DENTSPLY Recognizes the 2009 Student Clinicians of the American Dental Association
On October 2, 2009, DENTSPLY International hosted the 50th Annual ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Awards Program and Reception. The awards program was held in Honolulu during the 2009 ADA Annual Session.
The Student Clinician Research Program was initiated in 1959 to commemorate the centennial of the ADA in New York City, as a joint venture between DENTSPLY International and the American Dental Association. Dr. Harold Hillenbrand, then Executive Director of the ADA and Mr. Henry M. Thornton, then President of DENTSPLY International launched the first program in New York City to encourage student research and participation in organized dentistry. Over 5,000 students have participated in this program which today includes students from 36 countries. The Student Clinician Research Program has evolved from a table clinic presentation in which the students demonstrated a new technique to poster presentations where the students present the results of their clinical, basic science or public health research.
The scientific presentations are divided into two categories – Basic Science Research and Clinical Science / Public Health Research. Three awards are presented in each category for first, second and third place. The 2009 ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research
Program winners are:
Clinical Science / Public Health:
1. Todd W. Walker - Tufts University presenting “Comparison of Total Etch, Self Etch and AIO Adhesives”
2. Nicholas Wilson – University of Colorado presenting “Strengthening Dental Adhesives with Reactive Nanogel Polymeric Particles”
3. Casey Jones – Arizona School of Dentistry presenting “The Effect of Intensive Fluoride Varnish Treatment on Streptococcus Mutans and Other Oral Bacteria in Pre-Cooperative Children with Early Childhood Caries (ECC): A Pilot Study”
Basic Science Research:
1. Mr. Jeremy Zuniga – Columbia University presenting “Effects of Pamidronate on Primary Human Oral Fibroblasts”
2. Anna Kreymer – University of CA, Los Angeles presenting “Pylogenetic Analyses of Fusobacterium Nucleatum: A Molecular Approach to Subspeciation”
3. Neil A. Robertson - University of Pittsburgh presenting “Three Dimensional Scaffold-less Constructs Engineered from Bone Marrow and Dental Pulp Stem Cells”
Dr. Linda Niessen, VP and Chief Clinical Officer for DENTSPLY, served as host for this year’s Awards Program. Dr. Niessen congratulated the participating 2009 Student Clinicians from the 54 U.S. Dental Schools and 15 International Dental Schools. Dr. Niessen stated, “It is an honor to recognize these men and women of science who are clearly contributing to the generation of new knowledge. For 50 years, DENTSPLY has been honored to host this program and recognize the achievements of these talented students. With a 50 year history, we now know that our student clinicians today will be dentistry’s leaders tomorrow.”
Following the awards program, DENTSPLY hosted a luau in honor of this year’s participants and all members of SCADA. DENTSPLY Executives, Managers, Scientists, and Professional Services Associates were in attendance to congratulate the students on their exceptional research efforts.
Upon presenting research at their national research program, these talented students are invited to join SCADA (Student Clinicians of the American Dental Association), an alumni association for former student clinicians. Members of SCADA serve as judges for future Student Clinician Research Programs held in conjunction with the ADA Annual Session. SCADA also annually awards fellowship funding for eligible members’ graduate education and honors a faculty advisor. To learn more about SCADA, visit the website www.scadaresearch.org.