* The Impact Factor identifies the frequency with which an average article from a journal is cited in a particular year. This number can be used to evaluate or compare a journal’s relative importance to others in the same field. Journal impact factors are reported in Clarivate Analytics InCites™ Journal Citation Reports®. The JCR, 2017, was used for these figures.

Journal Editorial Posts

Following is a selection of Penn Dental Medicine faculty who serve in editorial roles within dental journals.

FACULTY/DEPARTMENT

Dr. Faizan Alawi, Basic and Translational Sciences

Dr. Markus B. Blatz, Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Dr. Kathy Boesze-Battaglia, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Chun-Hsi Chung, Orthodontics

Dr. Katherine France, Oral Medicine

Dr. Dana Graves, Periodontics

Dr. George Hajishengallis, Basic & Translational Sciences

EDITORIAL POSITION JOURNAL

Section Editor, Oral Pathology

Editor-in-Chief

Dr. Claire Mitchell, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Mel Mupparapu, Oral Medicine

Dr. Fusun Ozer, Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Dr. Esra Sahingur, Periodontics

Dr. Frank Setzer, Endodontics

Dr. Thomas Sollecito, Oral Medicine

Dr. Eric Stoopler, Oral Medicine

Dr. Flavia Teles, Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Mark Wolff, Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Dr. Yu Zhang, Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology

Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry

Associate Editor Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry

Section Editor International Journal of Prosthodontics

Associate Editor Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Editorial Board Molecular Neurobiology

Editorial Board The International Journal of Oral Science

Review Editor Frontiers in Oral Health

Associate Editor Journal of Dental Research

Editorial Board International Journal of Oral Sciences

Associate Editor

Molecular Oral Microbiology

Guest Editor Frontiers in Oral Health

Editorial Board member Journal of Dental Research

Editorial Board member Periodontology-2000

Editorial Board member Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (IOVS)

Review Editor Mechanotransduction and Mechanobiology, Frontiers in Biophysics

Scientific Associate Editor Quintessence International (QI)

Executive Editor Journal of Orofacial Sciences (JOFS)

Guest Editor Molecules

Editorial Board member Journal of Dental Research

Editorial Board member Molecular Oral Microbiology

Editorial Board member Journal of Periodontology

Associate Editor Journal of Endodontics

Oral Medicine Section Editor Compendium

Editorial Board member Special Care in Dentistry

Associate Editor Journal of Clinical Periodontology

Editorial Board member Journal of Dental Research

Editorial Board member Journal of Periodontology

Editorial Board member Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) Foundational Science

Editorial Board member Journal of Oral Microbiology

Associate Editor Journal of the American Dental Association

Associate Editor

The International Journal of Prosthodontics

Editorial board member Journal for Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry

Editorial board member Dental Materials

OPENING DOORS, LIGHTENING THE LOAD

SCHOLARSHIPS PLAY AN EVER-IMPORTANT ROLE AS STUDENTS NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES OF FINANCING THEIR DENTAL EDUCATION

WITHOUT A DOUBT, students entering dental school today face a significant financial investment when earning their degrees. This academic year, tuition for first-year DMD students at Penn Dental Medicine was $86,448 with a total annual budget that includes fees, books, supplies, housing, and living expenses estimated to be about $143,000.

As students navigate the challenges of financing their dental education, scholarships of varying types are playing an ever-important role, and providing scholarship resources and opportunities remains a top priority for the School.

“For some students, scholarships are the reason they are able to attend Penn Dental Medicine,” says Mark Mitchell, Assistant Dean for Admissions, noting that they are also used as a recruitment tool. “In some cases, receiving a scholarship is the determining factor of a student’s career. It can impact a graduate’s decision as to where they practice and the type of practice they pursue.”

Penn Dental Medicine awards $4.8 million annually in support of DMD scholarships. Referred to as Dean’s Scholarships, they are funded by pooled endowment resources from both the Dean’s Endowed Funds and endowed named scholarship

funds supported by alumni donors (see page 27). Only awarded to incoming students, those who are selected as Dean’s Scholars receive their awarded amount, which ranges from $10,000 to $40,000, for each of their four years at Penn Dental Medicine. (Starting next academic year, the award amounts for incoming Dean’s Scholars will change to $30,000 to $50,000.) There are currently 200 students across the School’s four DMD classes benefitting from this scholarship support.

Certain named scholarship funds also support one-time scholarship awards of varying amounts, including those awarded to second-year postdoctoral residents in periodontics, orthodontics, and endodontics based on merit as well as need. In addition, the School’s Alumni Scholars program (see page 25) can support either DMD or postdoctoral students, most often with $10,000 scholarships.

In recent years, a growing number of Penn Dental Medicine students are also pursuing service scholarships through both the military’s Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) and the National Health Service Corps (NHSC), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These federal programs can cover a student’s total cost of attendance, including living expenses, and require a service commitment after graduation for each year of support. NHSC scholarship recipients fulfill their work commitment at a wide range of NHSC-approved sites in rural, urban, and tribal communities with limited access to care. Students can apply to both the HPSP and NHSC before entering dental school or at varying stages once at Penn Dental Medicine.

Currently, there are 45 HPSP students across all four classes of Penn Dental Medicine and there is a record number of NHSC scholars at 48. Combined, those individuals with these service scholarships makeup almost 16% of the School’s DMD students.

With varied scholarships helping students maneuver the financial hurdles of their dental education, we asked a number of students to share a few thoughts on the impact of that support on their educational experience and path to Penn Dental Medicine.

“I know I want to work in public health and advocate for policies at the state and national levels.”

— PARKER NORMAN (D’25, M’24)

FRAZ LUGAY (D’26)

Clement C. and Sandra K. Alpert Award

In February of this year, second-year student Fraz Lugay learned he had been selected to receive The Clement C. and Sandra K. Alpert Award. The Alpert Award is a one-time award scholarship given annually to four predoctoral dental students who demonstrate leadership, citizenship, and academic achievement.

As president of the Class of 2026, Lugay is actively engaged with students, faculty, and administrators in many aspects of the Penn Dental Medicine educational experience. “Everything I do is for the benefit of our class — to help the students, the School, and our community,” says Lugay, who in his leadership role has addressed academic issues with faculty, such as rearranging the semester schedule to better fit the class’s needs, and has spearheaded social events with classmates. “It is an honor to receive the Alpert Award in recognition of my work here at Penn Dental.”

While it is hard to imagine Lugay in any other place than where he is now, he shares that it took him some time to decide on applying to dental school, even though a career in dentistry seemed a natural choice. After all, his parents, Jose Lugay (D’94) and Masooma Lugay (D’92), met at Penn Dental Medicine and opened a practice together in Je erson Valley, N.Y. Yet, both he and his parents were concerned about the debt burden borrowing for dental school would place on his future.

So, after graduating from Cornell University, Lugay spent two years teaching chemistry in Hartford, Conn., through the Teach for America program. After working another year as a dental assistant in his parents’ o ce, Lugay ultimately decided to apply to dental school, feeling the investment would bring both career satisfaction and future earnings to help pay o his loans.

The easiest part of his decision-making process was choosing Penn Dental Medicine. “I came here not only because my parents went to Penn Dental, but because 30 years later it’s still one of the best dental schools in the world,” says Lugay.

PARKER NORMAN (D’25, M’24)

National Health Service Corps (NHSC)

FRAZ LUGAY (D’26)

Clement C. and Sandra K.Alpert Award

OPENINGDOORS

In his first two years at Penn, Lugay has borrowed nearly the full amount allowed annually in federal loans and, while it has helped that he had a bit of a financial cushion from his two years of teaching, he admits that the financial burden can continue to weigh on him, making the Alpert Award particularly welcome. He notes that it has provided financial “peace of mind” this semester, allowing him to focus more single-mindedly on his dental education.

“The award scholarship was a game changer for me,” says Lugay, who is now considering applying to the honors program in endodontics to explore further if it may be a specialty he’d want to pursue. Without the Alpert Award, he says he might have felt pressure to look for part-time work, such as tutoring, even though it would have been di cult to juggle with his studies. “With this support,” he says, “I can focus more on taking care of myself and my academic work.”

PARKER

NORMAN (D’25, M’24)

National Health Service Corps (NHSC)

Coming to Penn Dental Medicine was a leap of faith for third-year student Parker Norman. Cost was a major consideration, and Penn was the only private school on her application list. To help meet the cost of her dental degree, she applied to both the NHSC and the U.S. Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program, both of which would cover her dental school education in exchange for service after graduation.

The catch was that she wouldn’t find out until after she enrolled whether she would receive either scholarship. Nonetheless, Norman chose to come to Penn Dental Medicine, in part because of the dual-degree program that is allowing her to earn a Master in Law degree from Penn’s Carey Law School simultaneously.

“There was the opportunity cost of earning the additional degree without paying for another year of school. There aren’t many programs like this, and I’m really grateful for it,” says Norman, who got word soon after starting her freshman year that she was awarded a four-year NHSC scholarship.

After graduation, Norman plans to pursue a pediatric residency, after which she

CHRISTOPHER OSHANA (D’27)

Dr. Lawrence N. and Mrs. Lana K. Rou & Dr. Peter A. Rou Scholarship

National Health Service Corps (NHSC)

will start her work with the NHSC. During her service period, she would like to work for the Indian Health Service or at a community health center.

Norman is also interested in policy and advocacy work and has been active in the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) throughout her time at Penn Dental Medicine. She was recently elected ASDA Speaker of the House for 2024–2025 at the national level, and previously served on ASDA’s National Council on Advocacy as Legislative Coordinator for Districts 1–3. Within Penn Dental Medicine’s ASDA chapter, she is currently vice president. As she takes on the role as Speaker of the House, student debt is among the top issues important to her along with dental licensure, and work-life balance.

At Penn Law, Norman helped to restart the Master in Law Society and served as its co-president last year. “This additional degree will give me the legal background and framework to help influence policy makers,” she says. “I know I want to work in public health and advocate for policies at the state and national levels.”

While the NHSC program has eliminated the financial stress of attending dental school for Norman, she advises prospective students to “make sure your heart and values are in it, too. For me, public health is where I want to be.”

Dr. Lawrence N. and Mrs. Lana K. Rou & Dr. Peter A. Rou Scholarship National Health Service Corps (NHSC) When considering dental schools, Michigannative Christopher Oshana was attracted to Penn Dental Medicine by the depth and diversity of clinical instruction, from assisting with clinical care from the very start as a first-year student to the extensive time working in community settings. Yet, if he went to an in-state school, it would save about $30,000 a year. Scholarships — namely the Dr. Lawrence N. and Mrs. Lana K. Rou & Dr. Peter A. Rou Scholarship from Penn Dental Medicine and an NHSC scholarship — changed the equation for him.

“Without the scholarships, Penn would not necessarily have been on the table for me,” says Oshana, who attended the University of Michigan as an undergraduate. “They allowed me to make the decision myself, rather than letting the numbers make it for me.”

As an incoming freshman, Oshana was awarded the Rou Scholarship. The Rou Scholarship is among the Dean’s Scholarships given annually to a predoctoral student who is academically deserving and has financial need and normally follows awardees through their four years. (A separate Rou fund supports second-year

CHRISTOPHER OSHANA (D’27)

“A degree like that would give me the skills to understand the broader context of working with a vulnerable population. Having the financial burden lifted has opened the door for me to do that kind of work, for which I’m extremely thankful.”

— CHRISTOPHER OSHANA (D’27)

orthodontics residents with an annual award.) Soon after the start of the fall semester, Oshana got word that he was also selected to receive a three-year NHSC scholarship. With the NHSC award covering costs in full for his first three years, his Rou Scholarship was changed to a single-year award that will help Oshana cover costs his fourth year.

“Having these scholarships has relieved me of a lot of the financial burden of going to dental school,” says Oshana, who wants to work with underserved populations in the future and is also interested in teaching. “I’m passionate about giving back.”

Now, as a first-year student, Oshana is focused on making the most of his Penn Dental Medicine education. He plans to apply to the Community Health Honors program to gain added experience serving at-risk populations. He is also considering one of the School’s dual-degree opportunities — either a Master of Public Health or Master of Science in Oral and Population Health.

“A degree like that would give me the skills to understand the broader context of working with a vulnerable population,” Oshana says. “And having the financial burden lifted has opened the door for me to do that kind of work, for which I’m extremely thankful.”

ALUMNI SCHOLARS PROGRAM

When Dr. Martin Levin (D’72, GD’74) first learned of Penn Dental Medicine’s Alumni Scholars program, the opportunity to support student scholarships immediately resonated with him.

As Chair of the Dean’s Council, he knew that paying for dental school is challenging for many Penn students. Levin also understood how important it is that Penn Dental Medicine continues to attract the most highly qualified students through scholarship support, prompting him and his wife, Susan, to become the inaugural Alumni Scholars donors. Now, he encourages other alumni to consider supporting students in the same way.

The Alumni Scholars program provides an opportunity for alumni to establish a named term scholarship with a minimum donation of $10,000 that can be designated to either a predoctoral or a postdoctoral student. The alumni donors are in contact with the recipients and receive updates on the students’ progress through dental school.

Shanta

Omolara Akinfemiwa (D’26), a Daniel (D’02) and Shanta (D’03) Richardson Alumni Scholar, shares that along with helping to finance her dental education, she is equally appreciative of connections she is making with the Richardsons. “It is allowing me to form relationships with and learn from esteemed Penn Dental alumni, and that is invaluable,” says Akinfemiwa.

“I am forever grateful to be an Alumni Scholar,” she adds. “I hope that I can provide this same opportunity to a dental student attending Penn one day in the future.”

For Levin, participation in the program pays multiple dividends. “I look for ways to honor the many inspiring faculty who instructed and encouraged me during my time at Penn,” says Levin. “I wish I could walk up to each of them and say ‘thank you.’ This small gift gets me closer.”

Since the program started in 2019 (with the first scholars matriculating with the class of 2024), the Alumni Scholars have included the following.

Robert Brody (C’80, D’84) Alumni Scholar

Class of 1972 Alumni Scholar

Doctors Fonseca & Hersh Scholar

Joseph Gian-Grasso (C’67, D’71) Alumni Scholar

Greenberger Family Scholarship

Hamid Kazemi (D'90) Scholar

Susan & Martin D. Levin (D'72, GD'74) Scholar

The Valerie Mishaan-Rickie Platt Scholarship

Daniel (D’02) and Shanta (D’03) Richardson

Alumni Scholar (two scholars)

OMOLARA AKINFEMIWA (D’26)

Daniel and

Richardson Alumni Scholar

OPENINGDOORS

DR. EMILY CHEN (MSOB ’24, GD ’25)

Coslet Memorial Scholarship Fund

Second-year periodontics resident Dr. Emily Chen is among this year’s recipients of the Coslet Memorial Scholarship Award for Periodontics. The Coslet Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1982 on the death of J. George Coslet, a beloved teacher at Penn Dental Medicine. The Fund provides ongoing resources for the Coslet Award for Periodontics, presented annually to periodontics residents; the J. George Coslet Memorial Scholarship Fund that supports a DMD scholarship each year as part of the Dean’s Scholars; and two annual faculty awards. Chen was among six periodontics residents to receive the Coslet Award for Periodontics this academic year.

As a foreign-trained dentist from Taiwan, Chen was surprised she was eligible for a scholarship award of this sort and was particularly grateful, noting that the cost of pursuing her postdoctoral degree here was a major consideration for her and her family. “I was aware of Penn’s strong legacy in periodontics and wished I could be part of it,” she says. “It is an honor to be studying here, and I’m so appreciative of the support from the Coslet Award.”

Chen earned her dental degree at Taipei Medical University School of Dentistry, where she was active in research and developed her interest in periodontics. At Taipei, her research explored the surface modification of dental facial masks using nanoimprint technology, a microfabrication method that can provide nano-scale structure using a template (in her study, made of anode aluminum oxide) as a stamp. At Penn Dental Medicine, Chen is pursuing a research-focused Master of Science in Oral Biology along with her certificate in periodontics and plans to pursue a career in academic dentistry. She is currently working on a research project with Dr. Yu Cheng Chang, Associate Professor of Periodontics, to compare how well five di erent membranes help to preserve the alveolar ridge following a tooth extraction. The data will be included as part of her master’s thesis.

In addition to helping with a portion of tuition this year, the Coslet Award has added to Chen’s educational experiences well as, covering the cost of attending periodontics conferences where she had the opportunity to present her research to colleagues and attended lectures.

“The Coslet Award has had a profound impact on my journey in periodontics,” says Chen. “Coming from Taiwan, it was a dream come true to be part of the Penn Dental periodontics community, and it has way exceeded my expectations. I look forward to when I can pay it forward and support future dental professionals in their journeys.”

DR. EMILY CHEN (MSOB ’24, GD ’25) Coslet Memorial Scholarship Fund

KEVIN REILLY (D’24) Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program

KEVIN REILLY (D’24)

Navy Health Professions Scholarship Program

After college, fourth-year student Kevin Reilly wasn’t sure what he wanted to do long-term and worked in a couple of jobs, including construction and for a software company, and considered joining the military. He hadn’t considered dentistry while an undergraduate, but with an interest in healthcare — he majored in health management — and a preference for doing hands-on work, a career in dentistry emerged as an ideal fit. So, four years after graduating from St. Louis University, Reilly decided to apply to dental school.

“I was already drawn to military service, and when I found out I could combine dental school along with military service, it seemed like a no brainer,” Reilly says, who applied for and received a four-year Navy Health Professions Scholarship. When he found out he was selected for the Navy scholarship, it gave him the financial go-ahead to turn down two dental schools in his home state of Ohio, and say yes to his first choice — Penn Dental Medicine. “The Navy scholarship gave me the green light to go to Penn.”

In return for the scholarship, Reilly will serve four years as a Navy dentist, possibly on a ship. “It could be anywhere in the world,” he says. After graduating this spring, Reilly will begin a one-year general practice residency at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., after which he will begin his military service.

In the future, Reilly says he is open to considering a longer career as a Navy dentist, but isn’t sure yet what path his career will take.

“When I interviewed at Penn Dental, the feeling I got here and the people I met convinced me that coming here would open the most possible doors for me in the future,” he says. “The reputation that Penn Dental Medicine and its faculty have is known and respected the world over. I’m now eager to apply what I’ve learned in service to the Navy, which made my Penn Dental education possible.” n

ENDOWED NAMED SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS

Endowed named scholarship funds provide ongoing support for generations of Penn Dental Medicine students. Named funds are established with a minimum donation of $150,000. Following is the list of those endowed funds currently supporting Penn Dental Medicine student scholarships.

Clement C. (C’32, D’34) & Sandra K Alpert Scholarship

Robert Baker Sr. (D’52)

Endowed Scholarship

Joseph S. Beinstock (D’52, GD’54) Scholarship

Stanley & Marion Bergman Scholarship

Harrison M. Berry Jr. (D’43, GD’52) Scholarship

Theodore Blum

Martin H. Boyer Scholarship

Harold Brown DDS (D’49, GD’51) Scholarship Fund

EA & WN Butler

Dr. Lester W. Burket (C’29, D’32)

Ronald A. Cameron (D’67) Endowed Scholarship Fund

Dr. John G. & Lucia (Stolp) Carr Scholarship

Richard Chace (GD’72) Scholarship Fund

Cheung Family World Scholar Fund

Cogswell Scholarship

Anna & Clayton W. Conklin Scholarship

D. Walter Cohen (C’47, D’50) Scholarship Fund

Arthur E. Corby (D’17) Scholarship

J. George Coslet (GD’67)

Memorial Scholarship Fund

James C. Crosier

DeKorn (D’15) Scholarship

Delta Dental Endowed Community Scholars Fund

Earl (D’45, GD’48) & Ingrid Doyne Scholarship

Thomas W. Evans Scholarship Fund

Lenore & George (D’49) Feldman Scholarship

Joseph W. Foote (D’74, GD’80) Scholarship

Fordham (D’82) Family Scholarship

Victor Frank (D’21) Memorial Fund

Harry & Velma Galblum (D’43) Scholarship

Harry J. Gersten (D’39) Scholarship

Frances B. Glenn (D’56) Dental Endowed Scholarship

Jiten P. Gohel DMD Scholarship

Alfred H. (D’59) & Halina Greenberg Scholarship

Louis I Grossman D23 Award

Earl P. Hawes

Houck Endowed Scholarship

Earl B. Hoyt

Clarence O. Johnson Memorial Scholarship

Edward P. Johnson (D’72) Scholarship

Emeline R. Jones Scholarship for Women

Morris Kean DDS (D’23) Scholarship

Adrian R. (D’24) & Regina Kristeller Scholarship (Thomas) Limoli Scholarship

Richard Marcus Scholarship in Periodontics

Benjamin & Mary Siddons Measey Scholarship

Dr. Harry A. Mesjian Scholarship

Goldie Paley Memorial Scholarship

Howeth Pabst (D’18) Endowed Scholarship

Dr Robert S Polisar (D’42)

Rabinowitz Memorial Fund

Drs. Samuel (GD’48) & Louis (D’75, GD’77)

Rossman Endodontic Scholarship Fund

Rosenstein Foundation Scholarship

Herman & Gladys Rothstein Scholarship

Dr. Lawrence N. (D’63, GD’66) & Mrs.

Lana K Rouff and Dr. Peter A Rouff (GD’07)

Scholarship Fund

SDM International Friends

David Shen (D’79, GD’81) Scholarship

Dr. & Mrs. Edward F. Sipe Memorial Scholarship

Dr. Gershon A. Stern (C’52, D’54)

& Dr. Robert M. Stern (D’87) Scholarship

Tracy B. Sturdevant Scholarship

Paul F. Titus (D’28) Scholarship

Arvid Tripp & Florence Tripp Memorial Scholarship

Robert Vanarsdall Fellowship Fund

Frank (D’76) & Mary Vinci Scholarship

Arnold (GD’65) & Marci Weisgold

Periodontal Prosthesis Scholarship

Anna W. & Dr. Louis Wolf (D’16)

Scholarship Fund

Class of 1965 Endowed Scholarship

Class of 1970 Endowed Scholarship

Class of 1971 Endowed Scholarship

Class of 1982 Endowed Scholarship

Learn how to support scholarships: www.dental.upenn.edu/scholarships

“It

was very rare for an engineer to shift to dentistry, but I was not hesitant.”

— DR. GEELSU HWANG

FOLLOWING AN UNEXPECTED PATH

TRAINED AS AN ENGINEER, DR. GEELSU HWANG IS ADVANCING INNOVATIONS TO DISRUPT BIOFILMS WITH HIS LAB OF YOUNG INVESTIGATORS

PURSUING UNEXPECTED PATHS is one of the greatest rewards of the research process for Dr. Geelsu Hwang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences. “I like unexpected findings,” he says. “I didn’t intend to go down the paths that some of our projects have led, but by chance, we found very interesting phenomena.”

Those scientific twists and turns have also taken Hwang on a fascinating and serendipitous journey from engineering to environmental science to dentistry, with microbes and adhesion as a common thread. “It was very rare for an engineer to shift to dentistry, but I was not hesitant,” says Hwang, who studied engineering as both an undergraduate and doctoral student and came to Penn Dental Medicine in 2013 as part of Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo’s lab when Koo joined the faculty.

“When Geelsu joined my lab, I thought his engineering skills and ingenuity could help us to decipher fundamental questions,

such as why biofilms are so cohesive and how biofilms stick to the tooth surface,” recalls Koo, Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Divisions of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry. Koo has continued to champion and advance the collaborative potential of engineering and dentistry, co-founding the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD) in 2021, a partnership between Penn Dental Medicine and Penn Engineering. The CiPD bridges engineering and dental medicine through cutting-edge research and technologies to accelerate the development of new solutions to address unmet needs in oral health. Hwang is doing just that.

OPPOSITE: Dr. Geelsu Hwang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive & Restorative Sciences.

ABOVE: The Hwang lab employs 3D printers to customize parts for bioengineering research projects.

UNEXPECTEDPATH

As an accomplished young investigator — now among the faculty that make up the CiPD — Hwang has taken full advantage of every opportunity presented on his academic path, including the chance to apply to the National Institutes of Health /NIDCR small-grant program for new investigators while still a Research Associate in Koo’s lab. “Not many PIs provide that kind of opportunity,” recalls Hwang, “so I was very grateful.” Being awarded the grant marked Hwang’s promotion to Research Assistant Professor in 2017. In 2019, he won NIH R01 funding on his first try — a significant accomplishment that kick-started his tenure-track career as an Assistant Professor.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY BEGINNINGS

Originally from South Korea, Hwang studied chemical engineering as an undergraduate, earning his bachelor’s degree at Yonsei University. Inspired by one of his undergraduate biochemistry classes, he decided to remain at Yonsei to conduct a Ph.D. project in chemical and biomolecular engineering, using mathematical modeling to explain how bacteria adhere to surfaces.

Building on that experience, Hwang set off for the University of Alberta in Canada to apply his new insights to environmental science as a postdoc. It was at Alberta that Hwang began to focus his attention on

biofilm formation. His work there looked at the positive side of biofilms, developing a bioreactor and using their microbial properties to break down toxic components that are present in wastewater as a potential means of water treatment.

“At that time, I was working to improve wastewater treatment by promoting biofilms,” he says. “Since then, my focus has been on trying to break apart disease-causing biofilms.”

Hwang started looking at dental biofilms — the microbial communities that form sticky plaque on and between teeth — as a postdoc with Koo, who was then at the University of Rochester.

“The barium titanate nanoparticles are piezoelectric, meaning they can generate power for the LEDs with simple physical activities, like brushing your teeth or chewing.”

— DR. GEELSU HWANG

The Hwang lab is working on a next generation, “smart” implant, designed to resist biofilm through its inherent anti-adhesion and anti-inflammatory properties. Hwang was recently awarded a five-year, $2.6 million NIH grant to continue to move this project forward.

In Koo’s lab, first at Rochester and then at Penn Dental Medicine, Hwang focused on measuring the biophysical properties of biofilms. He combined concepts from both his graduate work and his previous postdoctoral experience, developing a device that could measure the mechanical strength of biofilms. He also used atomic force microscopy to analyze the force that bacteria use to stick to a surface or to fungi.

DISRUPTING BIOFILMS WITH LIGHTS, BIOMATERIALS

Hwang set up his own lab in 2019 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences where he is developing biomaterials and devices to disrupt biofilm adhesion, working now on a next generation, “smart” implant, designed to resist biofilm through its inherent anti-adhesion and anti-inflammatory properties. Hwang was recently awarded a five-year, $2.6 million NIH grant to continue to move this project forward.

Every year, about 3 million Americans receive implants to replace lost teeth. However, over time, these restorations can fail due to inflammation, gum disease, and underlying bone loss around the implant, spurred on by biofilms.

The new implant Hwang and his collaborators are developing would interfere with biofilms and combat peri-implant infection

with a two-pronged approach. First, the crown at the top of the implant will contain a nanoparticle compound (Hwang has been using and testing barium titanate) that naturally repels bacteria. Second, the base, or abutment, of the implant’s crown will contain tiny LEDs that deliver a regular dose of phototherapy to the surrounding gum tissue, giving off an invisible, near-infrared light that protects the tissue from bacteria, and in turn, from inflammation and infection.

A unique aspect of the smart implant is that it can actually power itself. “The barium titanate nanoparticles are piezoelectric, meaning they can generate power for the LEDs with simple physical activities, like brushing your teeth or chewing,” explains Hwang. “Once a biomaterial is implanted, it’s not practical to replace or recharge a battery, so we use a piezoelectric material to supply power.”

Hwang already has commercialization of the implant in his sights. The patent application is in the national phase and through PIC Ventures, a division of Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) specifically focused on creating early-stage businesses based on Penn technology, Hwang founded a startup company, LEDEN LLC, with his collaborator, Dr. Albert Kim at the University of South Florida. They are currently recruiting a professional CEO and working on a Small Business Innovation Research application, a Federal program that supports small businesses engaged in technological innovation with the potential for commercialization.

In the meantime, they are continuing to further study and develop the implant system — testing the antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro with lab cultures of human gum tissue, and soon, conducting in vivo animal studies with mini pigs as a preparation for clinical human trials.

“This is a very ambitious project,” says Hwang, “but we believe it represents a new paradigm for implant technology and for oral healthcare in general.”

“Dealing with bacterial infection is difficult, but dealing with a bacterial-fungal infection is even more difficult because most drugs cannot target both of the microbes.”

— DR. GEELSU HWANG

Hwang notes that this same technology could have potential for applications beyond dental implants, such as integration into joint replacements to ward off infection.

In related research, Hwang is working on developing new biomaterials using piezoelectric materials, including a new piezoelectric dental composite material for fillings. The material would generate an enhanced electrical charge from the mechanical pressure of chewing, and this on its own would not only inhibit bacterial colonization

but also dislodge bound bacteria on the composite surface. Hwang has received an NIH grant to fund exploratory studies of this application.

He envisions a variety of applications for piezoelectric biomaterials — from using them in dental crowns to prevent biofilm from forming on them to generating electricity to speed wound healing and bone regrowth, and even for powering biosensors that monitor oral health.

The Hwang lab conducting work to investigate the surface physicochemical properties of biomaterials for mechanistic studies.

PREVENTING BACTERIA AND FUNGI FROM SOCIALIZING

In another line of research, Hwang is continuing to build upon work he was involved in while part of the Koo lab that showed a symbiotic role between fungus and bacteria in early childhood caries (ECC), a condition in which pre-school-age children suffer from severe tooth decay. Although the bacteria Streptococcus mutans is the microbe that’s generally recognized as the culprit behind cavities and biofilms, in ECC, it joins with the fungus Candida albicans to wreak even more havoc.

While still in Koo’s lab, Hwang and colleagues found that S. mutans produces an enzyme that can bind to C. albicans, causing it to make a very sticky compound that the fungus can use to adhere to S. mutans and to teeth. The combination makes for stubborn, glue-like plaques and contributes to ECC.

“Dealing with bacterial infection is difficult, but dealing with a bacterial-fungal infection is even more difficult because most drugs cannot target both of the microbes,” says Hwang, explaining that they instead

focused on understanding the bacteriafungus binding process to determine a way to disrupt it.

Once they knew the mechanism, the team identified a set of enzymes that interferes with the synergistic interactions between the bacteria and fungus without killing the microbes themselves. These specific enzymes only target the point of interaction between S. mutans and C. albicans, reducing the cariogenic biofilm development, while maintaining the balance of the oral microbiome.

However, the effects would be shortlived. “The oral cavity creates a challenge by its very nature. Once you swallow or rinse, drugs are generally washed away,” says Hwang, whose lab in now working on a way to help the enzymes stick around longer. In a newly awarded project, his team is working on loading these enzymes into a new type of drug-delivery carrier to enhance their retention in the mouth for prolonged efficacy. This project was recognized with the 2024 International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Innovation in Oral Care Award.

“With out-of-the-box thinking, junior investigators often come up with unique ideas. I like that it can result in unexpected events in the lab — who knows where they may lead.”

— DR. GEELSU HWANG

FOSTERING THE NEXT GENERATION

As he works to move the innovations in his lab forward, Hwang is equally committed to passing on his passion for research to students and young investigators. In a full-circle moment, Yonsei University, his undergraduate and graduate alma mater, invited him to become a visiting professor a few years ago, and Hwang mentors students in his lab as well.

Currently, Hwang has 10 lab members, including postdocs, a DScD student, master’s students from both Penn Dental Medicine and Penn’s Bioengineering Department, visiting scholars, lab managers, and an intern. He has also invited high school students to spend a summer learning what it’s like to be a researcher. One of those students will be a freshman at Penn this fall, and another student won 2nd place in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competition by using the topic she learned in the lab last summer.

“With out-of-the-box thinking, junior investigators often come up with unique ideas,” says Hwang on working with his young lab team. “I like that it can result in unexpected events in the lab — who knows where they may lead.” n

ABOVE: Members of the Hwang lab team, which consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and specialties.

FACULTYPERSPECTIVE

VIEWS ON DENTAL TOPICS & TRENDS

Pain Points and Solutions: New Clinical Practice Guidelines for Managing Acute Dental Pain

Contributed by Olivia Urquhart, Center for Integrative Global Oral Health

Dentists, emergency medicine professionals, and other providers frequently encounter patients in need of relief from acute dental pain. Their pain may be mild resulting from a tooth extraction or severe as a consequence of symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. Until now, recommendations for managing this pain were disparate and developed with a variety of methodologies. The National Academies recognized the need to formalize clinical practice guidelines for managing acute pain across a range of conditions and accompanying dissemination and implementation plans in a report entitled “Framing Opioid Prescribing Guidelines for Acute Pain: Developing the Evidence.”

Shortly after this report was released, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration funded the development, dissemination, and implementation of a clinical practice guideline for the management of acute dental pain.

WHO WAS INVOLVED?

Penn Dental Medicine researchers from the School’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health — Dr. Alonso Carrasco-Labra (co-primary investigator) and Olivia Urquhart — collaborated with a team of highly trained evidence-synthesis and guideline methodologists from the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, McMaster University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Art of Democracy to synthesize the evidence base for the guideline and lead the guideline development process. They convened and guided a 14-person multi-disciplinary panel of dental and medical care practitioners, clinical researchers, epidemiologists, pharmacologists with expertise in pain management,

public health dentists, and a patient partner who developed the guideline’s recommendations. Penn Dental Medicine’s Dr. Elliot Hersh, Emeritus Professor, Department of Oral Surgery & Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology, was part of that panel.

WHAT ARE THE DELIVERABLES?

The team published four systematic reviews of the best available evidence on the efficacy of analgesics for managing acute dental pain. Additionally, they published a study on patients’ values and preferences1 for analgesics to manage different levels of acute dental pain. These data were used to inform the development of two American Dental Association endorsed guidelines for managing acute dental pain in children2 and adults3 respectively.

WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW?

The guideline emphasizes that clinicians should thoroughly discuss acute dental pain management strategies with their patients, utilize shared decision making and set realistic expectations regarding post-surgical pain. They should advise patients to expect some level of pain and that the analgesics prescribed to them should make their pain manageable.

When choosing a specific analgesic, the guideline recommends the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) alone or in combination with acetaminophen as first-line treatment for acute dental pain for all ages following tooth removal or for the temporary management of a toothache when immediate care is not available. For adolescents and adults, the guidelines offer clinicians recommendations for prescribing opioid medications in the very limited scenarios that they may be appropriate. The recommendations emphasize the importance of avoiding just-in-case opioid prescriptions and being extremely cautious when prescribing them to adolescents and young adults.

A very important distinction for patients with a toothache is that any prescribed analgesics are a bridge between the first consultation for acute dental pain and a second consultation for definitive dental treatment. They are not a substitute for or a reason to delay the immediate provision of dental treatment.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The guidelines have been disseminated nationally through a range of dissemination channels and guideline implementation strategies have been developed and are currently underway. Additionally, efforts to adopt and adapt these guidelines globally to other social and cultural contexts would be a step toward amplifying the potential impact of these guidelines.

(See references on page 34)

ACADEMICUPDATE

DEPARTMENT/FACULTY NEWS & SCHOLARSHIP

BASIC & TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCES

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTS

Dr. George Hajishengallis was among Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers™ for 2023 in the cross-field category. The annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Arce M, Rodriguez-Peña M, EspinozaArrue J, Godoy RA, Reyes M, Kajikawa T, Greenwell T, Hajishengallis G, et al. Increased STAT3 Activation in Periodontitis Drives Inflammatory Bone Loss. J Dent Res. 2023;102(12):1366-75. Epub 20230912. https://doi. g/10.1177/00220345231192381.

FACULTYPERSPECTIVE

Biswas M, So K, Bertolini TB, Krishnan P, Rana J, Muñoz-Melero M, Syed F, Kumar SRP, Gao H, Xuei X, Tehorst C, Daniell H, et al. Distinct functions and transcriptional signatures in orally induced regulatory T cell populations. Front Immunol. 2023;14:1278184. Epub 20231026. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fimmu.2023.1278184.

Butterfield JSS, Li X, Arisa S, Kwon KC, Daniell H, Herzog RW. Potential role for oral tolerance in gene therapy. Cell Immunol. 2023;391-392:104742. Epub 20230628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cellimm.2023.104742.

Daniell H, Kulchar RJ, Herzog RW, Kulis M, Leong KW. Plant cell-based drug delivery enhances affordability of biologics. Nat Biotechnol. 2023;41(9):1186-7. https:// doi.org/10.1038/s41587-023-01899-1.

Daniell H, Singh R, Mangu V, Nair SK, Wakade G, Balashova N Corrigendum to Affordable oral proinsulin bioencapsulated in plant cells regulates blood sugar levels similar to natural insulin. Biomaterials 298, 122142, (2023). Biomaterials. 2023;301:122226. Epub 20230707. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. biomaterials.2023.122226.

Hajishengallis G Delving into the adytum of the IL-17 defense pathway. Cell Host Microbe. 2023;31(10):1599-601. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.chom.2023.08.021.

Hajishengallis G, Netea MG, Chavakis T. Innate immune memory, trained immunity and nomenclature clarification. Nat Immunol. 2023;24(9):1393-4. https:// doi.org/10.1038/s41590-023-01595-x.

continued from page 33

1. Dawson T, Pahlke S, Carrasco-Labra A, Polk D. Patient Values and Preferences for Managing Acute Dental Pain Elicited through Online Deliberation. SAGE Publications Inc; :23800844231174400. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/23800844231174398

2. Carrasco-Labra A, Polk DE, Urquhart O, Aghaloo T, Claytor JW, Dhar V, Dionne RA, Espinoza L, Gordon SM, Hersh EV, Law AS, Li BS-K, Schwartz PJ, Suda KJ, Turturro MA, Wright ML, Dawson T, Miroshnychenko A, Pahlke S, Pilcher L, Shirey M, Tampi M, Moore PA. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in children: A report from the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania. Elsevier; 2023;154(9):814-825.e2. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2023.06.014

3. Carrasco-Labra A, Polk DE, Urquhart O, Aghaloo T, Claytor JW, Dhar V, Dionne RA, Espinoza L, Gordon SM, Hersh EV, Law AS, Li BS-K, Schwartz PJ, Suda KJ, Turturro MA, Wright ML, Dawson T, Miroshnychenko A, Pahlke S, Pilcher L, Shirey M, Tampi M, Moore PA. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in adolescents, adults, and older adults: A report from the American Dental Association Science and Research

Kim TJ (Co-Author in Periodontics), Shenker BJ, MacElroy AS, Spradlin S, Walker LP, Boesze-Battaglia K Corrigendum: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans cytolethal distending toxin modulates host phagocytic function. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2023;13:1321218. Epub 20231025. https://doi. org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1321218.

Kulchar RJ, Singh R, Ding S, Alexander E, Leong KW, Daniell H Delivery of biologics: Topical administration. Biomaterials. 2023;302:122312. Epub 20230904. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. biomaterials.2023.122312.

Laird MF, Iriarte-Diaz J, Byron CD, Granatosky MC, Taylor AB, Ross CF. Gape drives regional variation in temporalis architectural dynamics in tufted capuchins. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023;378(1891):20220550. Epub 20231016. https://doi.org/10.1098/ rstb.2022.0550.

Laird MF, Ross CF, Kang V, Konow N. Introduction: food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023;378(1891):20220559. Epub 20231016. https://doi.org/10.1098/ rstb.2022.0559.

Wall CE, Hanna JB, O’Neill MC, Toler M, Laird MF Energetic costs of feeding in 12 species of small-bodied primates

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2023;378(1891):20220553. Epub 20231016. https://doi.org/10.1098/ rstb.2022.0553.

Yuan G, Yang ST, Yang S. Corrigendum to “Endothelial RGS12 governs angiogenesis in inflammatory arthritis by controlling cilia formation and elongation via MYCBP2 signaling” [Cell Insight 1 (2022) 100055]. Cell Insight. 2023;2(6):100102. Epub 20231026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cellin.2023.100102 .

Zhao N, Teles F, Lu J, Koestler DC, Beck J, Boerwinkle E, et al. Epigenome-wide association study using peripheral blood leukocytes identifies genomic regions associated with periodontal disease and edentulism in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. J Clin Periodontol. 2023;50(9):1140-53. Epub 20230718.

ENDODONTICS

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Albagle A, Kohli MR, Kratchman SI, Lee SM, Karabucak B. Periapical healing following endodontic microsurgery with collagen-based bone-filling material: A randomized controlled clinical trial. International Endodontic Journal. 2023;56(12):1446-58. https://doi. org/10.1111/iej.13973.

Aminoshariae A, Azarpazhooh A, Fouad AF, Glickman GN, He J, Kim SG, Kishen A, Letra AM, Levin L, Setzer FC, et al. Insights Into the September 2023 Issue of the JOE. J Endod. 2023;49(9):10879. Epub 20230803. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.joen.2023.08.001.

Aminoshariae A, Azarpazhooh A, Fouad AF, Glickman GN, He J, Kim SG, Kishen A, Letra AM, Levin L, Setzer FC, et al. Insights into the October 2023 Issue of the Journal of Endodontics. J Endod. 2023;49(10):1227-9. Epub 20230902. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. joen.2023.08.022.

Aminoshariae A, Azarpazhooh A, Fouad AF, Glickman GN, He J, Kim SG, Kishen A, Letra AM, Levin L, Setzer FC, et al. Insights into the December 2023 Issue of the Journal of Endodontics. J Endod. 2023;49(12):1585-7. Epub 20231104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. joen.2023.11.001.

Hassouneh L, Matoug-Elwerfelli M, Al-Omari T, Setzer FC, Nagendrababu V. Assessment of biomechanical behavior of immature non-vital incisors with various treatment modalities by means of three-dimensional quasi-static finite element analysis. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):17491. Epub 20231015. https://doi.org/10.1038/ s41598-023-44609-2.

ORAL MEDICINE

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTS

Dr. Roopali Kulkarni is among the ADA 10 under 10 cohort for 2024. The award celebrates dentists who graduated less than 10 years ago who demonstrate excellence and inspire others in science, research & education, practice excellence, philanthropy, leadership and advocacy.

She is also the recipient of the 2024 Pennsylvania Dental Association Recognition Award, recognizing her passion for education and her ability to inspire current and future dental professionals.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Al-Amad SH, Bankvall M, Okoh M, Smith DK, Kerr AR, Sollecito TP, Peterson DP, Elad S, Warnakulasuriya S, Greenberg MS, et al. World Workshop on Oral Medicine VIII: Barriers to research in oral medicine: results from a global survey Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2023;136(5):584-94. Epub 20230714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. oooo.2023.06.013.

Aldosary SN, Mirfendereski P, Mupparapu M A Patient with Hypothyroidism in Need of Periodontal Connective Tissue Graft Surgery. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):601-3. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.017.

Aldosary SN, Tanaka TI A Young Adult Patient with Rheumatoid Disorder Presents for the Evaluation of Limited Mouth Opening. Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):633-5. Epub 20230727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.05.035.

Duda PW, Singer SR, Alamodi E, Mupparapu M A Pregnant Patient (First Trimester) Reporting for Pain in Relation to the Maxillary Left First Molar Was Prescribed a Full Mouth Series Radiographs in the Dental Office. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):7035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.05.028.

Graillon N, Akintoye SO, Iocca O, Kaleem A, Hajjar S, Imanguli M, et al. Current concepts in targeted therapies for benign tumors of the jaw - A review of the literature J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2023;51(10):591-6. Epub 20231011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jcms.2023.10.003.

Greenberg AE, Wutoh A, Bowleg L, Robinson B, Magnus M, Segarra L, Simon P, Wutoh A, Blankenship K, Burke M, Okeke NL, Corneli A, Hussen S, Holliday RC, Ciaranello A, Ghebremichael M, Haberer J, Irvin R, Irvin N, Antoine DG, Chen Z, Momplaisir F, Jordan-Sciutto K, et al. Centers for AIDS Research (CFAR) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pathway Initiative (CDEIPI): Developing Career Pathways for Early-Stage Scholars From Racial and Ethnic Groups Underrepresented in HIV Science and Medicine. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2023;94(2):S5S12. https://doi.org/10.1097/ QAI.0000000000003270.

Hong WW, Kim IH, Dayo AF, Mupparapu M A Patient Presents for Dental Extraction and Goes into Sickle Cell Crisis in the Dental Chair. Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):679-82. Epub 20230618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.05.015.

Hong WW, Kim IH, Hong BM, Oak S, Mupparapu M A Patient Presenting for Dental Extraction After Completion of Chemotherapy. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):667-70. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.020.

Kim IH, Hong WW, Mupparapu M. A Patient Diagnosed with Bulimia Reports to the Dental Office Seeking Cosmetic Dental Work. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):699-702. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.027.

PRESENTATION PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES SERIES

Kreider EF, Ortega-Burgos Y, DumengRodriguez J, Gesualdi J, O’Brien C, Bracy D, Johnson J, Bowman J, Metzger D, Dine CJ, Favor K, Jordan-Sciutto KL, et al. Early Engagement in HIV Research: Evaluation of the Penn CFAR Scholars Program Aimed at Increasing Diversity of the HIV/AIDS Workforce. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2023;94(2):S28S35. https://doi.org/10.1097/ QAI.0000000000003260.

Kulkarni R, Akintoye S A Patient with a History of Fibromyalgia Reports for an Intraoral Incisional Biopsy. Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):645-7. Epub 20230711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.06.002.

Kulkarni R, Akintoye S A Patient with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Presents for Dental Extraction. Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):625-8. Epub 20230727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.06.001.

Kulkarni R, Akintoye S A Patient Who Recently Underwent Total Temporomandibular Joint Replacement Reporting for Endodontic Therapy. Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):62931. Epub 20230620. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.031.

Lockhart PB, Chu V, Zhao J, Gohs F, Thornhill MH, Pihlstrom B, Mougeot FB, Rose GA, Sun Y, Napenas J, Munz S, Farrehi PM, Sollecito T, et al. Oral hygiene and infective endocarditis: a case control study Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2023;136(3):33342. Epub 20230311. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.oooo.2023.02.020.

Magnus M, Segarra L, Robinson B, Blankenship K, Corneli A, Ghebremichael M, Irvin N, McIntosh R, Favor KE, Jordan-Sciutto KL, et al. Impact of a Multi-Institutional Initiative to Engage Students and Early-Stage Scholars From Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups in HIV Research: The Centers for AIDS Research Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pathway Initiative. Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes. 2023;94(2):S13S20. https://doi.org/10.1097/ QAI.0000000000003266.

Mirfendereski P, France K A Patient Undergoing Treatment of Hematologic Malignancy Reports for Oral Evaluation. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):663-5. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.016.

Mirfendereski P, Magee R, France K Scaling and Root Planning in a Patient Taking Chronic Corticosteroid Therapy for Lupus Erythematosus. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):64951. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.05.018.

Mirfendereski P, Trotter JW, France K A 65-Year-Old Man with Recent History of Radiation Therapy to the Head and Neck Reporting for Treatment of a Nonrestorable Tooth. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):671-4. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.021.

Omolehinwa TT, Akintoye SO, Gabinskiy M, Lo Re V, 3rd, Mupparapu M, Urbina R, Schaubel DE, Corby PM Oral health outcomes in an HIV cohort with comorbidities- implementation roadmap for a longitudinal prospective observational study. BMC Oral Health. 2023;23(1):763. Epub 20231017. https:// doi.org/10.1186/s12903-023-03527-5.

DENTISTS, SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS TRANSFORMING ORAL HEALTH

May 30, 2024

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Risner-Bauman A, Henschel M (Co-Author in Preventive & Restorative Sciences), Robbins MR An educational model for special patient care in dentistry. Special Care in Dentistry. 2023. https:// doi.org/10.1111/scd.12914.

Risner-Bauman A, Robbins MR A Patient with Cerebral Palsy Presents for Evaluation of Third Molar Pain. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):577-9. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.023.

Risner-Bauman A, Robbins MR Patient with a History of Down Syndrome Presents for Periodic Examination and Cleaning. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):569-71. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.003.

Risner-Bauman A, Robbins MR Nonverbal Patient with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Presents for an Initial Dental Visit. Dental Clinics of North America. 2023;67(4):565-8. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cden.2023.05.002.

Steinbaum S (Co-Author in Orthodontics), Jagannath J, Seymour L, Corby P, Kulkarni R, France K Oral healthcare providers play a vital role in vaccination efforts: Patient perspectives. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research. 2023;9(6):1169-79. https:// doi.org/10.1002/cre2.777.

Tanaka TI, Shanti R. A Patient with a History of Tonsillar Cancer Presents for Evaluation of Exposed Alveolar Bone in the Mouth. Dent Clin North Am. 2023;67(4):675-7. Epub 20230721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cden.2023.06.003.

ORAL SURGERY & PHARMACOLOGY

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Meng Q, Burrell JC, Zhang Q, Le AD Potential Application of Orofacial MSCs in Tissue Engineering Nerve Guidance for Peripheral Nerve Injury Repair. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports. 2023;19(8):261231. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12015-023-10609-y.

Nadella S, Asi A, Sheridan O (Co-Author in Preventative & Restorative Sciences), Wolff M (Co-Author in Preventative & Restorative Sciences), Panchal N Strategies for managing dental care for refugee patients. Spec Care Dentist. 2023;43(6):824-8. Epub 20221030. https://doi.org/10.1111/scd.12794.

Nadella S, Panchal N HIP, HIPAA, Hooray: Responding to Negative Online Reviews. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. 2023;81(12):14556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. joms.2023.08.172.

Sternick M, Gates JC, Champion A, Yampolsky A. Negative pressure wound therapy for complex oral wounds. J Surg Case Rep. 2023;2023(12):rjad638. Epub 20231206. https://doi.org/10.1093/ jscr/rjad638.

Zhang Q, Lei X, Wang F, He X, Liu L, Hou Y, Liu Y, Jin F, Chen C, et al. ERK1-mediated immunomodulation of mesenchymal stem cells ameliorates inflammatory disorders. iScience. 2023;26(10):107868. Epub 20230909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. isci.2023.107868.

ORTHODONTICS

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTS

Dr. Michel Koo is among Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers™ for 2023 in the microbiology category. The annual list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Baik JC, Choi YK, Jeon HH, Kim SH, Kim SS, Park SB, et al. Skeletal and Dentoalveolar Effects of Maxillary Protraction Using Tooth- and MiniscrewAnchored Devices in Patients with Class III Malocclusion with Maxillary Deficiency: A Retrospective Follow-Up Study. Applied Sciences (Switzerland). 2023;13(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/app131810530.

TEACHING & RESEARCH RECOGNIZED

Dr. Chenshuang Li is the 2024 recipient of the AADOCR Anne D.Haffajee Fellowship, which recognizes and supports women researchers at the early stages of their scientific careers. She also received the 2024 ADEA/ ADEA Council of Students, Residents and Fellows/Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Junior Faculty Award, designed to enhance an outstanding junior faculty member’s teaching, research, or service efforts.

Choi YK, Park JJ, Jeon HH, Kim YI. Comparison of the skeletodental effects of miniscrew-anchored and tooth-anchored facemask treatment in growing patients with skeletal class III malocclusions. Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research. 2023;26(4):695-703. https://doi. org/10.1111/ocr.12680.

Formosa J, Zou M, Chung CH, Boucher NS, Li C Mandibular alveolar bone thickness in untreated Class I subjects with different vertical skeletal patterns: a conebeam computed tomography study. The Angle orthodontist. 2023;93(6):683-94. https://doi.org/10.2319/030523-151.1.

Gershater E, Griswold O, Talsania BE, Zhang Y (Co-Author in Preventative & Restorative Sciences), Chung CH, Zheng Z, Li C Effects of Plasma Treatment on the Strength of Bonding to Ceramic Surfaces in Orthodontics—A Comprehensive Review. Bioengineering. 2023;10(11). https://doi. org/10.3390/bioengineering10111323.

Hajfathalian M, de Vries CR, Hsu JC, Amirshaghaghi A, Dong YC, Ren Z, Liu Y, Huang Y, Li Y, Knight SA, Jonnalagadda P, Zlitni A, Grice EA, Bollyky PL, Koo H, et al. Theranostic gold-in-gold cage nanoparticles enable photothermal ablation and photoacoustic imaging in biofilm-associated infection models. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2023;133(21). https://doi.org/10.1172/ JCI168485.

A DYNAMIC DUO

Dr. Michel Koo and collaborators discovered a game-changing synergy between ferumoxytol and stannous fluoride in treating dental caries, finding a way to combine these two FDA-approved treatments to target biofilm without disrupting the oral microbiome. See the following article:

Huang Y, Liu Y (Co-Author in Preventive & Restorative Sciences), Pandey NK, Shah S, Simon-Soro A, Hsu JC, Ren Z, Xiang Z, Kim D, Ito T, Oh MJ, Alawi F (Co-Author in Basic & Translational Sciences), Li Y, Smeets PJM, Boyer S, Zhao X, Joester D, Zero DT, Cormode DP, Koo H. Iron oxide nanozymes stabilize stannous fluoride for targeted biofilm killing and synergistic oral disease prevention. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):6087. Epub 20230929. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41687-8.

Koo H, Stebe K Dental Medicine and Engineering Unite to Transform Oral Health Innovations. Journal of Dental Research. 2023;102(11):1177-9. https:// doi.org/10.1177/00220345231183339.

Lamont RJ, Hajishengallis G (Co-Author in Basic & Translational Sciences), Koo H Social networking at the microbiome-host interface. Infect Immun. 2023;91(9):e0012423. Epub 20230818. https://doi.org/10.1128/iai.00124-23.

Li C, Zheng Z, Ha P, Jiang W, Soo C, Ting K. Neural EGFL-like 1, a craniosynostosis-related osteochondrogenic molecule, strikingly associates with neurodevelopmental pathologies. Cell Biosci. 2023;13(1):227. Epub 20231215. https:// doi.org/10.1186/s13578-023-01174-5.

Lin JH, Wu GL, Chiu CK, Wang S, Chung CH, Li C Finite Element Analysis Model for Assessing Expansion Patterns from Surgically Assisted Rapid Palatal Expansion. Journal of Visualized Experiments. 2023;2023(200). https:// doi.org/10.3791/65700.

Park TH, Lin JH, Chung CH, Zheng Z, Li C The skeletal and dental age advancements of children and adolescents with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. 2023;164(3):32539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ajodo.2023.05.022.

PERIODONTICS

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Alhossan A, Chang YC, Wang TJ, Wang YB, Fiorellini JP Reliability of Cone Beam Computed Tomography in Predicting Implant Treatment Outcomes in Edentulous Patients. Diagnostics. 2023;13(17). https://doi.org/10.3390/ diagnostics13172843.

Chuang PN, Kim T, Wang YB, Fiorellini J, Chang YC Laser-Assisted Minimally Invasive Nonsurgical Therapy In Treating Severely Periodontally Compromised Teeth: A Case Series International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry. 2023;43:S314-S25. https://doi. org/10.11607/prd.6295.

Kim TJ, Littlejohn CG, Richey KH, Falsafi N, Li C, Wang TJ, Lander B, Chang Y A Modern Approach to Treat Molar/Incisor Pattern Periodontitis—Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023;12(18). https:// doi.org/10.3390/jcm12186107.

ORAL/SYSTEMIC HEALTH

Liss HA, Wang Y, Shoushtari RH, Sourvanos D, Alawi F (Co-Author in Basic & Translational Sciences), Fiorellini JP, Korostoff J A Periodontal Perspective on the Successful Treatment of Recurrent Benign Gingival Lesions Affecting the Anterior Dentition: Two Case Reports. Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent. 2023(7):s195-s204. https://doi. org/10.11607/prd.6137.

Sun M, Clayton N, Alam S, Asmussen N, Wong A, Kim JH, Luong G, Pellei D, Carrico CK, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD, Giannobile WV, Sahingur SE, et al. Selective BET inhibitor RVX-208 ameliorates periodontal inflammation and bone loss. Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 2023;50(12):1658-69. https://doi. org/10.1111/jcpe.13887.

Tavelli L, Barootchi S, Rodriguez MV, Travan S, Oh TJ, Neiva R, et al. Living cellular constructs for keratinized tissue augmentation: A 13-year follow-up from a split-mouth randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Journal of Periodontology. 2023;94(11):1302-14. https://doi. org/10.1002/JPER.23-0040.

In recent decades, significant strides have been made in understanding the complex dynamics of oral physiology, particularly its interaction with the host immune and metabolic systems. This symbiotic relationship is increasingly recognized as a crucial factor in determining overall health and disease, extending beyond the confines of the oral cavity. Dr. Esra Sahingur served as guest co-editor for a special issue “Regulation of Metabolism and Inflammation: Links with Oral and Systemic Health” in the journal Molecular Oral Microbiology. Part 1 of this special issue focuses on host-microbiome interactions pertinent to both health and disease. Parts 2 and 3, are slated for publication in May and July 2024, respectively.

PREVENTIVE & RESTORATIVE SCIENCES

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTS

Dr. Mark S. Wolff was the recipient of the Woods System of Care Distinguished Service Award, presented in appreciation and recognition of outstanding leadership, nationally and globally, in providing high-quality dental care to persons with disabilities.

Joining the full-time faculty are Dr. Nupur Patel, Assistant Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry and Director of the Postdoctoral Prosthodontics Program; Dr. Rupali Gaindh, Assistant Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry and Primary Care Unit Director; and Dr. Meeta Chawla, Assistant Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry.

With joint appointments in the Division of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Elizabeth Powell has joined the faculty as Assistant Professor of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry and Assistant Director of Community Oral Health.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

A selection of published work (Sept. 2023-Dec. 2023) by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Adu-Berchie K, Liu Y, Zhang DKY, Freedman BR, Brockman JM, Vining KH, et al. Generation of functionally distinct T-cell populations by altering the viscoelasticity of their extracellular matrix. Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2023;7(11):1374-91. https://doi. org/10.1038/s41551-023-01052-y.

Amran T, Meier D, Amato J, Connert T, Blatz MB, Weiger R, Eggmann F. Accuracy of Selective Enamel Etching: A Computer-assisted Imaging Analysis. Operative dentistry. 2023;48(5):53845. https://doi.org/10.2341/22-114-L.

Blatz MB, Eggmann F. Deep Margin Elevation: Next-Level Adhesive Dentistry to Avoid Surgical Crown Lengthening. Compend Contin Educ Dent. 2023;44(9):530-1. PubMed PMID: 37850958.

MANAGING ACUTE DENTAL PAIN

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) taken alone or with acetaminophen are recommended as the first line of treatment for managing short-term dental pain in adolescents, adults, and older adults, according to a new clinical practice guideline developed by Penn Dental Medicine’s Center for Integrative Global Oral Health, the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, and the University of Pittsburgh. See the following article:

Carrasco-Labra A, Polk DE, Urquhart O, Aghaloo T, Claytor JW, Dhar V, Dionne RA, Espinoza L, Gordon SM, Hersh EV, Law AS, Li BS-K, Schwartz PJ, Suda KJ, Turturro MA, Wright ML, Dawson T, Miroshnychenko A, Pahlke S, Pilcher L, Shirey M, Tampi M, Moore PA. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic management of acute dental pain in adolescents, adults, and older adults: A report from the American Dental Association Science and Research Institute, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pennsylvania. J Am Dent Assoc. 2024;155(2):102-117.e9. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2023.10.009

Busse JW, Casassus R, Carrasco-Labra A, Durham J, Mock D, Zakrzewska JM, et al. Management of chronic pain associated with temporomandibular disorders: a clinical practice guideline. Bmj. 2023;383:e076227. Epub 20231215. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023076227 .

Carrasco-Labra A, Urquhart O, Glick M. A practitioner’s guide to developing critical appraisal skills: How to interpret the magnitude of clinical study results. J Am Dent Assoc. 2023;154(9):836-41. Epub 20230725. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. adaj.2023.06.005.

Eggmann F, Weiger R, Zitzmann NU, Blatz MB Implications of large language models such as ChatGPT for dental medicine. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. 2023;35(7):1098-102. https:// doi.org/10.1111/jerd.13046 .

Sanchez-Lara A, Hosney S, Lampraki E, Conejo J, Blatz MB, Barmak AB, et al. Evaluation of marginal and internal fit of single crowns manufactured with an analog workflow and three CAD-CAM systems: A prospective clinical study. Journal of Prosthodontics. 2023;32(8):689-96. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.13675.

Shakibaie B, Blatz MB, Sabri H, Jamnani ED, Barootchi S. Effectiveness of Two Differently Processed Bovine-Derived Xenografts for Alveolar Ridge Preservation with a Minimally Invasive Tooth Extraction Approach: A Feasibility Clinical Trial. International Journal of Periodontics and Restorative Dentistry. 2023;43(5):5419. https://doi.org/10.11607/PRD.6128.

Silva NR, Araújo G, Moura D, Araújo L, Gurgel BV, Melo RM, Bottino MA, Ozcan M, Zhang Y, et al. Clinical Performance of Minimally Invasive Monolithic Ultratranslucent Zirconia Veneers: A Case Series up to Five Years of Follow-up. Operative dentistry. 2023;48(6):606-17. https://doi. org/10.2341/22-118-T.

Verdugo-Paiva F, Bonfill Cosp X, Alonso-Coello P, Ávila-Oliver C, Glick M, Carrasco-Labra A How oral health care organizations formulate actionable statements to inform practice and policy: A protocol for a systematic survey. F1000Res. 2023;12:1261. Epub 20231003. https://doi.org/10.12688/ f1000research.141423.1.

Listl S, Baltussen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Carrer FC, Lavis JN. EvidenceInformed Oral Health Policy Making: Opportunities and Challenges. Journal of Dental Research. 2023;102(12):1293-302. https://doi. org/10.1177/00220345231187828.

Luna-Domínguez CR, Luna-Domínguez JH, Blatz M Full-mouth rehabilitation in a completely digital workflow using partially adhesive monolithic zirconia restorations. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry. 2023;35(7):1050-7. https:// doi.org/10.1111/jerd.13048.

Zaror C, Seiffert A, Deana NF, EspinozaEspinoza G, Atala-Acevedo C, Diaz R, Carrasco-Labra A Emergency and sequalae management of traumatic dental injuries: a systematic survey of clinical practice guidelines. BMC Oral Health. 2023;23(1):704. Epub 20230930. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12903-023-03409-w.

ALUMNIHIGHLIGHTS

PROFILES, GATHERINGS & ENGAGEMENT

Alumni Gatherings

ALUMNI SKI TRIP

The annual Alumni Ski Trip took place in March for the first time in Park City, Utah. Alumni were offered CDE from four guest speakers in the mornings and enjoyed the slopes in the afternoons.

ALUMNI-STUDENT NETWORKING

In March, nearly 150 students, residents and alumni came together at The Loews Hotel to make meaningful connections at the annual Alumni-Student Networking Event.

ALUMNI ISLAND GETAWAY

Alumni and guests traveled to the island of Bonaire in January for CDE credits, while enjoying beautiful beaches, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and more.

2024 Alumni Awards

The Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society is pleased to honor the accomplishments and dedication of alumni with its annual awards. The awards will be presented as part of Alumni Weekend 2024 at a special reception on Friday, May 17, 4 p.m., in Fonseca Courtyard. The 2024 Alumni Award recipients include the following.

THOMAS EVANS AWARD

Cecile Feldman (C’80, D’84, GD’85, WG’85)

The Thomas Evans Achievement Award is Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society’s highest award of recognition, honoring alumni who have shown innovation, excellence, and leadership in the profession of oral health care nationally and internationally. This year’s recipient is Cecile Feldman (C’80, D’84, GD’85, WG’85)

Penn Dental Medicine alumna Dr. Cecile Feldman has devoted her career to dental education, following a path in academics that propelled her to the leadership role of Dean at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine — a post she has held since 1999. Her interest in

higher education administration started as an undergraduate at Penn, where she was a fellow for both the Higher Education Finance Research Institute and the Office of Planning Assessment. While earning her DMD, Feldman also earned an MBA from Wharton. After completing an Advanced Education in General Dentistry program here in 1985, she joined the School’s faculty, serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dental Care Systems for three years before joining the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (becoming Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in 2013).

Currently a Distinguished Professor in both the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and Rutgers School of Public Health, Feldman served in a variety of leadership roles before assuming the deanship, including Director of Information Services & Quality Assurance, Associate Dean for Planning and Assessment, Acting Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Acting and Interim Dean. Throughout her career, she has been active at both the state and national level, including leadership roles with the American Dental Education Association, the American Dental Association, and the American College of Dentists. She has served on several state and national boards, including the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), the National Institutes

Dr. Cecile Feldman has devoted her career to dental education.

of Health Council on Council, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Advisory Council.

Presently, Feldman serves on the Task Force to Modernize Predoctoral Dental Education Accreditation Standards for the CODA and on the Commission to Modernize Dental Licensure, and is the Principal Investigator for an $11.5 million NIDCR-funded clinical trial investigating the superiority and non-inferiority of non-opioids in managing acute post-operative pain. She often serves as a consultant to U.S. dental schools on issues such as program evaluation, strategic planning, outcomes assessment, curriculum development/evaluation, quality assurance, and informatics.

ALUMNI AWARD OF MERIT

The Alumni Award of Merit recognizes love for and loyalty to Penn Dental Medicine, excellence in the profession of dentistry, and community involvement. The award acknowledges graduates who have maintained their ties with the School through their support of alumni activities, demonstrated leadership win the dental profession, and fostered and maintained the ideals of the School. This year’s recipients include:

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD OF MERIT

The Young Alumni Award of Merit recognizes Penn Dental Medicine alumni one to 15 years from graduation who have maintained their ties with the School through their support of alumni activities, demonstrated leadership in the dental profession, and fostered and maintained the ideals that the School of Dental Medicine has stood for since its founding. This year’s recipient is:

HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD

The honorary alumni awards are presented to individuals who are not graduates of Penn Dental Medicine, but have demonstrated a strong commitment to Penn Dental Medicine through their service to and involvement with the School. This year’s recipients are:

Dr. Nathan Kobrin (posthumously), Clinical Associate Professor of Restorative Dentistry

Dr. David Swiecinski, Clinical Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry

When you include Penn Dental Medicine as part of your estate and financial planning you make a statement about what matters most to you.

Consider including Penn Dental Medicine in your will or living trust or designate the School as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or life insurance policy. These promises of support made today, contribute to the advancement of knowledge tomorrow, helping to advance dental education, scientific research, and patient care.

Harness the power of your planning and inspire the future.

Joy Abt (D’94)Betty Peebles (DH’59) Evan Eisler (C'11, D’15)

ALUMNIHIGHLIGHTS

Leading, Advocating

ALUMNI PROFILE:

DR. CARY J. LIMBERAKIS (C’73, D’78)

“We want to cultivate leadership and promote young dentists across the state. We want to see them succeed not only in dentistry, but also in their professionalism and their roles as leaders in the community.”

— DR. CARY LIMBERAKIS

Limberakis has been practicing dentistry for 46 years, almost all of them at Limberakis Family Dentistry in Abington, PA. His son, Jonathan, made it a true family affair when he joined him in practice in 2015 following his general practice residency.

Dr. Cary Limberakis (C’73, D’78) takes on the leadership of the Pennsylvania Dental Association as its new President

Dr. Cary J. Limberakis (C’73, D’78), who became President of the Pennsylvania Dental Association in April 2024, is passionate about the issues on his lengthy to-do-good list, with a supporting statistic or story for each.

On expanding drinking water fluoridation throughout the Commonwealth: “For children, tooth decay is the number one affliction that causes them to miss school; it’s not colds or allergies. What better way to help those with access-to-care challenges than to fluoridate the water and minimize tooth decay?”

On lobbying Harrisburg lawmakers on dental issues, including Medicaid-covered dental procedures and reimbursement for practitioners: “Until two months ago, Medicaid would only cover one denture during a patient's lifetime. That’s ludicrous! The body changes over the years, including the mouth. We’ve had some successes, including the funding increases for dental Medicaid this year for the first time in more than a decade. So, we’re moving in the right direction. But we’re still not where we would like to be.”

On a plan to improve PDA’s governance: “We want to cultivate leadership and promote young dentists across the state. We want to see them succeed not only in dentistry, but also in their professionalism and their roles as leaders in the community.”

On stressing the connection between good oral health and the rest of the body: “We already know that research has demonstrated a correlation between gum disease and cardiovascular health, diabetes, and other maladies. More recently, researchers have even suggested a link with Alzheimer's disease as well. Controlling periodontal disease, one form of chronic inflammation, helps to mitigate these conditions.”

It’s a lot, Limberakis admits of the agenda before him, but he is eagerly embracing the new leadership role and the opportunities it affords him to advocate for and advance oral healthcare.

“The PDA exists to help members succeed and improve the oral health of the public,” says Limberakis, whose term as PDA President runs through next April. “That’s our mission, and “I take it to heart.”

Limberakis went to dental school because he felt the profession would meld his passion for biology with this love to help people, and he says it has done that and more. “Dentistry is a fusion of science and art,” he says. “From biology and material science to biomechanics and aesthetics, it is such an ever evolving and dynamic field of healthcare.”

His best advice for young practitioners: “Maintain a high standard of care. If you do that, and keep your patients’ best interests first and foremost, you will succeed.” He also has a few favorite dental aphorisms for the next generation, including, “I tell patients ‘I can do Rolls Royce dentistry on you, but if you don’t change the oil every three months (practice good oral hygiene), you’re going to have a broken down Rolls Royce!”

In addition to his more formally stated goals for the PDA, Limberakis wants his presidency to highlight the importance of community service. Among his own volunteer efforts, he has been involved for many years with the non-profit Mission of Mercy in Pennsylvania (MOM-n-PA), an annual, free, two-day dental clinic for the underserved population throughout the Commonwealth. “It is a most gratifying experience,” says Limberakis. “When I orient

new volunteers, I tell them that they’ll finish the day infected with the volunteerism bug and want to volunteer again in the future, since it is so gratifying restoring smiles.”

He also wants Penn Dental Medicine alumni across the country to know it is never too late to get actively involved in their professional associations. During his first 20 years as a dentist, he says, “I went to meetings and took courses for re-licensure, but never really became involved.” Then around 25 years ago, a friend became president of the local dental society. Limberakis congratulated him and asked if there was anything he could do to help. His friend seized the opportunity and appointed Limberakis chair of a committee. That was the beginning of a new passion for him — being

“Without a doubt, serving as President of the Pennsylvania Dental Association is the pinnacle of my dental career. I’ll never regret the day I congratulated my friend and asked him if there’s anything I could do to help. It changed my life for the better.”

— DR. CARY LIMBERAKIS

actively involved in his professional association at the local, regional, state, and national levels.

“Without a doubt, serving as President of the Pennsylvania Dental Association is the pinnacle of my dental career,” he says. “I’ll never regret the day I congratulated my friend and asked him if there’s anything I could do to help. It changed my life for the better.”

Now, Limberakis says, he is waiting for others to ask him that same question.

ALUMNUS DONATION ESTABLISHES STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND

Thanks to a generous gift from a Penn Dental Medicine alumnus, Penn Dental Medicine students now have a new resource to support them in times of need and crisis. The new emergency fund is designed to help with unexpected expenses incurred by students that they cannot reasonably meet through other forms of aid or their personal resources. Inspired by this alumni donation, Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Mark Wolff, matched the funds available for this purpose.

The funds will be available to help support expenses that are essential to the safety and well-being of students or required for continuing their academic progress. The types of expenses may include repair or replacement of damaged or stolen academic technology; unanticipated or emergency medical expenses; temporary housing for displacement due to fire, flood, or other unforeseen circumstances; travel costs related to unexpected crisis or death in the immediate family; and other unanticipated and urgent needs as appropriate.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by a committee comprised of staff from the Office of Student Affairs and Student Financial Services. Funding priority will be given based on the urgency of the situation, level of hardship, and the student’s overall financial situation.

“The emergency funding plays an important role in alleviating the financial burden on students faced with unforeseen out-of-pocket expenses, decreasing their stress levels, and ensuring their continued personal and academic progress,” says Margaret Yang, Director of Student Affairs and Engagement.

With the goal of maintaining the fund for student needs in the future, all applicants pledge that should they be financially able to repay the amount they receive during their lifetime, they will do so.

Alumni Gatherings

SAFARI WITH PENN DENTAL MEDICINE

This November, a group of alumni and guests enjoyed the unique beauty of the Maasai Mara region of Kenya while participating in a discussion of how data science is shaping clinical practice in the U.S. and globally.

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE GREATER NEW YORK DENTAL MEETING RECEPTION

In November, approximately 100 alumni and guests came together at the Penn Club of New York to reconnect, meet new connections from Penn Dental Medicine, and discuss new happenings in the realm of dentistry.

CLASSNOTES

NEWS FROM FELLOW ALUMNI

1960s

Dr. Myron Allukian, Jr. (D’64) was recently awarded the Massachusetts Public Health Association (MPHA)’s highest honor: the Paul Revere Award for Lifetime Achievement for his profound influence on public health. He is the first dentist to ever receive this award.

1970s

Dr. David Appleby (D’74), Dr. Sean Meehan (D’92), Maya Cao (D’24), and Amanda Dontino (D’27) were featured in an edition of “The Colgate Scene,” the alumni magazine of Colgate University. Despite being at various points in their dental careers, all four alumni share the commonality of having graduated from Colgate University.

Dr. Benjamin Iuvone (D’74) is enjoying his retirement with his grandchildren and traveling with his wife, Roseann.

Dr. Harry Marcy (D’74) says he loved his time at Penn Dental Medicine and the education he received. He retired in 2011 and moved to his vacation home overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Marcy and his wife, Christa, recently celebrated their 50th anniversary together this past summer and are enjoying time with their two kids and four grandchildren. He passes along all his best wishes to all of his classmates and friends.

Dr. Michael Cobin (D’72, GD’77) and Dr. Martin Levin (D’72, GD’74) recently met up in Los Angeles for breakfast and a lot of laughs. The former roommates spent the summer of their junior year at the Royal Dental College in Aarhus, Denmark, in a work/study program arranged by Dean D. Walter Cohen. They said that they have Penn Dental Medicine and all the dedicated faculty and staff to thank for their successes over the years.

Dr. Linda Himmelberg (D’79) retired from her general practice, but continues to be active in organized dentistry, having served as President of the PDA, a Trustee to the ADA, and also served on the PA State Board of Dentistry. Before retiring, Dr. Himmelberg was also involved in forensic dentistry, having served on Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT) and the Pennsylvania Dental Association Dental Identification Team.

1980s

Dr. George Grillon (D’80) was recently recognized by the Maryland State Dental Association House of Delegates with the Thomas J. Soliday Distinguished Service Award. This award acknowledges a member who has provided exceptional service to the profession of dentistry and the state of Maryland.

Dr. Frank Serio (D’80) was the recipient of the International College of Dentists (ICD) Distinguished Humanitarian Award for his mission work in the Dominican Republic. Dr. Serio also had a chance to meet Dean Wolff at this gathering.

Dr. Jay Dubin (C’80, D’84) is currently working as a full-time faculty member and clinical associate at Penn Dental Medicine.

Dr. Mark Desrosiers (D’84), Dr. Egidio Farone (D’84), Dr. Michael Smith (D’84), Dr. Mitchell Greenberg (D’84), and Dr. Michael Shreck (D’84), all reunited and attended the 2023 American Dental Association (ADA) House of Delegates in Orlando, FL.

Dr. Egidio Farone (D’84) was installed as the new Chair of the New York section of the American College of Dentists.

Dr. Angela Fratianni (D’89) has been married for over 29 years to her husband, Bob, and together they have three children, AJ, Gabriella, and Isabella. Dr. Fratianni no longer practices dentistry due to carpal tunnel surgery, but she currently works for Weight Watchers as a weight loss coach and enjoys spending free time volunteering at a local animal shelter.

1990s

Dr. Marc Ackerman (D’98) was recently interviewed for a new documentary on Netflix called ‘Open Wide.’

2000s

Dr. Todd Welsh (D’00, GD’05) received the LightForce 500 Cases Award. As one of the earliest adopters of LightForce 3D printed fully custom braces, Dr. Welsh helped pioneer and further develop this advanced technology. He is a LightForce KOL teaching best clinical applications to orthodontists across North America.

Dr. Marc Hayashi (D’09) has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the California Dental Association’s prestigious Dr. Arthur A. Dugoni Faculty Award. This award acknowledges and supports eligible faculty a liated with California’s dental schools for their exceptional leadership, innovation, collaboration, compassion, philanthropic spirit, and integrity in dental education.

2010s

Dr. Gita Yita (D’13) joined DenScore as their new Chief Dental O cer. As part of her new role, Dr. Yita is responsible for expanding public health initiatives related to oral health equity.

Dr. Bret Lesavoy (D’19) is excited to share he will be returning home to the Lehigh Valley to open up a new pediatric dental practice, Lesavoy Pediatric Dentistry, in his hometown of Allentown, PA. Dr. Lesavoy noted, “My commitment extends beyond providing exceptional pediatric dental care to our patients — it is about being an engaged and supporting member of our community. These are traits that were further engrained in me throughout my time at Penn Dental Medicine. I am beyond excited to be in the thick of this start-up journey and am grateful to my family, classmates, professors, mentors, and educational foundation & support that I received as a Penn Dental Medicine student to take this leap of faith into practice ownership to serve my patients and my community.”

Embark on a captivating adventure from September 8-13, 2024, as we explore the cities of Cappadocia and Istanbul. Immerse yourself in the rich history, vibrant culture, and the stunning landscapes that Turkey has to o er, while earning 6 CDE credits.

2020s

Dr. Ana Kodra (D’19, GD‘24) and Dr. Sarah Karron (D’20) were honored as Smigel Scholars at the American Society for Dental Aesthetics 2023 Conference.

Dr. Chenshuang Li (D’22) was the recipient of this year’s 2024 ADEA/ADEA Council of Students, Residents and Fellows/Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Junior Faculty Award. Each year, ADEA and Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc. This Award is given to a junior faculty member who demonstrates excellence in teaching, research and service, and a commitment to dental education.

INMEMORIAM

REMEMBERING MEMBERS OF THE PENN DENTAL MEDICINE COMMUNITY

James L. Dannenberg (D’48) Philadelphia, PA; December 17, 2023

Mary Lobaugh Curry (DH’49) Glenshaw, PA; December 5, 2023

Joyce Barnett Unger (DH’51) Oro Valley, AZ; June 28, 2023

Kenneth E. Penny (D’52) Delhi, NY; September 6, 2023

Ida Perlman Goffin (DH’53) Boca Raton, FL; December 16, 2023

Judith Marcil Asselin (DH’59) Southbury, CT; March 2, 2024

Alan G. Harquail (D’54, GD’60) Annapolis, MD; October 23, 2023

Paton Lewis, Jr. (D’54, GD’60) Minneapolis, MN; February 26, 2024

Beryl R. Sherman (D’54, GD’58) Lancaster, PA; February 6, 2022

Alden L. Snyder (D’55) Petersburg, NJ; December 29, 2023

Herbert M. Dietz (D’57, GD’60) West Chester, PA; April 12, 2024

Louis A. Rigali (D’57) Holyoke, MA; December 16, 2023

Joseph M. Stolman (GD’57) Palm Beach Gardens, FL; February 10, 2024

Gerald L. Fine (D’59) Setauket, NY; December 15, 2023

Alan Protzel (GD’59) Plainview, NY; June 23, 2023

Mark E. Connelly (D’60) Pearland, TX; October 26, 2017

G.Gary Hess (D’60) York, PA; September 6, 2023

Herbert E. Meyers (GD’60) Pittsburgh, PA; March 21, 2024

Richard J. Freiheit (D’61) Palm City, FL; July 13, 2022

Andrew S. Malinowski (D’61, GD’78) Vero Beach, FL; January 16, 2024

Louis F. Belinfante (D’62) Smyrna, GA; October 1, 2023

Mitchell F. Mayers (D’63) Greenville, SC; January 1, 2023

Cerlene M. Rose (DH’63) Washington DC; November 19, 2023

Don I. Trachtenberg (C’58, D’63, GM’67) Bryn Mawr, PA; December 20, 2023

Charles Bromberg (D’65) Springfield, NJ; December 23, 2023

Gerald C. Kelly (GD’65) Newtown Square, PA; November 15, 2023

Theron M. Hatch (D’65) Osprey, FL; October 25, 2020

Donald T. Dockstader (D’67) Exton, PA; November 28, 2022

Albert A. Citron (D’68) Vienna, VA; February 29, 2024

James L. Schmidt (D’68) Readfield, ME; October 1, 2021

Victor S. Dietz (D’69) Yarmouth, ME; October 25, 2023

William D. Dwyer (C’61, D’69) Falls Church, VA; November 22, 2023

Paul S. Taft (D’72) Northfield, RI; May 13, 2021

Kim R. Montgomery (D’74) Middlebury, Vermont; April 23, 2015

Kenneth T. Riso (D’75, GD’86) Riva, MD; March 17, 2023

William F. Schroeder (GD’75) Atlanta, GA; October 12, 2021

Rosario F. Mayro (GD’76) Jenkintown, PA; February 13, 2024

Terry M. Martinetti (D’79) Manchester, MA; January 21, 2024

Robert A. Miller (D’80) Bayside, NY; February 6, 2024

Alan M. Slutsky (D’80, WG’81) Escombar, Portugal; July 21, 2022

Thomas E. George (D’84, GD’85) Allentown, PA; November 30, 2022

Rhonda M. Kavee (D’90) Whitestone, NY; February 29, 2024

2024CALENDAR

UPCOMING EVENTS & PROGRAMS

MAY

MAY 14

Senior Farewell

The Bellevue, Philadelphia

MAY 15

Research Day

Penn Dental Medicine

MAY 16

Advances in Clinical Care & Education (ACCE Day)

Penn Dental Medicine

MAY 17-18

Alumni Weekend

Penn Dental Medicine

MAY 20

Commencement

Irvine Auditorium

University of Pennsylvania

MAY 22

CDE: Center for Persons with Disabilities Presentation Series Program

Zoom Webinar

MAY 24

Endodontics Class of 2024 Final Case Presentations

Penn Dental Medicine

Zoom Webinar

MAY 25

American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Reception Toronto, Canada

MAY 30

CDE: 2024 Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD) Symposium

Penn Dental Medicine

JUNE

JUNE 5-8

CDE: Center for Integrative Oral Health: From Evidence to Clinical Decisions: Hands on Workshop Penn Dental Medicine

JUNE 26

CDE: Center for Persons with Disabilities Presentation Series Program

Zoom Webinar

AUGUST

AUGUST 13

White Coat Ceremony University of Pennsylvania

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER 12

American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) Reception Orlando, FL

SEPTEMBER 20-21

CDE: Penn Periodontics & Periodontal-Prosthesis: The Evolution of a Paradigm Penn Dental Medicine

SEPTEMBER 27

CDE: Ortho Alumni Day Philadelphia, PA

OCTOBER

OCTOBER 7-8

CDE: Implant University

Penn Dental Medicine

OCTOBER 18-19

CDE: Penn International Symposium on Digital and Implant Dentistry

Penn Dental Medicine

NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER 1

American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Reception San Diego, CA

NOVEMBER 7

American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) Reception Marco Island, FL

DECEMBER

DECEMBER 2

PDM Greater NY Alumni Reception

Visit

www.dental.upenn.edu/events or call 215-898-8951 for information on alumni events

Visit

www.dental.upenn.edu/cde or call 215-573-6841 for information on continuing dental education programs

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE ALUMNI SOCIETY 2023–2024 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Alyssa Greenberger, D’02 President

Katherine France, D’16, GR’16, GD’18 Vice-President

Members-at-Large

Deena Alani, D'13

Abdalla Asi, D’22

Pam Alberto, D'80

Judy Bendit, DH'81

Carolyn Izu Bergmann, D’83

Scott Chanin, D'83

Gail Spiegel Cohen, C'76 D'80

Milan Doshi, D'07

Keith Dunoff, D'84

Caryn Siegel Finley, C'95 D'99

Kara Fraiman, D’92, GD’94

Andrew Fraser, D'16

Maria Perno Goldie, DH'71

Andrew Henry, D’12 M’15 GD’18

Stephen Howarth, D'16

Ken Ingber, D'71

Donna Jankiewicz, D’88

JV Kracke, D'17 GD'19

Daniel Kubikian, D'01 GD'04 GD'05

Roopali Kulkarni, D’19 GR’19 GD’21

Bernard Kurek, D'73 WMP'03

Kristen Leong, C'16 GED'20 D'21

Bret Lesavoy, D'19

Kevin Luan GD’17

John Newland D’84

Ngozi Okoh, D'12

Nimesh Patel, D’09

Lindsay Pfeffer, D’08 GR’08

Morrie Rosen, D’92

Lisa Schildhorn, DH'75

Shabnam Sedaghat, D'06

Neel Shah, D'21

Janet Shear, D’22

John Shin D’23

Josh Simpson, D'16

Matt Sones, D'12

Ann Eshenaur Spolarich, DH'82

Shari Summers D‘83

Ben Truong, D'19

Eric Verdeyen D‘23

Gary Wegman, D'83

Michael Yasner, C'79 D'83 GD'84 GD'86

Sarah Yoon D’07, GD‘13

Brigitte White Zinkovic, CGS'04 D'07

BOARD OF ADVISORS

David Tai-Man Shen, DMD, D’79, GD’81, Chair

Stanley M. Bergman - Emeritus

Dirk Brunner, MSC, MBA

Julie Charlestein

William W. M. Cheung, DMD, D’81, GD’82 - Emeritus

Joanne Chouinard-Luth, DMD, D’79

Terry Dolan, DDS, MPH

Matthew J. Doyle, PhD

Egidio Farone, DMD, D‘84

Allen Finkelstein, DDS

Ruchi Goel, WG’04

Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD

Steve Kess, MBA

Anne Koch, DMD, D’77, GD’93

Vincent Mosimann

Joan O’Shea, MD

Daniel W. Perkins

Garry Rayant, DDS, GD’77

Maria Ryan, DDS, PhD

Tony Saito, DMD, D’95

Alfred L. Spencer, Jr.

Thomas Schweiterman, MD

Heather Trombley

Joerg Vogel

Robert Zou, WG’94

Ex Officio Members

Martin D. Levin, DMD, D’72, GD’74, Chair, Dean’s Council

Alyssa Greenberger, DMD, D’02, President, Alumni Society

DEAN’S COUNCIL

Martin D. Levin, D’72, GD’74, Chair

Gail E. Schupak, D’83, Vice Chair

Robert Brody, C’80, D’84

Stefani Cheung, C’08, D’11

Charlene Jennings Fenster, DH’75

Joseph P. Fiorellini, DMD, DMSc

Howard P. Fraiman, D’91, GD’93, GD’94

Joseph E. Gian-Grasso, C’67, D’71

C. Mitchell Goldman

Jeffrey N. Grove, D’04

Elliot Hersh, DMD, MS, PhD

Anil J. Idiculla, C’98, GD’06

Christopher Joy, D’80

Meetu Kohli, D’02, GD’05

Brian Lee, D’00, GD’04

Richard Levitt, C’68, D’72, GD’77

Daniell J. Mishaan, D’03

Saul M. Pressner, D’79

Michael Ragan, D’77

Daniel Richardson, D’02

Louis Rossman, D’75, GD’77

Derek Sanders, D’06

Tara Sexton, D’88

Robert Stern, D’87

Susan Stern, C’77, D’81

Arnold Weisgold, GD’65

PDMJ ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Beth Adams

Director of Publications

Dr. Faizan Alawi

Associate Professor, Basic & Translational Sciences

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

Dr. Markus Blatz

Professor of Restorative Dentistry

Chair, Department of Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Sarah Burton Flynn

Director of Strategic Development & Alumni Relations

Maren Gaughan

Associate Dean for Leadership Giving

Dr. Joan Gluch

Division Chief and Professor of Clinical Community

Oral Health, Associate Dean for Academic Policies

Dr. Dana Graves

Professor, Department of Periodontics

Vice Dean for Research and Scholarship

Elizabeth Ketterlinus

Vice Dean of Institutional Advancement

Dr. Robert Ricciardi

Professor, Acting Chair, Department of Basic & Translational Sciences

Dr. Thomas Sollecito

Professor of Oral Medicine

Chair, Department of Oral Medicine

Margaret Yang

Director of Student Affairs and Engagement

INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Elizabeth Ketterlinus, ekett@upenn.edu

Vice Dean of Institutional Advancement

Maren Gaughan, gaughan@upenn.edu

Associate Dean for Leadership Giving

Sarah Burton Flynn, sburton@upenn.edu

Director of Strategic Development & Alumni Relations

Lindsay Murphy, lhonzak@upenn.edu

Associate Director of Annual Giving

Jennifer Pacitti, jpacitti@upenn.edu

Special Events Coordinator

Domenic Gaeta, dtgaeta@upenn.edu

Development Coordinator

Beth Adams, adamsnb@upenn.edu

Director, Publications

Pam Rice, pamrice@upenn.edu

Senior Director of Continuing Education

Rachel Dager, rdager@upenn.edu

Associate Director of Continuing Education

Office of Institutional Advancement: 215–898–8951

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. The University of Pennsylvania does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected class status in the administration of its admissions, financial aid, educational or athletic programs, or other University-administered programs or in its employment practices. Questions or complaints regarding this policy should be directed to the Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, Sansom Place East, 3600 Chestnut Street, Suite 228, Philadelphia, PA 19104–6106; or (215) 898–6993 (Voice) or (215) 898–7803 (TDD).

Robert

Schattner Center

University of Pennsylvania

School of Dental Medicine

240 South 40th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104–6030

EDUCATI