Penn Dental Medicine Journal, Spring 2015

PDMJPENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL | SPRING 2015

THOMAS W. EVANS COLLECTION OF SECOND EMPIRE ART & ARTIFACTS IS BROUGHT TO LIGHT

HIDDEN TREASURE

FROM THE DEAN

Advancing a Legacy of LeadershipPENN DENTAL MEDICINE continues to advance its legacy of lead-ership in education, research, and patient care on a variety of fronts through the great work of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. First and foremost another accomplished group of students will soon bring their skills to the field of dental medicine with the graduation of the Class of 2015. Congratulations to all members of the class — you are joining a highly respected group of clinicians, educators, and researchers as Penn Dental Medicine alumni.

This year, we are also celebrating Penn Dental Medicine’s legacy of leadership through its rich history, most notably that of the School’s Evans Building and its earliest benefactor, Dr. Thomas W. Evans. This February marked the 100th Anniversary of the dedication of the Evans Building (see page 5), and as part of the centennial celebration, we are presenting a special exhibition of art and artifacts from the Thomas W. Evans Collection (see page 10), pieces collected over Evans’ lifetime as the dentist to European royalty.

Another historic piece – the carriage that Evans used to help the wife of Napoleon III flee Paris during the Franco-Prussian War — is also returning to Penn Dental Medicine this spring (see page 15). And coinciding with these historic celebrations will be the launch this fall of the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance, a renovation project that will transform the building throughout (see www.dental.upenn.edu/evans).

In the area of research, our faculty continues to advance the science and practice of dental medicine. In this issue, we highlight the work of one of our most recent faculty recruits, Dr. Songtao Shi, Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology (see page 22), and his research within the field of stem cell biology.

Within global engagement, Penn Dental Medicine joined a delegation led by Provost Vincent Price to launch the Penn Wharton China Center in March (see page 3). And in June, we will be bringing together experts from around the world for two symposia — the Penn Esthetics Symposium, June 11–13 (see www.dental.upenn.edu/esthet-ics2015), and the Penn Periodontal Conference 2015, June 28–July 3 (see www.dental.upenn.edu/pennperio2015). The Esthetics Sympo-sium will also celebrate the 60th Anniversary of our Department of Periodontics and include a special program honoring the work of the late Dr. Morton Amsterdam.

And in patient care and service, our alumni are leading the way within their local communities and across the globe. We share the stories in this issue of two alumni providing much-needed care in the Dominican Republic (see page 36) and another within Philadelphia’s Vietnamese community (see page 32).

Indeed, the School’s legacy of leadership in education, research, and patient care is a direct reflection of the entire Penn Dental Medi-cine community and your commitment to the field of dental medicine and to this great institution of which we are all stewards.

Denis F. Kinane, BDS, PhDMorton Amsterdam Dean

INSIDE

10 22 36Hidden TreasureThomas W. Evans Collection of Second Empire Art Brought to Light

Orofacial Stem CellsA Baby Tooth Guided Penn Dental Medicine’s Songtao Shi to Stem Cell Insights

Crossing Borders Alumni Providing Dental Care — and Hope — in the Dominican Republic

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On CampusSchool News in Brief

Faculty PerspectiveViews on Dental Topics & Trends

Faculty Q&ASharing Personal & Professional Paths

Research SpotlightTranslating Science to Practice

Academic UpdateDepartment/Faculty News & Scholarship

Alumni HighlightsProfiles, Gatherings & Engagement

Class NotesNews from Fellow Alumni

In MemoriamRemembering Members of thePenn Dental Medicine Community

2015 CalendarUpcoming Events & Programs

ON THE COVER: An oil portrait of Penn Dental Medi-cine’s earliest benefactor, Thomas W. Evans, by George Peter Alexander Healy. It will be part of the upcoming exhibition, Courtly Treasures: the Collection of Thomas W. Evans Surgeon Dentist to Napoleon III, to be presented at the Arthur Ross Gallery, July 18–Nov. 8, 2015 (see story, page 10).

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL: Vol. 11, No. 2University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicinewww.dental.upenn.edu

Dean: Denis F. Kinane, BDS, PhDSenior Associate Dean of Development and Alumni Relations:Elizabeth KetterlinusAssociate Dean for Leadership Giving: Maren GaughanDirector, Publications: Beth AdamsContributing Writers: Beth Adams, Juliana Delany, Debbie Goldberg, Katherine Unger-BaillieDesign: Dyad CommunicationsPhotography: Mark Garvin, Peter OlsonPrinting: The Pearl Group at CRW GraphicsOffice of Development and Alumni Relations: 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. ©2015 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, [email protected].

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PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL | SPRING 2015 1

MOUsA memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed with other schools around the world, facilitates collaborative research and exchange with Penn Dental Medicine faculty and students.

22 MOUs with schools in Asia

3 MOUs with schools in South America

2 MOUs with schools in Europe

INTERNATIONAL EXTERNSHIPSFourth-year DMD students have the option of completing part of their hospital externships at sites across the globe.

12 different countries were included in this year’s extern sites (Bahamas, Botswana, China, Israel, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, United Kingdom, and Vietnam)

EXCHANGE STUDENTSInternational students spend two to four weeks at Penn Dental Medicine each year, attending selected classes and observing various clinical operations.

SCHOOL NEWS IN BRIEF

ONCAMPUS

Postdoctoral Researcher Wins 2015 IADR Innovation in Oral Care Award Lizeng Gao, one of Penn Dental Medicine’s postdoctoral researchers, has won a 2015 International Association for Dental Research Innovation in Oral Care Award. The prize is jointly sponsored by IADR and GlaxoSmithKline.

This prestigious and highly competitive award offers as much as $75,000 in research funding. Winners are chosen after rigorous scientific review, based on scientific merit and novelty, from a worldwide pool “to advance oral care programs directed toward the development of innovative and novel compounds, biomaterials, or devices that can be used ultimately at the public health level,” according to the IADR.

Gao is a member of the lab of Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, Professor in Penn Dental Medicine’s Department of Orthodontics and divisions of Pediatric Dentistry and Community Oral Health, who also won the Innovation in Oral Care award in 2006 and was part of a team that won in 2013.

The award recognizes Gao and his team’s research into a novel nanoparticle- based technology that offers a sophisticated approach to eliminating pathogenic biofilms and preventing dental caries. The specially designed nanoparticles simultaneously degrade the biofilm matrix and kill the bacterial pathogens embedded within, while preventing tooth-enamel dissolution under acidic conditions. Furthermore, these nanoparticles are inexpensive to produce and non-toxic. The technology is patent-pending.

This IADR award has a special focus on promoting interdisciplinary projects. The award proposal was submitted in collaboration with Dr. Koo as well as Dr. David Cormode, an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Bioengineering with appointments in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Gao was honored at an award reception and dinner at the IADR/AADR/CADR General Session and Exhibition in Boston on March 11, 2015.

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENTBy the Numbers

MOUs signed with international schools since 201027

students did international externships this academic year32

international students visited this academic year representing12 UNIVERSITIES & 8 COUNTRIES(England, France, Japan, South Korea, Peru, Scotland, Spain, and Taiwan)

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Lizeng Gao

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Penn Dental Medicine Helps Launch Penn Wharton China CenterPenn Dental Medicine was part of the Penn delegation celebrating the launch of the Penn Wharton China Center (PWCC) in Beijing, China, March 9–10, also presenting a symposium at the PWCC on March 8 in conjunction with the Center’s opening.

“The Penn Wharton China Center will be a valuable resource for building on the established ties Penn Dental already has in China,” says Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Denis Kinane. “We were pleased to be able to debut this venue, as a vibrant gathering place, with our symposium.”

Faculty and senior administrators from five leading dental schools within China attended the Penn Dental Medicine symposium at the PWCC, which focused on teaching philosophy and advances in restorative dentistry, periodon-tics, and endodontics, along with an overview of Penn Dental Medicine’s scientific research, highlighting work being conducted on mesen-chymal stem cells.

In addition to Dean Kinane, the symposium speakers included Dr. William Cheung (D’81, GD’82) Chair, Penn Dental Medicine Board of Overseers; Dr. Syngcuk Kim, Associate Dean for Global Affairs & Continuing Education; and Dr. Songtao Shi, Chair and Professor, Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology. Adding to this strong Penn Dental Medicine delegation was Robert Zou (WG’94), member, Penn Dental Medicine Board of Overseers, and Founder and CEO of Arrail Dental Group, Beijing.

Dean Kinane was among eight deans from Penn who were part of the group led by Penn Provost Vincent Price to celebrate the PWCC opening. The full Penn delegation consisted of more than 40 faculty and senior administrators,

including Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel. The two-day program, March 9–10, included a roundtable with Chinese univer-sity leaders to discuss issues in higher education, panel discussions with senior Chinese business leaders and Penn scholars, and research talks with Penn faculty and deans. Dean Kinane was part of the deans’ panel on how globalization is shaping breakthroughs in research and interdis-ciplinary education, and Dr. Shi participated in the research talks, presenting on translational research at Penn Dental Medicine.

As part of this visit to Beijing, Dean Kinane also signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate collabo-rative research and exchange with the Peking University School of Stomatology, where plans were announced for the National Center for International Research, a collaborative research program between Penn Dental Medicine and the School of Stomatology supported by the Ministry of Science & Technology of China. Dean Kinane also signed a new MOU with Wuhan University School and Hospital of Stomatology, bringing the total number of Penn Dental Medi-cine MOUs with schools in China to seven.

These events kicked off a six-month grand opening of the PWCC, which will culminate with a Gala Celebration and Forum in September 2015 with Penn President Amy Gutmann. Penn Dental Medicine will also be part of that cele-bration, hosting an alumni and friends continuing education trip to China in conjunction with the event (see back cover). For more information on the China trip, contact Maren Gaughan, Associ-ate Dean for Leadership Giving, 215-898-8952, [email protected].

“The Penn Wharton China Center will be a valuable resource for building on the established ties Penn Dental already has in China.”DEAN DENIS KINANE

TOP: Dean Kinane (right) with Provost Vincent Price (center) and deans from five other Penn schools at the Penn Wharton China Center opening in Beijing. ABOVE: Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony with Peking University School of Stomatology.


ONCAMPUS

— FALL 2015 —

CDE SYMPOSIAPenn Dental Medicine will also present two continuing dental education symposia in the

fall of 2015 on the topics of oral medicine and the temporomandibular joint.

WORLD OF ORAL MEDICINEOctober 17, 2015Understanding how oral medicine conditions, chronic diseases, and medication use may potentially impact the provision of dental care is important for dental professionals at all levels. Presented in conjunction with the American Academy of Oral Medicine meeting, this pro-gram will feature leading experts in the areas of oral mucosal diseases, orofacial pain disorders, oral and maxillofacial radiology, medically complex patients, and oral cancer.

For a complete program of speakers and registration, visit www.dental.upenn.edu/oralmed2015.

TMJ: A to ZNovember 14, 2015This symposium is designed to guide the practitioner from the initial presentation of temporomandibular joint internal derangement and myofascial disease through primary treat-ment strategies and second-line treatment options. Speakers will utilize evidence-based diagnosis, treatment, and decision-making algorithms to review these commonly encoun-tered conditions of the temporomandibular joint.

For a complete program of speakers and registration, visit www.dental.upenn.edu/TMJ2015.

June CDE Symposia Spotlight Esthetics, PeriodonticsThis June, Penn Dental Medicine will present two multi-day, continuing dental education symposia – the Penn Esthetics Symposium, June 11–13, and Penn Periodontal Conference 2015, June 28–July 3, bringing together leading experts in the science and practice of esthetic dentistry and periodontics. Both symposia will be held at Penn’s Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

PENN ESTHETICS SYMPOSIUMJune 11–13, 2015The Penn Esthetics Symposium, which will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Penn Dental Medicine’s Department of Periodontics, will cover a full range of topics within osteology, esthetics, implants, periodontics, and prosthodontics. The program will address the latest techniques and technologies in surgical interventions and restorative management of natural teeth and implants.

In addition, June 13 will be the Morton Amsterdam Program and Celebration of Life, with a series of lectures honoring the work and life of the late Dr. Morton Amsterdam (C’43, D’45), the alumnus and former faculty member recognized by many as “the father of periodontal prosthesis.” The day will pay tribute to this exceptional innovator, educator, and clinician who helped to establish a legacy of leadership for Penn periodontics and periodontal prosthesis.

Also part of the symposium events will be an alumni and friends reception June 12, 5 pm, at Penn Dental Medicine.

For a complete program of speakers, events, and registration, visit: www.dental.upenn.edu/esthetics2015.

PENN PERIODONTAL CONFERENCE 2015June 28–July 3, 2015The Penn Periodontal Conference 2015 will bring together leading investigators on current research within the breadth of clinical, translational, and basic sciences in periodontology. The program will feature presentations on the topics of host- microbial interactions, inflammation and inflammation resolution, immunity and epigenetics, and clinical advances and novel treatments in periodontal disease. Research posters within these areas will also be presented.

The program is structured to provide ample time for informal discussions on research projects and encourage interactions among participants in a variety of formats.

Penn Dental Medicine held its inaugural Penn Periodontal Conference in 2013 and anticipates presenting this research-focused symposium every two years.

For a complete program of speakers and registration, visit: www.dental.upenn.edu/pennperio2015.

Visit www.dental.upenn.edu/cde for a complete listing of upcoming continuing dental education programs. Penn Dental Medicine alumni receive discounted registration fees on most programs.


Celebrating Evans Building’s 100th Anniversary, Planned Renovations Penn Dental Medicine launched a year of celebration to mark the 100th Anniversary of its historic Thomas W. Evans Building with a school-wide event, held February 24. Students, faculty, and staff shared an Evans Building 100th birthday cake at lunch, joined in photo ops with a life-size replica of Thomas Evans, and continued the celebration later in the day with a special gathering that featured a presentation and Q&A on the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project, the major renovation project planned for the Evans Building. This event was the launch of a yearlong celebration commem-orating the 100th Anniversary of the Evans Building and the beginning of the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project.

The Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project will be the largest transformation in the building’s 100-year history, changing and updating the use and flow of most areas on all four levels while fundamentally respecting the building’s historic character. The project’s key components include a new preclinical lab and continuing education training center, a large modern clinic, a reimagined library, and a variety of new study spaces. Work on this renovation project is set to begin in the fall of 2015.

Dedicated February 22 and 23, 1915, the Evans Building at 40th and Spruce streets was built on the site of the family home of Dr. Thomas Evans, a Philadelphia native who became the dentist to the courts of Europe during France’s Second Empire and whose estate made possible the con-struction of this iconic building. The Evans Building today remains the hub of the School’s clinical care and instruction.

“The Evans Building is a fantastic, historic structure,” says Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Denis Kinane. “As it celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2015, we are taking the next steps needed to get it ready for the next 100 years.”

Review the plans for the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project, stay up-to-date on project progress, and learn how to support the project at www.dental.upenn.edu/Evans.

EVANS CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS Penn Dental Medicine will have a yearlong cele-bration commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Evans Building and the beginning of the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project. Among the planned events:

#THOMASEVANSTUESDAYEvery Tuesday through February 2016, a life-size replica of Dr. Thomas Evans will be engaging Penn Dental Medicine students, faculty, staff and visitors, reflecting on the School’s history and current programs and generating ex-citement about the upcoming Evans Building transformation. Follow his appearances via the School’s social media on Facebook (Penn Dental Medicine), Twitter (@PennDentalMed), and Instagram (PennDentalMed).

EVANS COLLECTION EXHIBITIONAn exhibition of paintings and decorative arts from the collection of the estate of Dr. Thomas Evans at Penn’s Arthur Ross Gallery, Fisher Fine Arts Library, 220 S. 34th St., July 18 – November 8, 2015 (see story, page 10).

CEREMONIAL “GROUND BREAKING”A celebration and ceremonial “ground/wall breaking” to mark the beginning of work on the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project, November 4, 2015.

TOP: Dean Kinane with students and staff celebrating the Evans Building’s 100th birthday.

RIGHT: Some students with “Dr. Thomas Evans” at the Evans Building’s birthday event.


ONCAMPUS

STUDENT PROFILE:

AMANDA COLE, D’17

Studying Oral Health Literacy to Strengthen Clinical Care Second-year student Amanda Cole (D’17) knew she wanted to do clinical research during her time at Penn Dental Medicine, yet she didn’t foresee how it would play such a key role in her academic path, leading to a study that would become a community oral health honors project and guide her decision to pursue a Master of Public Health along with her DMD.

“All the pieces just came together,” says Cole, who quickly took up the task of finding a clinical research project her freshman year. That pursuit led her to Dr. Betty Harokopakis-Hajishengallis, Chief of Penn Dental Medicine’s Division of Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. Dafna Benadof, a visiting scholar from University Mayor in Chile, and a unique project focused on oral health literacy.

“Health literacy is a topic of growing interest across medical disciplines,” says Dr. Harokopakis-Hajishengallis. “When Amanda approached me about a clinical study feasible for a first-year student and Dr. Benadof, who had done a health literacy study as part of her PhD program, happened to be here, we all talked and decided to try a similar study in our pediatric clinic — something that would not only be valuable for our clinical practice, but also for us as educators.”

In close collaboration with Drs. Harokopakis- Hajishengallis and Benadof, Cole has taken the lead in the field work of the project from the onset. The first phase — a pilot/protocol

study — launched last spring, and the larger scale study, refined from the outcomes of the pilot, got underway in at the beginning of 2015. Dr. Harokopakis-Hajishengallis was awarded a grant from the American Dental Association Foundation in support of the project.

“Very few studies have been done looking at the concept of health literacy in dentistry,” says Dr. Benadof, who continues to be involved in the project despite her return to Chile in June 2014, where she is a Professor and Researcher at the University Mayor School of Public Health. “There are some tools that have been developed to measure health literacy in dentistry, but nothing that has translated the use of those tools to the actual dental clinic and how it relates to the information that’s being understood by the patient. That is our goal with this project.”

The project is looking at two aspects — the oral health literacy level of the children’s parents, defined as their ability to obtain, process, and understand oral health-related information; and the oral health literacy demand created by the

pediatric residents, meaning the level of com-munications and language they use to explain the children’s oral health condition and needs to the parents.

The study is targeting parents coming for their child’s first appointment in the clinic and includes a quick test to measure the parents’ oral health literacy before their child’s appoint-ment and a survey after the appointment to gauge the parents’ understanding of the infor-mation shared by the resident providing their child’s care. Cole and other DMD students she helped to recruit and train as research assistants (RA) for the project conduct the surveys and literacy tests with the parents, using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD), a previously established, standard tool adapted from a medical health literacy test. The appoint-ment is then recorded and transcribed and the communications between the parents and the residents analyzed to determine the grade level of that conversation, measuring the demand the residents place on the parents when explaining their child’s oral health care.

Cole explains that the pilot study, which included 22 parents, showed the parents exhib-ited a low level of oral health literacy, and that on average over 60% of the residents’ dialogue during a dental appointment contained a low level complexity of words.

“We were very pleased to see our residents were using an easy-to-understand reading level, and thus placing a low demand on the parents,” says Cole, “for a number of studies in the medical field have shown that practitioners are often unable to assess their patients’ ability to un-derstand certain things and tend to overreach in their explanation, resulting in a high level of demand.”

“One of our goals with this study is to see if we need to spend time teaching our residents what to ask and how to ask questions in their patient interactions.”DR. HAROKOPAKIS-HAJISHENGALLIS


Blended Learning Update: An Anatomy, Occlusion Game Penn Dental Medicine students can now build their knowledge of dental anatomy and occlusion in a fun, collaborative, and social interactive online platform with the first gamification of course content within the School’s curriculum. Enter PaGamO — a multiplayer gaming platform that combines social gaming with knowledge acquisition. An adaptation of PaGamO was launched as a pilot in February 2015 for use as part of Dr. Margrit Maggio’s General Restorative Dentistry (GRD) course.

First introduced by Dr. Ping-Cheng Yeh of National Taiwan University in his 2013 Coursera course, PaGamO (which literally translates to “learning from

games”) enables students to build their knowledge in any discipline while playing with others. PaGamO presents players with a game board of territory available for occupation. The object of the game is to occupy every territory on the board and eliminate players.

Students capture territory from their peers and fortify their winnings by correct-ly answering questions with increasing degrees of difficulty. Answer incorrectly and the player loses vital resources needed for survival.

“To align with PDM’s mission, we are introducing this cutting-edge learning technologies tool to make an interactive learning experience possible for our students,” says Chia-Wei Wu, Associate Director of Online Curriculum Design. “Not only can students practice the questions with the knowledge they acquired in the class, but they also can “challenge” their peers online. PDM is the first dental school to adopt this methodology to provide a more engaging system, and it ful-fills the concept of blended learning with the use of Web 2.0 social networking.”

“Students have been enjoying the platform,” adds Maria Mejia, IT Director of Learning Technologies. “There will be more to come.”

Cole presented the pilot study, which also served as her community oral health honors project, at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics in October, and together with Drs. Harokopakis-Hajishengallis and Benadof, they are working on an article to submit for publication.

“While the pilot study had too few partic-ipants to draw any conclusions, it has given us some descriptive statistics about the literacy level of the parents and how the message of oral health care is being given to the parents by the residents,” notes Dr. Benadof. “It also provided ideas to build upon for our larger scale study.”

In this larger study now underway, Cole and the 17 other RAs she is coordinating will target 100 parents. Cole explains that a number of new protocols and elements have been added as an outcome of the pilot study, including the addition of a survey of the residents to measure if they are able to effectively gauge the literacy level of the parents. And dependent on funding, they are also exploring videotaping the appointments to evaluate the nonverbal cues that are part of the parent/resident communications.

“We are also including one of the pediatric residents in this next phase of the study,” says Cole. “She will be conducting surveys with pediatric dentistry residency program directors and pediatric dental residents across the country to ask about the level of their own training in health literacy and patient communications and whether they would find it valuable to have more.”

“One of our goals with this study is to see if we need to spend time teaching our residents what to ask and how to ask questions in their patient interactions,” adds Dr. Harokopakis- Hajishengallis.

“We hope to improve residents’ ability to gauge the parents’ or patients’ understanding and tailor their communications accordingly. ”AMANDA COLE (D’17)

Cole is excited by the potential impact of the study across disciplines. “Hopefully a lot of good things will come out of it,” says Cole. “We hope to improve residents’ ability to gauge the parents’ or patients’ understanding and tailor their communications accordingly. This is an unspoken aspect of care proving to be very important.”

In between this project and her dental school studies, Cole is also the Community Service Chair of her class (a role she also had her freshman year), the President of the Day of

Service Club (which she formed this year), and pursuing her Master in Public Health, which she began this past summer (this larger scale study will be her master’s capstone project). “The public health courses are giving me a better perspective on every aspect of my involvement at the School,” notes Cole. Though not sure yet where it may lead, she says, “I like how the specialty of pediatrics has a large public health component, so that really interests me as a future direction.”


ONCAMPUS

Students Publish Children’s Book,Inspire Healthy Habits With colorful illustrations and a simple yet profound message, “Brushtime, Bedtime,” a board book written, illustrated, and published by a group of Penn Dental Medicine students, is teaching young children and inspiring their parents to build healthy oral care and bedtime routines.

“I jumped at the chance to write this text, because it seemed like the perfect vehicle to not only promote healthy brushing habits and create positive dental associations, but to also encourage kids and parents to read aloud together more,” says Ashley Abraham (D’16), who wrote the book with fellow DMD students Kelby Okada (D’16), and Giselle Galanto (D’15), with Liz Freund (D’16) doing the illustrations. “I started to understand the role of reading aloud in early childhood development when one of my nephew’s first words was “honey” after the number of times “The Big Honey Hunt” was read aloud to him. Engaging images, rhymes, and simple language, can impact a developing mind, especially when read aloud by parents and caregivers.”

The book project is building upon the Books, Brushing and Bedtime (BBB) program within the School’s Pediatric Clinic, an oral health education and literacy program developed last year by former pediatric resident Dr. Stephanie

Rashewsky (GD’14) and currently run by second-year resident Dr. Jessica Lee (GD’15). Through BBB, an age-appropriate, dental-rele-vant book is given to children between the ages of 1 to 5 years at their six-month recall visits to reinforce healthy bedtime routines – tooth brushing and reading. Geared to toddlers, “Brushtime, Bedtime” will join the selection of books given out to the younger children within that one-to-five-year age range.

The first print run of 1,000 books was de-livered in April — the culmination of a yearlong production process for Abraham and the others involved in creating the book. In addition to the writing, illustration, and design, they applied for and received copyright through the Penn Center for Innovation, applied for an ISBN in the event the book was sold at some point commercially or placed in a library, and researched an online printing vendor to produce the book. Funding for the book came through a grant from the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, awarded

to Dr. Rochelle Lindemeyer, Director of the Pediatric Residency Program, who also served as faculty advisor for the project.

Abraham, Okada, Galanto, and Freund will be making a poster presentation of the project in the My Kids Dentist Research Poster Com-petition at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Annual Session 2015 in Seattle, Wash., May 21–24, 2015.

Presently, the book is not available for pur-chase, but it may be in the future. “We’ve had interest from alumni and practicing pediatric dentists who teach in the clinic and have seen the book,” says Abraham, “so we may explore making it available for purchase at some point.”

“Engaging images, rhymes, and simple language, can impact a developing mind, especially when read aloud by parents and caregivers.”ASHLEY ABRAHAM (D’16)

ABOVE LEFT: Students Ashley Abraham (seated), Giselle Galanto (center), and Kelby Okada (right) co-wrote the book and Liz Freund (left) did the illustrations.ABOVE RIGHT: The cover and one of the interior page spreads of the board book.


VIEWS ON DENTAL TOPICS & TRENDS

FACULTYPERSPECTIVE

THE UPCOMING PENN Esthetics Symposium will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the estab-lishment of the Department of Periodontics by Dr. D. Walter Cohen. This auspicious occasion will be all the more special as the final day of the conference, June 13, will be dedicated to honoring the life of Dr. Morton Amsterdam, the founder of our program in Periodontal Prosthesis. Together, these two pioneers laid the foundation for many of the tenets in periodontics and advanced restorative dentistry. In anticipation of these events, it is important and inspiring to consider how numerous other “Penn people” have contributed to the knowledge that serves as the basis for the practice of periodontics and how the specialty has changed.

It really all began with W.D. Miller, a mem-ber of Penn Dental Medicine’s first graduating class in 1879, who proposed that periodontal disease was caused by microorganisms. Years later, work done by Max Listgarten and his various collaborators provided critical informa-tion on the ultrastructure of the periodontium and mechanisms of periodontal pathogenesis. The partnership between research and clinical excellence has been a hallmark of Penn Perio- donitcs. The recognition of the interplay between oral and systemic disease along with interdisci-plinary therapy concepts remain as applicable today as they were 50 years ago. In the clinical arena, there are few if any individuals who have contributed more to the periodontal and implant literature than former Dean Jan Lindhe. His studies in beagle dogs and those by Alan Polson in squirrel monkeys are still discussed today in the context of occlusal trauma. This “list” is certainly not complete, but does give one an idea about what our colleagues have done and continue to do to improve the specialty.

Currently, Penn Periodontics continues to be focused on scholarly excellence. Most recently, Dean Denis Kinane and Dana Graves have added

greatly to our understanding of the microbial pathogenesis of periodontitis and factors that affect susceptibility to the disease. Advance-ments in nonsurgical periodontal care by Yota Stathopoulou have simplified treatment and increased efficiency. Dean Emeritus Marjorie Jeffcoat has enhanced our appreciation of the systemic effects of oral inflammation. Her findings that periodontal care of diabetic, cor-onary artery disease, cerebral vascular disease patients results in reduction in health care costs has changed insurance coverage by major insurers.

In clinical practice, the use of endosseous dental implants likely represents the most sig-nificant change in periodontal practice over the last four decades. Early on, one of the major ob-stacles to placing implants was the lack of bone in edentulous sites. Today, periodontists are able to overcome this problem by “regrowing” bone and the periodontium via novel surgical procedures using a variety of materials, including biomimetic substances, platelet derived growth factor, and bone morphogenetic protein-2. The findings of current Chair Joseph Fiorellini and his colleagues serve as the groundwork for the use of growth and differentiation factors in regenerative procedures. Today’s periodontist is practicing regenerative medicine on a daily basis. Protocols have been developed that can be used to eradicate a pocket by regeneration of both the hard and soft tissues that support teeth within the jaws. Furthermore, we have become very adept in our ability to address soft tissue defects around natural teeth and implant- supported restorations as a result of advances in periodontal plastic surgical techniques.

The compelling question of when to save a tooth versus replacing it with an implant-sup-ported restoration has certainly complicated the treatment planning process relative to years ago. There are simply more options available to us today that must be considered in the context

of each of our patient’s desires and needs. In spite of excellent implant success rates, prob-lems can occur. One is a form of peri-implant bone loss generically referred to as “peri-im-plantitis,” Current research by Drs. Korostoff, Wada, Sarmiento, and Fiorellini of Penn Peri-odontics involves better disease identification, classification, and nonsurgical and surgical therapy. As the prevalence of peri-implant bone loss increases, foundational knowledge going forward will guide our peers as to the most efficacious approaches.

There is no doubt that in recent years very dramatic changes have occurred in the skill set required of a competent periodontist. Of course, maintaining the oral and systemic health of our patients is truly the end game. In striving to achieve this, Penn Periodontics continues to have a leadership position in the field, relying on the contributions from illustrious genera-tions of Penn clinicians and researchers. And for this, we are all grateful.

Penn Periodontics: A Legacy of Discovery

Contributed By:DR. JOSEPH FIORELLINIChair, Department of PeriodonticsDR. JONATHAN KOROSTOFFAssociate Professor of Periodontics, (above, left)

DR. KEISUKE WADAAssistant Professor of Periodontics, (above, right)


HIDDEN TREASURE

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THIS SUMMER AND FALL, visitors to the Penn campus will have the chance to experience a rare collection of nearly 150 works of art and artifacts — oil paintings and sculptures, ornate silver and ceramics, jewel-encrusted cases and medals — all a fascinating reflection of the storied life and times of Penn Dental Medicine’s earliest benefactor, Dr. Thomas W. Evans. A Philadelphia native and prominent international dentist to 19th century royalty, Evans’ fortune made possible the construction of the School’s Thomas Evans Building.

This exhibit, Courtly Treasures: The Collec-tion of Thomas W. Evans Surgeon Dentist to Napoleon III, is set to run July 18 through November 8 in the University’s Arthur Ross Gallery, being presented this year in conjunc-tion with the Evans Building’s 100th anni-versary. It also coincides with the launch of the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project, the most extensive renovation in the building’s history, set to begin this fall (see www.dental.upenn.edu/evans). Bringing this exhibit to fruition, however, meant rediscov-ering many of these hidden treasures.

Shortly after Dean Denis Kinane arrived at Penn Dental Medicine in 2009, he learned of the existence of a collection of art and artifacts from the Second Empire — a period of ornately styled 19th century French architec-ture, painting, furniture, and decorative arts — belonging to the School of Dental Medicine and originally owned by Evans. While many

HIDDEN TREASURE

In Conjunction with the School’s Evans Building Centennial, the Thomas W. Evans Collection of Second Empire Art Is Brought to Light

of the pieces of Evans’ impressive lifetime collection had been sold in years past, some were on display in various locations through-out the School and the University, and others had been locked away for decades in local warehouses — all but forgotten in recent years.

What pieces comprised the warehoused collection? What condition were the items in? How did they relate to the School, and could they be restored to their original glory to become a lasting part of Evans’ legacy? Dean Kinane was determined to find and honor those forgotten treasures. In 2010, he made a call to Lynn Marsden-Atlass, Director of the Arthur Ross Gallery and the University Cu-rator. Together, they made plans to unearth the pieces from storage and, ultimately, to organize the upcoming exhibition.

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“Many of the pieces were broken, torn, or dirty. Almost every piece needed some kind of conservation,” she says. “We needed someone who was willing to invest in the fu-ture of the collection.” That someone turned out to be Dean Kinane, who procured and committed funding to bring the collection back to life.

A COLORFUL AND RESPECTED INTERNATIONAL DENTIST To understand the story of the Thomas W. Evans Collection, it is necessary to know a little bit about Evans himself. Born in 1823 to a Quaker family in West Philadelphia, he knew from an early age that he wanted to practice dentistry; as a young man, he built his reputation by perfecting the use of gold-foil fillings and introduced the use of vulca-nite rubber in the manufacture of dentures.

Evans’ innovative and exacting work gained the attention of another Philadelphia dentist who was practicing in France and needed an assistant. Evans moved to Paris in 1847. Over the next decades, he became known

as a skilled and compassionate dentist to the city’s wealthy and well connected, eventually appointed court dentist to Emperor Napoleon III and his wife, Empress Eugenie. (Evans would help Eugenie escape from Paris at the fall of the Second Empire during the Franco- Prussian war; see sidebar page 15.)

Evans’ professional relationship grew into a close friendship with Napoleon III, and it was through contacts with artists he met through the Emperor and Empress and other aristocrats and royalty that Evans began to collect a large number of artworks and deco-rative pieces from the Second Empire period, often receiving gifts of art from his wealthy patrons in lieu of payment. Much of Evans’ art collection became part of his enormous legacy to Penn Dental Medicine when his estate became one with the University of Pennsylvania; it was originally displayed in the Thomas W. Evans Museum that was part of School’s Evans Building when first built in 1915. The Evans Museum occupied the east half of the Spruce Street wing of the building.

“WHAT WAS LOST WAS SUDDENLY FOUND” Nearly 100 years later, intrigued by the ex-istence of this mysterious group of artworks from the Evans Collection, Marsden-Atlass spent much of the summer of 2010 at ware-houses in Philadelphia and New Jersey, where the pieces were unpacked, taking inventory, documenting and digitizing them, and assess-ing their condition.

“It was unusual and exciting” for a long- forgotten collection to be discovered anew, Marsden-Atlass remembers. “What was lost was suddenly found. We didn’t know what to expect…we were all surprised by the collection’s diversity and scope.” As she began to uncrate more and more valuable paintings and items of decorative art, many damaged, she grew increasingly inspired about their potential for a major campus exhibition. She also realized that restoring the collection would take time, and money.

“This collection is critical to the history of the School and distinguishes our School from all others. The story of Evans is truly unique and memorable, for the field of dentistry as a whole and specifically for the School of Dental Medicine.”DEAN DENIS KINANE

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HIDDENTREASURE

A REFLECTION OF CHARACTER “Dean Kinane truly appreciated the collec-tion’s significance. He was curious and excited about it,” Marsden-Atlass says. “We have him to thank for making a commitment to its preservation, and for putting his support and resources behind it.”

To the Dean, restoring the collection to its former glory is both a privilege and an ob-ligation as the School’s leader. “The respect with which we treat the past and our bene-factors reflects on our character,” he says. “This collection is critical to the history of the School and distinguishes our School from all others. The story of Evans is truly unique and memorable, for the field of dentistry as a whole and specifically for the School of Dental Medicine.”

A TIME CAPSULE OF THE SECOND EMPIRE With the commitment of funding in place, Marsden-Atlass and her staff created a prior-itized list for conservation, starting with the collection’s large paintings and sculptures and working down to smaller decorative art pieces. By 2012, a portion of the conserved collection was installed in Penn Dental Medi-cine, including a number of the paintings and decorative arts in the Dean’s Office Suite and decorative arts in display cases located in the School’s Robert Schattner Center atrium area and the hallway leading to the Dean’s Office.

“There are many wonderful and accom-plished paintings in the collection that are typ-ical of the bourgeois tastes of the moment, which were characterized by less interest in religious and ancient art and more focused on history through the lens of everyday life,” says André Dombrowski, Assistant Professor in the Department of the History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania.

A scholar of French avant garde painting, including the Second Empire, Dombrowski is fascinated by how the Evans paintings, par-ticularly those by French artist Henri Dupray, reflect the historical currents in Paris at the time.

“Industrialization had taken hold in Paris, and that is evident in many of the works,” he says. “They are very important in a larger social and political sense.”

PIECES OF PARTICULAR SIGNIFICANCE While all of the pieces in the Evans collection are valuable, a few are particularly noteworthy for their artistic and historical significance, says Marsden-Atlass.

Among them, “Departure of Empress Eugenie,” by Henri-Louis Dupray, dating from 1884. The 60-inch by 76-inch oil on canvas de-picts the dramatic flight of the Empress from Paris at the end of the Franco-Prussian war, when the Emperor was imprisoned. Eugenie is depicted escaping with Evans in his brown, four-seated carriage, which was also recently returned to campus (see sidebar, page 15).

Another significant oil painting is Evans’ portrait by George Peter Alexander Healy (the cover photo for this issue of the Penn Dental Medicine Journal). Healy was a popular and prolific American portrait painter of the time. The medium-sized work portrays Evans during his Paris years, probably five to ten years after he arrived abroad.

A marble bust of The Greek Slave by sculptor Hiram Powers (see 6, below left), currently on display in the Penn Dental Med-icine library, is significant because Powers is the only American sculptor represented in the collection, and because the original sculpture on which it is based was first exhibited in America at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia.

Two decorative pieces are particularly fine examples of their genres: a German silver tankard by Eduard Wollenweber (see 7, above), circa 1892, which shows superior workmanship in the complicated repousse technique, and a rare ceramic vase by English manufacturer Minton’s, Ltd. Standing four-feet tall and fin-ished in turquoise majolica glaze, it features a modeled figure of Prometheus being attacked by an eagle.

Another item of note is a 19th century Boulle desk, intricately inlaid with brass and tortoiseshell (see 4, page 12). This inspiration-al piece of the collection is appreciated every day as it is currently on display in the Office of the Dean.

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first time since the Evans Museum closed at the Dental School that so many Evans works will be available for scholars on the Second Empire and the public to enjoy.”

A catalogue will be produced in conjunc-tion with the exhibition, with essays from art scholars of the Second Empire period, including an essay on the Second Empire by Dombrowski, one by Moqtaderi on the Minton Prometheus Vase, and by Marsden-Atlass on the history of the Thomas W. Evans Museum and art.

“The exhibit will help us celebrate the Evans Building Centennial to the fullest,” says Dean Kinane. “In addition, it will allow us to continue to appreciate Evans for his unique role in promoting the high standing and respect of dentists in the communities of the world.” —By Juliana Delany

Dean Kinane’s favorite painting in the collection is “Napoleon” by Henri-Louis Dupray (see detail 1, page 10), also on display in his office. “The conservation completely transformed this painting and removed decades of soiling and discoloration,” says Heather Gibson Moqtaderi, Art Collections Manager in the Office of the Curator. “I can see why this is the Dean’s favorite. In addition to the historical importance of the subject, there is a masterful application of color.”

CELEBRATING OUR CENTENNIAL TO THE FULLEST These, along with an array of other paintings, sculptures, decorative objects, and furniture, will be among nearly 150 selected works in the exhibition, which will bring together some items on loan to other institutions, those on display at Penn Dental Medicine and other parts of the University, as well as some pre-viously sold works lent from their current owners.

The exhibition will showcase “the richness and diversity of the collection,” says Marsden- Atlass, and will be unique among gallery shows for the sheer number of different types of art and objects represented. “This will be the

“This will be the first time since the Evans Museum closed at the Dental School that so many Evans works will be available for scholars on the Second Empire and the public to enjoy.”LYNN MARSDEN-ATLASS

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RELATED EVENTSPANEL DISCUSSION ON THE EXHIBITIONPenn Homecoming Weekend Saturday, November 7, 11:15 am–12:15 pmArthur Ross GallerySpeakers: André Dombrowski, Assistant Professor, Dept. of the History of Art; Heather Gibson-Moqta-deri, Art Collections Manager, Office of the Curator; and Lynn Marsden-Atlass, Director of the Arthur Ross Gallery and University Curator.

“12 @ 12”First Wednesday of September, October and November12 min. talk at noon on the exhibit by gallery docentsArthur Ross Gallery


HIDDENTREASURE

HOME TO STAYEvans’ storied carriage returns to campus Thomas W. Evans made a name for himself as a skillful, innovative, and caring dentist to wealthy and powerful 19th century Parisians and European royalty. But he didn’t stop there: He also made history when he helped one of his patients, the Empress Eugenie, flee Paris during the Franco-Prussian War after the capture and imprisonment of her husband, Emperor Napoleon III, in 1870. The dramatic event was immortalized in the painting “De-parture of Empress Eugenie” by Henri-Louis Dupray, a highlight of the Thomas W. Evans Collection, selected pieces of which will be exhibited at Penn’s Arthur Ross Gallery from July 18 to November 8.

The great escape would not have been possible without Evans’ luxurious, four-seat Landau carriage, which is returning to its rightful home at Penn Dental Medicine in time for Alumni Weekend 2015, May 15–17. Originally part of the Evans Museum within the School’s Thomas Evans Building, since the 1990s, the carriage had been on extended loan to the Réuion des Musées Nationaux. In 2013, when Marsden-Atlass located it at the Château de Compiègne, Dean Kinane was

determined that the carriage should come home to Philadelphia. In 2014, after negotia-tions with the French, who valued the carriage as an important national symbol, an agreement was reached for the carriage’s return.

A restoration is now underway to return the carriage to its former glory. The compre-hensive restoration includes body work to remove rust and match original paint, as well as repairs to all parts of the carriage, from the lamps and wheels to the folding roof, dashboard and fenders. Initials and decorative striping on the doors will be enhanced, and the entire carriage will be finished in a satin clear-coat to protect it for years to come. The first phase of work on the exterior elements will be completed for its return for Alumni Weekend 2015 through June; the rest of the work will be completed over the summer for the carriage’s return to the School in early November.

“The carriage is steeped in history and was a Rolls Royce of carriages in its time,” says Dean Kinane. The vehicle that holds a unique place in history is now home to stay at the School forever tied to Evans’ lasting legacy.

Image Key1 “Napoleon” by Henri-Louis Dupray (detail) 19th century

2 “Disturbance in Paris” by Henri-Louis Dupray c. 1883

3 Thomas W. Evans portrait by George Peter Alexander Healy c. 1853

4 Secretary desk, brass and tortoiseshell inlay 19th century

5 Agnes Doyle Evans (Mrs. Thomas W. Evans) by George Peter Alexander Healy c. 1850s

6 “The Greek Slave” by Hiram Powers c. 1844

7 German silver tankard by Eduard Wollenweber c. 1892

8 Star of the Order of St. Stanislas, First Class Russian, gold and enamel, ribbon

9 Empress Eugenie statuette by C. Mertens and G.Loos, Prussia, bronze and marble c. 1853

10 Jewel casket, gilded and enameled metal c. 1881

11 Napoleon III cipher letter holder, gilt metal and leather Late 19th century

12 Footed dish (detail), marble, gilt metal, seed pearls, glass cabochons

ABOVE: Dr. Thomas Evans Landau carriage used to help Empress Eugenie flee Paris in 1870 as displayed within the original Thomas W. Evans Museum, circa 1915, that occupied the east half of the Spruce Street wing of the Evans Building.

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FACULTYQ&ASHARING PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL PATHS

WHILE THE PENN DENTAL Medicine com-munity may know the School’s faculty by what they teach or the research they conduct, this Q&A faculty spotlight aims to get a bit more personal glimpse of them as individuals. In this issue, we talked with Dr. Peter Quinn (D’74, GD’78), Schoenleber Professor of Oral & Max-illofacial Surgery, Vice Dean for Professional Services, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, and Senior Vice-President for Clinical Practices, University of Pennsylvania Health System.

What drew your interest to oral surgery?As a third-year dental student at Penn, in 1973, I did an externship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital. I observed Dr. Edward Henefer, a full-time Penn faculty member, perform an orthognathic procedure on a young man with a significant congenital facial deformity. From that day forward, it was clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Fostering close ties between dentistry and medicine has been an integral part of your time here at Penn, how has that impacted your professional perspective? One of the unique aspects of Penn Dental is its broader view of dentistry as an integral field in health care in general. In 1984, Dr. Barry Hendler, Chairman of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the time, began the first Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency/MD program at the Medical College of Pennsylvania, where I received my own medical training. In 1989, we transitioned the program so that the medical degree was now granted by Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. This “dual degree” training offered me the “best of both worlds” in both medicine and dentistry, and I had the privilege of being the first faculty member to Chair both the Faculty Senate in the dental school and the Medical Board at HUP.

You have been active in building support for students/programs at Penn Dental. What has been most rewarding about those efforts?Because of the generosity of Dr. Louis R. Schoenleber, a Penn Dental graduate of 1943, I was able to secure an endowment from Dr. Schoenleber’s estate that is now worth approx-imately $20 million. This has insured foun-dational support for all three of our missions (research, education, and patient care) in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Penn. I am also extremely proud of initiating the Dr. Joseph W. Foote Scholarship program at Penn Dental to honor my close colleague, Joseph W. Foote, DMD, MD, a dental school classmate and brother-in-law who passed away in 2010.

What advice from a mentor have you carried with you? Dr. Claude LaDow, the past Chairman of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Penn, advised me in 1974 that if I wanted to stay in academic dentistry/medicine that I should remember two things: “Don’t take it personally and don’t take it home.”

What do you view as your greatest professional accomplishment?I had the privilege of serving as Chairman of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at both Penn Dental and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) for 22 years (1986–2008). My particular area of expertise was recon-structive surgery of the temporomandibular joint, and Penn gave me the opportunity to develop the first FDA-approved stock total joint prosthesis for the temporomandibular joint. The clinical trial was the longest in FDA history (from 1995 to 2005), and now, it is the most widely used stock prosthesis both in the U.S. and internationally. It also afforded me the opportunity to operate and lecture on this technique in over 20 countries in Europe, Asia, and South America.

What excites you most about Penn Dental today?Penn Dental has remained in the forefront of promoting integrated dental education within a great University. I have had the privilege of having interaction with the Veterinary School, the Engineering School, the Wharton School, the Medical School and the Nursing School, just to name a few, in my 31 years as a faculty member. Lastly, I think the best compliment I can give to the School is that both of my children, Abigail Peterson, Class of 2002; and Noah Quinn, Class of 2004; are graduates of Penn Dental. Hopefully, some or all of my seven grandchildren, will follow in their footsteps.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be? My “Penn Ultimate” historical dinner companions would be Benjamin Franklin, Dr. John Morgan (Penn Medicine founder) and Dr. Thomas Evans (Penn Dental’s greatest benefactor).

Q&A with Peter Quinn (D’74, GD’78)


TRANSLATING SCIENCE TO PRACTICE

FACULTY

Dr. Songtao Shi

Dr. George Hajishengallis

Dr. Henry Daniell

Dr. Anh Le

Dr. Elisabeth Barton

Dr. Dana Graves

Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo

Dr. Gary Cohen

Dr. Denis Kinane

Dr. Claire Mitchell

Dr. Yan Yuan

Dr. Hydar Ali

Dr. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia

Dr. Frank Setzer

Dr. Sunday Akintoye

Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto

Dr. Bekir Karabucak

Dr. Markus Blatz

Dr. Faizan Alawi

Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat

Dr. Syngcuk Kim

Dr. Joseph DiRienzo

RESEARCHSPOTLIGHT

* The h index was developed by J.E. Hirsch, Department of Physics, UCSD, and it attempts to measure the impact of an individual or department’s scientific research output. The calculation is based on a list of publications ranked in descending order by the “times cited” count. As an example, an h index of 20 means there are 20 items that have 20 citations or more each. Hirsch’s full article on the h index can be found in PNAS 102 (46): 16569–16572 November 15 2005.

These lists were generated using the Scopus database, and the Author IDs found within that system. Articles published in journals that are not indexed in Scopus, are not included in the calculation. The articles that were included were published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014. It should be noted that publication and citation practices differ among disciplines and specialties.

Scholarly Activity, Impact Following is a snapshot of the scholarly activity of the Penn Dental Medicine standing faculty with the number of publications and the impact of research output (h index*) over the past five years (January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2014).** Listed are those investigators with an h index of 5 or higher, for articles published within the last five years, in journals covered by the Scopus database.

# ARTICLES2010–2014**

90

58

37

33

39

36

33

27

23

21

15

13

19

16

15

15

10

40

24

11

9

7

DEPARTMENT

Anatomy & Cell Biology

Microbiology

Biochemistry

Oral Surgery & Pharmacology


Periodontics

Orthodontics/Div. of Community Oral Health/Div. of Pediatric Dentistry

Microbiology

Dean’s Office


Microbiology

Pathology

Biochemistry

Endodontics

Oral Medicine

Pathology

Endodontics

Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Pathology

Periodontics

Endodontics

Microbiology

*H INDEX2010–2014**

22

17

14

13

12

12

12

11

10

8

7

7

6

6

6

6

6

5

5

5

5

5


AUTHORS

Liu, Y., Yang, R., Liu, X., Zhou, Y., Qu, C., Kikuiri, T., Wang, S., Zandi, E., Du, J., Ambudkar, I.S., Shi, S.

Moutsopoulos, N.M., Konkel, J., Sarmadi, M., Eskan, M.A., Wild, T., Dutzan, N., Abusleme, L., Zenobia, C., Hosur, K.B., Abe, T., Uzel, G., Chen, W., Chavakis, T., Holland, S.M., Hajishengallis, G.

Maekawa, T., Krauss, J.L., Abe, T., Jotwani, R., Triantafilou, M., Triantafilou, K., Hashim, A., Hoch, S., Curtis, M.A., Nussbaum, G., Lambris, J.D., Hajishengallis, G.

Sherman, A., Su, J., Lin, S., Wang, X., Herzog, R.W., Daniell, H.

Moshaverinia, A., Xu, X., Chen, C., Ansari, S., Zadeh, H.H., Snead, M.L., Shi, S.

AUTHORS

Stoopler, E.T., Sollecito, T.P.

Jeffcoat, M.K., Jeffcoat, R.L., Gladowski, P.A., Bramson, J.B., Blum, J.J..

Falsetta, M.L., Klein, M.I., Colonne, P.M., Scott-Anne, K., Gregoire, S., Pai, C.-H., Gonzalez-Begne, M., Watson, G., Krysan, D.J., Bowen, W.H., Koo, H.

Bhattacharya, R., Xu, F., Dong, G., Li, S., Tian, C., Ponugoti, B., Graves, D.T.

Nguyen, P.T.M., Falsetta, M.L., Hwang, G., Gonzalez-Begne, M., Koo, H.

2014 High Impact Articles: Basic Science Departments Among the original research articles published by standing faculty within the Penn Dental Medicine basic science departments in 2014, following are

the articles by senior authors that appeared in journals with the five highest impact factors.*

2014 High Impact Articles: Clinical Departments Among the original research articles published by standing faculty within the Penn Dental Medicine clinical departments in 2014, following are the

articles by senior authors that appeared in journals with the five highest impact factors.*

ARTICLES

Hydrogen sulfide maintains mesenchymal stem cell function and bone homeostasis via regulation of Ca2+ channel sulfhydration

Defective neutrophil recruitment in leukocyte adhesion deficiency type I disease causes local IL-17-driven inflammatory bone loss

P gingivalis manipulates complement and TLR signaling to uncouple bacterial clearance from inflammation and promote dysbiosis

Suppression of inhibitor formation against FVIII in a murine model of hemophilia a by oral deliv-ery of antigens bioencapsulated in plant cells

Application of stem cells derived from the periodontal ligament or gingival tissue sources for tendon tissue regeneration

ARTICLES

Recurrent gingival and oral mucosal lesions

Impact of periodontal therapy on general health: Evidence from insurance data for five systemic conditions

Symbiotic relationship between Streptococ-cus mutans and Candida albicans synergizes virulence of plaque biofilms in vivo

Effect of bacteria on the wound healing behav-ior of oral epithelial cells

α-mangostin disrupts the development of streptococcus mutans biofilms and facilitates its mechanical removal

JOURNAL

Cell Stem Cell

Science Translational Medicine

Cell Host andMicrobe

Blood

Biomaterials

JOURNAL

JAMA

Am J of Preventive Medicine

Infection and Immunity

PLoS ONE

PLoS ONE

IMPACT FACTOR*

22.2

14.4

12.2

9.8

8.3

IMPACT FACTOR*

30.4

4.3

4.2

3.5

3.5

DEPARTMENT


Microbiology

Microbiology

Biochemistry


DEPARTMENT

Oral Medicine

Periodontics

Orthodontics/Div. of Community Oral Health/Div. of Pediatrics

Periodontics

Orthodontics/Div. of Community Oral Health/Div. of Pediatrics

RESEARCHSPOTLIGHT


AUTHORS

Hajishengallis, G.

Lamont R.J., Hajishengallis G.

Setzer, F.C., Kim, S.

Hajishengallis, E., Hajishengallis, G.

Sathish N, Wang X, Yuan Y.

2014 High Impact Review Articles Among the review articles published by standing faculty within the Penn Dental Medicine in 2014, following are the articles by senior authors that

appeared in journals with the five highest impact factors.*

ARTICLES

Immunomicrobial pathogenesis of periodonti-tis: Keystones, pathobionts, and host response

Polymicrobial synergy and dysbiosis in inflam-matory disease

Comparison of long-term survival of implants and endodontically treated teeth

Neutrophil homeostasis and periodontal health in children and adults

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oral cancers and treatment strategies.

JOURNAL

Trends in Immunology

Trends in Molecular Medicine

Journal of Dental Research



IMPACT FACTOR*

12.0

10.1

4.1

4.1

4.1

DEPARTMENT

Microbiology

Microbiology

Endodontics

Microbiology/ Div. of Pediatrics

Microbiology

*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 Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports®. The JCR Science Edition, 2013, was used for these figures.

Research & Scholarship Facts & Figures

articles were published by

standing faculty in 2013









148 103

116 62

126

research articles were published

by Penn Dental Medicine

standing faculty in 2014...............a

was awarded to Penn Dental

Medicine investigators for research

grants in FY14.

increase

over

2009.164 $17.27M164.5%


Top Clinical Department Grant Awards In 2014, the top five new/competing renewals/non-competing grant awards within the Penn Dental Medicine clinical departments included:

Expanding Public Health Experiential Learning in Predoctoral Dental EducationPrincipal Investigator: Dr. Joan Gluch, Div. of Community Oral Health (Health Resources & Services Administration, $493,956, 7/1/2014 – 6/30/2015)

Diabetes-Enhanced Experimental PeriodontitisPrincipal Investigator: Dr. Dana Graves, Dept. of Periodontics (National Institutes of Health, $455,041, 12/1/2014 – 11/30/2015)

Dendritic Cells and Periodontal Disease Principal Investigator: Dr. Dana Graves, Dept. of Periodontics (National Institutes of Health, $400,000, 6/1/2014 – 5/31/2015)

Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Principal Investigator: Dr. Joan Gluch, Div. of Community Oral Health (Health Resources & Services Administration, $381,122, 7/1/2014 – 6/30/2015)

Diabetic Fracture Healing Principal Investigator: Dr. Dana Graves, Dept. of Periodontics (National Institutes of Health, $351,918, 9/1/2014 – 8/31/2015)

RESEARCHSPOTLIGHT

FACULTY

Dr. Henry Daniell

Dr. George Hajishengallis

Dr. Dana Graves

Dr. Elisabeth Barton

Dr. Kathleen Boesze- Battaglia

Top Overall Cumulative Award Amounts In 2014, those Penn Dental Medicine principal investigators with the top five cumulative grant award amounts included the following.

ARTICLES

Biochemistry

Microbiology

Periodontics


Biochemistry

2014 TOTAL AWARDS

$2,180,092

$1,956,079

$1,368,229

$939,725

$882,081

Top Basic Science Department Grant Awards In 2014, the top five new/competing renewals/non-competing grant awards within the Penn Dental Medicine basic science departments included:

Chloroplast F.VII-CTB for Oral Tolerance InductionPrincipal Investigator: Dr. Henry Daniell, Dept. of Biochemistry (Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc., $1,549,999, 5/1/2014 – 4/30/2017)

Oligodendrocyte Damage and Dysfunction in HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorder Principal Investigator: Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, Dept. of Pathology (National Institutes of Health, $532,571, 7/1/2014 – 6/30/2015)

Degradative Processes in RPE-Photoreceptor Renewal Principal Investigator: Dr. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia, Dept. of Biochemistry (National Institutes of Health, $482,081, 2/1/2014 – 1/31/2015)

Oral Immune Modulatory Therapy Using Antigens Bioencapsulated in Plant CellsPrincipal Investigator: Dr. Henry Daniell, Dept. of Biochemistry (National Institutes of Health, $416,573, 4/1/2014 – 3/31/2015)

Molecular Biology of Virulence in Periodontal Disease Principal Investigator: Dr. Edward Lally, Dept. of Pathology (National Institutes of Health, $414,550, 3/14/2014 – 1/31/2015)


Patents by the Numbers

PROVISIONAL PATENTS Filed between July 2012 – February 2015

US PATENTS Issued between July 2012 – February 2015

in the Department ofANATOMY & CELL BIOLOGY

PROVISIONAL PATENTS were filed by Penn Dental Medicine faculty between July 2012 – February 2015

US PATENTS were issued to Penn Dental Medicine faculty between July 2012 – February 2015

in the Department ofMICROBIOLOGY

in the Department ofPERIODONTICS

in the Department ofPATHOLOGYto Dr. Kelly Jordan-Sciutto

in the Department ofMICROBIOLOGY

in the Department ofORTHODONTICS/DIV. OF COMMUNITY ORAL HEALTH/DIV. OF PEDIATRICS to Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo

in the Dept. of PREVENTIVE & RESTORATIVE SCIENCES/DEPT. OF ENDODONTICS to Miri Kim, Dr. Francis Mante,

Dr. Syngcuk Kim

6 to Dr. Henry Daniell

2 to Dr. Elisabeth Barton

2 to Mihai Ciustea, Dr. Robert

Ricciardi, Janice Elaine Young

1 to Dr. Joseph DiRienzo

1 to Dr. Joseph Fiorellini

1 to Dr. Dana Graves

2 to Dr. Robert Ricciardi

1 to Dr. George Hajishengallis

1 to Dr. Yan Yuan17

4

8

3

22

4

1

1


Since isolating a population of unique stem cells more than a decade ago, Dr. Shi has gone on to explore their potential as therapeutic agents to address the damaging effects of everything from tooth decay and gum disease to lupus and cancer.

OROFACIAL STEM CELLSA BABY TOOTH GUIDED PENN DENTAL MEDICINE’S SONGTAO SHI TO STEM CELL INSIGHTS

ONE OF THE KEYS TO Dr. Songtao Shi’s productive career in research came from a seemingly humble item: his daughter’s first baby tooth.

Since isolating a population of unique stem cells from baby teeth more than a decade ago, Dr. Shi, who joined Penn Dental Medicine this fall as Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, has gone on to explore the great potential of stem cells as therapeutic agents to address the damaging effects of everything from tooth decay and gum disease to lupus and cancer. In coming to Penn, he hopes to foster col-laborative research that spans the basic and clinical sciences as he brings the mindset of a trained clinician to the laboratory bench.

FROM BEDSIDE TO BENCH Dr. Shi attended dental school at Beijing’s Peking University, gained specialized training in pediatric dentistry, and then worked in the clinic for a few years before heeding the desire to pursue a research career. At that time, op-portunities to conduct research alongside a clinical career were somewhat limited in China, so he and his wife moved to the United States, both earning their doctoral degrees at the University of Southern California (USC) and then pursuing postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco.

In graduate school and during his postdoctoral training, Dr. Shi investigated the mechanism of cataract and osteoblast differentiation, but stepped back into clinical dentistry after taking a position at the National Institutes of Health’s National Insti-tute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Md., in 1999. Encouraged to pursue research in that position, his studies turned to stem cell biology.

OPPOSITE: Dr. Songtao Shi joined Penn Dental Medicine this past fall as Professor and Chair of the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology.

RIGHT: Stro-1 positive dental pulp stem cells (red) around neural fibers (green).


The beauty of stem cells is their versa- tility. Depending on their type, stem cells can differentiate to create a variety of different cell types. Some parents bank their newborn’s umbilical cord blood, hopeful the stem cells within could eventually be used to correct certain diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovas-cular conditions, or cancers.

NO TOOTH FAIRYA few years after moving to Maryland, Dr. Shi’s daughter, Julia, lost her first tooth at 6. Accustomed to looking after her dental-care needs, Dr. Shi examined the tooth after it came out and noticed a tiny bit of rosy tissue stuck to the root end. By the time he realized this tissue was dental pulp, the living part of the tooth, it was too late to extract any cells from it. But he couldn’t shake the suspicion that the pulp of the baby tooth might contain some interesting biological characteristics. When a second tooth of Julia’s began to wig-gle a week later, though, he was ready with a test tube of culture medium.

“I dumped that tooth in my tube and drove to my lab in the night,” he says. “The amount of tissue was tiny, but I did a stem cell isolation and extracted a small number of cells. They grew slowly at first, but three days later there were so many; I couldn’t believe it!”

The stem cells he was able to isolate from the dental pulp were a new breed, distinct from the stem cells other researchers had discov-ered in infants’ umbilical cord blood and also different from adult stem cells isolated from skin, hair, blood, and heart cells.

To learn more about the baby teeth stem cells, which Dr. Shi termed SHED, for stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth, he began collecting lost baby teeth from Julia’s friends as well.

“If there was a birthday party, I was always there, collecting teeth,” he says.

With his collaborators at NIDCR, Dr. Shi began exploring the possibilities. While the SHED cells were slow to start growing, after a short time they multiplied rapidly and were found to live longer and be more robust than previously studied adult stem cells. They were also capable of differentiating into dental pulp and neural and fat cells.

After publishing these findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Shi and his team also went on the lookout to see if stem cells were lurking in other tissues in the orofacial area. At NIDCR and at USC, where Dr. Shi was a member of the faculty for more than eight years before coming to Penn, he and his colleagues identified and characterized new types in the periodontal ligament, in the dental pulp of permanent teeth, and in tendons.

VERSATILE APPLICATIONS Now Dr. Shi is investigating the potential of stem cell treatments in cell culture, in animal models, and in human clinical trials.

Among the first clinical trials he helped lead, a collaboration with colleagues in China, involved treating lupus patients with trans-plants of mesenchymal stem cells. Along with the many problems these patients faced from their condition, they also happened to have gum disease. Treating these patients using the stem cells induced lengthy remissions in their symptoms.

Additional aspects of Dr. Shi’s work also have found impact beyond the dental field. In a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine with colleagues from Penn, USC, Nanjing University in China and elsewhere, Dr. Shi helped identify the signaling pathway that is involved in deficiencies in the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells that can result in a chronic auto-immune disease known as systemic sclerosis. This condition involves, among other symp-toms, an overgrowth of connective tissues and patients have problems with their bones.

The researchers’ study showed that treating mice that had systemic sclerosis with rapamycin, a drug commonly used to reduce the likelihood of organ rejection in kidney

“It is exciting to publish high-impact papers, but it is more exciting to see a patient who was going to die survive because of something you’ve done.”

ABOVE: Dawei Liu, a postdoctoral fellow in the Shi lab, performing culture expansion of mesenchymal stem cells.


STEMCELLS

“Right now if you have to replace jaw bone, a surgeon has to take bone from another area, like the tibia,” Dr. Shi says. “Re-growing the mandible would eliminate this need. There is huge demand in this area, and we are glad to see we have already started in the game.”

Also, a recent study published in the Cell Stem Cell with collaborators from the Capital Medical University, Peking University, and the NIH identified that hydrogen sulfide plays a crucial role in controlling mesenchymal stem cell function.

Dr. Shi is collaborating with Dr. Anh Le, Chair and Norman Vine Endowed Professor of Oral Rehabilitation in Penn Dental Medi-cine’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology, to use the principles of stem cell therapy to treat osteonecrosis, a condition that arises in some people who take bisphosphonate drugs that are used to treat melanomas or to prevent osteoporosis.

“We’re hoping to find a drug that is already FDA-approved that has a similar mechanism of action to the cell therapy,” Dr. Shi says.

Through work in human patients, in an-imal models, and in the lab, Dr. Shi is making good on the promise of translational medicine.

“We’re using these various tracks to work hard to study how stem cells work so we can push these therapies to the patient,” he says. “We’re on our way.”

GLOBAL APPROACH Part of this effort involves deep partnerships with colleagues in China. Dr. Shi has been instrumental in plans for a collaborative cen-ter for dental research with his alma mater, Peking University School of Stomatology. In March, he traveled to Beijing as part of the Penn Dental Medicine delegation with Dean Denis Kinane that joined representatives from throughout the University of Pennsylvania to help celebrate the launch of the Penn Wharton China Center.

While there, Penn Dental Medicine also renewed a memorandum of understanding with Peking University School of Stomatology and announced plans for the National Center for International Research, a collaborative program between the two schools that aims to encourage an exchange of training and research opportunities.

“Through the center we’ll have young faculty from China come to Penn to train and focus on translational research,” Dr. Shi says. “We’re opening the door to opportunities to solve clinical problems.”

Fundamentally, Dr. Shi hopes to realize the power of translational medicine to save and improve lives by capitalizing on the potential of stem cell biology.

“One day we were working and my col-laborator in China told me something that has made me feel differently about my work,” Dr. Shi says. “He said, ‘You know, it is exciting to publish high-impact papers, but it is more exciting to see a patient who was going to die survive because of something you’ve done.’” —By Katherine Unger-Baillie

The stem cells Dr. Shi was able to isolate from dental pulp were a new breed. Dr. Shi termed the stem cells SHED, for stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth.

transplant patients, reversed the stem cell problems and improved their bone density.

“We’re very excited by these results and hope that a phase I trial can be initiated to bring this treatment to human patients,” Dr. Shi says.

Still other trials involving stem cells are now in the works in China to see if stem cells from dental pulp and periodontal ligament could help regrow dental pulp. Down the line, this approach could offer patients new therapies for dental and orofacial tissue regeneration.

Alongside these clinical trials, Dr. Shi is leading laboratory work to discern the mech-anism by which stem cells may have their beneficial effects. Such investigations could reveal even more opportunities to put stem cell therapy to work in the orofacial field. For example, cell therapy could involve re-growing jaw bone that is damaged from trauma or tumors.

ABOVE: Mesenchymal stem cells are cultured in vitro. These cells will be used to regenerate orofacial bones and treat autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and osteoporosis, in animal models.


Guan Z, Shi S, Samruajbenjakun B, Kamolmatyakul S. Fabrication, char-acterization and cell cultures on a novel chitosan scaffold. Biomed Mater Eng. 2015;25(1 Suppl):121–35. DOI:10.3233/BME–141231 [doi].

Wu PC, Tsai CL, Gordon GM, Jeong S, Itakura T, Patel N, Shi S, Fini ME. Chondrogenesis in scleral stem/progenitor cells and its association with form-de-prived myopia in mice. Mol Vis. 2015 Feb 6;21:138–47.

BIOCHEMISTRY

SELECTED PUBLICATIONSRecently published work by department researchers (indicated in bold).

Ahmad I, Sharma AK, Daniell H, Kumar S. Altered lipid composition and enhanced lipid production in green microalga by introduction of brassica diacylglycerol ac-yltransferase 2. Plant Biotechnol J. 2014 Nov 18. DOI:10.1111/pbi.12278 [doi].

Daniell H. Editorial. Plant Biotechnol J. 2015 Jan;13(1):1. DOI:10.1111/pbi.12323 [doi].

Frost LS, Lopes VS, Bragin A, Reyes-Rev-eles J, Brancato J, Cohen A, Mitchell CH, Williams DS, Boesze-Battaglia K. (co-author in Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology) The contribution of melanoreg-ulin to microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) associated phagocy-tosis in retinal pigment epithelium. Mol Neurobiol. 2014 Oct 10. DOI:10.1007/s12035–014–8920–5 [doi].

Scanzello CR, Markova DZ, Chee A, Xiu Y, Adams SL, Anderson G, Zgonis M, Qin L, An HS, Zhang Y. Fibronectin splice variation in human knee cartilage, menis-cus and synovial membrane: Observations in osteoarthritic knee. J Orthop Res. 2014 Nov 20. DOI:10.1002/jor.22787 [doi].

Shil PK, Kwon KC, Zhu P, Verma A, Daniell H, Li Q. Oral delivery of ACE2/Ang-(1–7) bioencapsulated in plant cells protects against experimental uveitis and autoimmune uveoretinitis. Mol Ther. 2014 Dec;22(12):2069–82. DOI:10.1038/mt.2014.179 [doi].

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTSDr. Sumin Lee (GD’15), a endodontic resident and DScD candidate conducting research in the lab of Dr. Anh Le, Chair, Dept. of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, was awarded the Best Oral Presentation Award at the Penn Endo Global Sympo-sium & Austrian Society of Endodon-tology Annual Meeting, held in Vienna in December. Her research project was DPSCs derived from pulpitis have immuno-suppressive effects on macrophages.

APPOINTMENTSDr. Bekir Karabucak, Associate Professor of Endodontics and Postdoctoral End-odontic Program Director, was named Interim Chair of the Department of Endodontics in October 2014.


Chen I, Karabucak B, Wang C, Wang H-, Koyama E, Kohli MR, Nah H-, Kim S. Healing after root-end microsurgery by using mineral trioxide aggregate and a new cal-cium silicate-based bioceramic material as root-end filling materials in dogs. J Endod. 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.joen.2014.11.005.

MICROBIOLOGY

RECENT GRANT AWARDSNational Institutes of Health grant to de-velop drugs for preventing and treating smallpox in the event of viral release by an act of bioterrorism. The scope of the grant is to bring lead molecules up to the Investigational New Drug filing.Principal Investigator: Dr. Robert Ricciardi, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Microbiology

National Institutes of Health grant to study how the homeostatic factor Del-1 regulates inflammation and osteoclas-togenesis, and identify key functional sites within the Del-1 polypeptide that could be exploited as drugs in bone loss disorders such as periodontitis.Principal Investigator: Dr. George Hajishengallis, Professor, Dept. of Microbiology

ANATOMY & CELL BIOLOGY

RECENT GRANT AWARDSNational Institutes of Health grant to study the regulation of Lysosomal pH in RPE cells. This research will help in un-derstanding new ways that cells respond to inflammatory signals and test the ability of nanoparticles to prevent dam-age seen in many cell types as we age.Principal Investigator: Dr. Claire Mitchell, Associate Professor, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology

University of California-Los Angeles (National Institutes of Health) grant to study epigenetic regulation of mesen-chymal stem cell differentiation. Principal Investigator: Dr. Songtao Shi, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology

National Institutes of Health grant to understand osteogenic and immuno-modulatory mechanisms of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) as a basis to explore unique differentiation traits of SHED. Principal Investigator: Dr. Songtao Shi, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology


Beckel JM, Daugherty SL, Tyagi P, Wolf-Johnston AS, Birder LA, Mitchell CH, de Groat WC. Pannexin 1 channels mediate the release of ATP into the lumen of the rat urinary bladder. J Physiol. 2015 Jan 29. DOI:10.1113/jphysiol.2014.283119 [doi].

Chen C, Akiyama K, Wang D, Xu X, Li B, Moshaverinia A, Brombacher F, Sun L, Shi S. mTOR inhibition rescues osteopenia in mice with systemic sclerosis. Rockefeller University Press; 2015. 73 p.

Wang X, Su J, Sherman A, Rogers GL, Liao G, Hoffman BE, Leong KW, Terhorst C, Daniell H, Herzog RW. Plant-based oral tolerance to hemophilia therapy employs a complex immune regulatory response including LAP+CD4+ T cells. Blood. 2015 Feb 19. DOI:blood-2014–08–597070 [pii].

ENDODONTICS

ACADEMICUPDATEDEPARTMENT/FACULTY NEWS & SCHOLARSHIP

2014 TOP-READ JDR ARTICLEAn article by Dr. Syngcuk Kim, Louis I. Grossman Professor, Dept. of Endodontics, and Dr. Frank Setzer, Assistant Professor of Endodontics, comparing the long-term survival of implants and endodontically treated teeth was among the 10 top-read Journal of Dental Research articles in 2014. See: Setzer FC, Kim S. Comparison of long-term survival of implants and endodontically treated teeth. J Dent Res. 2014;93(1):19-26



Choi EY, Lim JH, Neuwirth A, Econo-mopoulou M, Chatzigeorgiou A, Chung KJ, Bittner S, Lee SH, Langer H, Samus M, Kim H, Cho GS, Ziemssen T, Bdeir K, Chavakis E, Koh JY, Boon L, Hosur K, Bornstein SR, Meuth SG, Hajishengallis G, Chavakis T. Developmental endothe-lial locus-1 is a homeostatic factor in the central nervous system limiting neu-roinflammation and demyelination. Mol Psychiatry. 2014 Nov 11. DOI:10.1038/mp.2014.146 [doi].

DiRienzo JM. Cytolethal distending toxin: A unique variation on the AB toxin paradigm. New Journal of Science. 2014;2014

DiRienzo JM. Uptake and processing of the cytolethal distending toxin by mam-malian cells. Toxins (Basel). 2014 Oct 31;6(11):3098–116. DOI:10.3390/tox-ins6113098 [doi].

Guan H, Nuth M, Zhukovskaya N, Saw YL, Bell E, Isaacs SN, Ricciardi RP. A novel target and approach for identifying antivirals against molluscum contagiosum virus. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2014;58(12):7383–9.

Hajishengallis G. MFG-E8, a novel homeostatic regulator of osteoclastogen-esis. Inflammation and Cell Signaling. 2014;1(5):e285. DOI:doi: 10.14800/ics.285.

Hajishengallis G, Chavakis T, Hajishen-gallis E, Lambris JD. (co-author in Div. of Pediatric Dentistry) Neutrophil homeo-stasis and inflammation: Novel paradigms from studying periodontitis. J Leukoc Biol. 2014 Dec 29. DOI:jlb.3VMR1014–468R [pii].

Hajishengallis G, Lamont RJ, Graves DT. (co-author in Dept. of Periodontics) The enduring importance of animal models in understanding periodontal disease. Virulence. 2015 Jan 9:0. DOI:10.4161/21505594.2014.990806 [doi].

Hajishengallis G. Periodontitis: From microbial immune subversion to systemic inflammation. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015 Jan;15(1):30–44. DOI:10.1038/nri3785 [doi].

Hu JC, Mathias-Santos C, Greene CJ, King-Lyons ND, Rodrigues JF, Hajishen-gallis G, Ferreira LCS, Connell TD. Intradermal administration of the type II heat-labile enterotoxins LT-IIb and LT-IIc of enterotoxigenic escherichia coli enhances humoral and CD8+ T cell immunity to a co-administered antigen. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(12)

Lamont RJ, Hajishengallis G. Polymicro-bial synergy and dysbiosis in inflammatory disease. Trends Mol Med. 2014 Nov 20. DOI:S1471–4914(14)00196–8 [pii].

Maekawa T, Hajishengallis G. Topical treatment with probiotic lactobacillus brevis CD2 inhibits experimental periodontal inflammation and bone loss. J Periodont Res; 49(6):785–91.

Mastellos DC, Yancopoulou D, Kokkinos P, Huber-Lang M, Hajishengallis G, Biglarnia AR, Lupu F, Nilsson B, Risitano AM, Ricklin D, Lambris JD. Compstatin: A C3-targeted complement inhibitor reaching its prime for bedside intervention. Eur J Clin Invest. 2015 Feb 12. DOI:10.1111/eci.12419 [doi].

Mitroulis I, Alexaki VI, Kourtzelis I, Ziogas A, Hajishengallis G, Chavakis T. Leukocyte integrins: Role in leukocyte recruitment and as therapeutic targets in inflammatory disease. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2015;147:123–35.

Sathish N, Wang X, Yuan Y. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oral cancers and treatment strategies. J Dent Res. 2014 Mar 24;93(7 suppl):29S–36S. DOI:0022034514527969 [pii].

Zenobia C, Hajishengallis G. Porphyro-monas gingivalis virulence factors involved in subversion of leukocytes and microbial dysbiosis. Virulence. 2015 Feb 5:0. DOI:10.1080/21505594.2014.999567 [doi].

Zhukovskaya NL, Guan H, Saw YL, Nuth M, Ricciardi RP. The processivity factor complex of feline herpes virus-1 is a new drug target. Antiviral Res. 2015 Mar;115:17–20. DOI:10.1016/j.antivi-ral.2014.12.013 [doi].

ORAL MEDICINE

AAOM AWARDEESDr. Thomas Sollecito (D’89, GD’91), Professor and Chair of Oral Medicine, received the 2015 American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM) Abraham Reiner Diamond Pin Award, and Dr. Eric Stoopler (D’99, GD’02) Associate Professor and Director of the Oral Medicine Residency Program, was this year’s recipi-ent of the Herschfus Memorial Award by the AAOM.

The Abraham Reiner Dia-mond Pin Award — the highest award presented by the AAOM– recognizes unusual, exceptional, and dedicated service to the Academy.

The Herschfus Memorial Award recognizes both service to the AAOM and the field of oral medicine. The awards were presented at the AAOM Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif., April 2015.

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTSIn April, Dr. Eric Stoopler (D’99, GD’ 02), Associate Professor of Oral Medi-cine, was also elected Vice President of the AAOM at the Joint Meeting of the AAOM and American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.

RECENT GRANT AWARDSCarolinas Health Care System grant on oral hygiene, periodontal disease and infective endocarditis. The goal of this project is to study the role of poor oral hygiene and periodontal disease in patients who develop infective endocar-ditis (IE), an infection of the heart valves. IE has been associated with nearly 1.6 million years of healthy life lost due to death — 30–45 % of which may origi-nate from oral bacteria.Principal Investigator: Dr. Thomas Sollecito, Professor and Chair of Oral Medicine


Azfar RS, Lee RA, Castelo-Soccio L, Greenberg MS, Bilker WB, Gelfand JM, Kovarik CL. Reliability and validity of mobile teledermatology in human immunodefi-ciency virus-positive patients in botswana: A pilot study. JAMA Dermatol. 2014 Jun;150(6):601–7. DOI:10.1001/jamader-matol.2013.7321 [doi].

De Rossi SS, Greenberg MS, Liu F, Stein-keler A. Temporomandibular disorders: Evaluation and management. Med Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;98(6):1353–84. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.08.009 [doi].

Donaldson M, Goodchild JH, Epstein JB. Sugar content, cariogenicity, and dental concerns with commonly used medications. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(2):129–33.

Idahosa C, Berardi TR, Shkolnikov R, Stoopler ET. Thrombocytopenia absent radius (TAR) syndrome: A case report and review for oral health care providers. Spec Care Dentist. 2014 Sep–Oct;34(5):251–8.

Madani FM, Kuperstein AS. Normal variations of oral anatomy and common oral soft tissue lesions: Evaluation and management. Med Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;98(6):1281–98. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.08.004 [doi].

Madani M, Berardi T, Stoopler ET. Anatomic and examination considerations of the oral cavity. Med Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;98(6):1225–38. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.08.001 [doi].


2ND EDITION OF CLASSIC TMJ TEXTThe second edition of the Atlas of Temporomandibular Joint Surgery (recently published by Wiley) is a major revision of Dr. Peter Quinn’s (D’74, GD’78) classic work. Taking into account new procedures, equipment, and evidence-based findings from the latest research in TMJ treatment, this new book by Dr. Quinn, Schoenle-ber Professor of Oral Surgery, and Dr. Eric Granquist (M’07, GD’10, RES’10), Assistant Professor of Oral Surgery, focuses on the surgical remedies for disorders that are beyond conservative treatment. Also contributing from Penn Dental Medicine are Dr. Helen Giannakopoulos (GD’02) and Dr. David Stanton (D’88, M’92, GD’95).

ACADEMICUPDATE

ORTHODONTICS

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTSThe 62nd Annual Alumni Meeting of the Department of Orthodontics will be held on Friday, October 9, 2015 at The Union League of Philadelphia. This year’s J. Henry O’Hern Jr. Alumni Day Lecture will be delivered by Dr. Kee-Joon Lee, Professor of Orthodontics, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, speaking on three-dimensional orthodontic mechan-ics, soft tissue/designing the face, and lingual orthodontics.

Attendees are eligible to receive con-tinuing education credit hours for the Alumni Day program.

In November 2014, Dr. Robert L. Vanarsdall, Professor, Dept. of Ortho-dontics, received an Honorary Degree from San Juan Bautista, Lima Peru, and in December 2014 he was honored with the Paul Herren Award from the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Omolehinwa TT, Musbah T, Desai B, O’Malley BW,Jr, Stoopler ET. Neuralgia associated with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy in a patient ini-tially diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2015 Mar;119(3):e101–4. DOI:10.1016/j.oooo.2014.12.015 [doi].

Pauwels R, Jacobs R, Singer SR, Mupparapu M. CBCT-based bone quality assessment: Are hounsfield units applicable? Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2015;44(1):20140238. DOI:10.1259/dmfr.20140238 [doi].

Sollecito TP, Abt E, Lockhart PB, Truelove E, Paumier TM, Tracy SL, Tampi M, Beltrán-Aguilar ED, Frantsve-Hawley J. The use of prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures in patients with prosthetic joints: Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for dental practitioners-a report of the american dental association council on scientific affairs. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(1):11–6.

Stoopler ET, Sollecito TP. Medical clinics of north america. oral medicine: A handbook for physicians. preface. Med Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;98(6):xvii–xviii. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.08.010 [doi].

Stoopler ET, Sollecito TP. Medical screen-ings. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015;146(2):75–6.

Stoopler ET, Sollecito TP. Oral mucosal diseases: Evaluation and management. Med Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;98(6):1323–52. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.08.006 [doi].

Stoopler ET, Sollecito TP. Recurrent gingi-val and oral mucosal lesions. JAMA. 2014 Nov 5;312(17):1794–5. DOI:10.1001/jama.2014.4298 [doi].

Stoopler ET, Takeshita J. Female with recurrent oral lesions. Ann Emerg Med. 2015 Feb;65(2):231–7. DOI:10.1016/j.annemergmed.2014.05.014 [doi].

Stoopler ET, Thoppay JR, Sollectio TP. Psychological parameters associated with geographic tongue: A clinical observation. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2015 Jan;119(1):122–3. DOI:10.1016/j.oooo.2014.09.034 [doi].

Zamel GA, Micheletti RG, Nasta SD, Palakshappa J, Stoopler ET. The impor-tance of multidisciplinary healthcare for paraneoplastic pemphigus. Spec Care Dentist. 2014 Sep 26. DOI:10.1111/scd.12093 [doi].

ORAL SURGERY/ PHARMACOLOGY

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTSDr. Eric Granquist (M’07, GD’10, RES’10), Assistant Professor of Oral Surgery, has been appointed President of the TMJ Clinical Interest Group of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

Dr. David Stanton (D’88, M’92, GD’95), Associate Professor of Oral Surgery, has been named Chair of the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Review Committee within the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), along with an appointment as a CODA commissioner.

RECENT GRANT AWARDSOral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foun-dation grant to delineate the role of Notch3 signaling in the regulation of stem cell properties and sustained autocrine secretory function of GCT-MSCs in the pathogenesis of jawbone giant cell tumors.Principal Investigator: Dr. Qilin Xu, Visit-ing Scholar

American Association of Endodon-tists Foundation grant to study new therapeutic approaches for irreversible pulpitis using anti-inflammatory and en-dogenous dental pulp stem cells-based strategies. Principal Investigator: Dr. Sumin Lee, Dept. of Endodontics Resident


Patel PB, Stanton DC, Granquist EJ. Common dental and orofacial trauma: Evaluation and management. Med Clin North Am. 2014 Nov;98(6):1261–79. DOI:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.08.003 [doi].

Saraghi M, Hersh EV. Authors’ response. J Am Dent Assoc. 2014 Jun;145(6):524. DOI:145/6/524-a [pii].

Saraghi M, Moore PA, Hersh EV. Local anesthetic calculations: Avoiding trouble with pediatric patients. Gen Dent. 2015;63(1):48–52.

Lizeng Gao, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, Professor, Dept. of Orthodontics, was awarded the 2015 International Associ-ation for Dental Research Innovation in Oral Care Award (see story, page 2) Dr. Peter Greco, Clinical Professor of Orthodontics, has been the author of the column “Ethics in Orthodontics” within The American Journal of Ortho-dontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics since 2011 — look for his ongoing contribu-tions.

Dr. Jerome Sklaroff, Clinical Professor of Orthodontics, was this year’s recipient of the OB Vaughan Special Recognition Award from the American Association of Orthodontists (AOB); the AOB established this award to acknowledge those who have made a significant con-tribution to the orthodontic specialty.

RECENT GRANT AWARDSInternational Association for Dental Research grant to study the develop-ment of a novel drug delivery system that retains antibiofilm agents at the tooth-biofilm interface and rapidly release them in response to acidic pH. The study will design different pH-activated nanocarriers and evaluate them using the lab’s in vitro and in vivo cariogenic biofilm models.Principal Investigator: Dr. Michel Koo, Professor, Dept. of Orthodontics, and Divisions of Community Oral Health & Pediatrics



Chung C-H, Dugoni SA. Appropriate timing for correction of malocclusions In: English JD, Akyalcin S, Peltomäki T, Litschel K, editors. Mosby’s orthodontic review. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2015; p. 24–35.

Greco PM. Temporomandibular disorders In: English JD, Akyalcin S, Peltomäki T, Litschel K, editors. Mosby’s orthodontic review. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Mosby; 2015; p. 286–92.

Horev B, Klein MI, Hwang G, Li Y, Kim D, Koo H, Benoit DS. pH-activated nanopar-ticles for controlled topical delivery of farnesol to disrupt oral biofilm virulence. ACS Nano. 2015 Feb 13. DOI:10.1021/nn507170s [doi].

Hwang G, Klein MI, Koo H. Analysis of the mechanical stability and surface detachment of mature streptococcus mutans biofilms by applying a range of external shear forces. Biofouling. 2014 Oct;30(9):1079–91. DOI:10.1080/08927014.2014.969249 [doi].

Koo H, Bowen WH. Candida albicans and streptococcus mutans: A potential synergistic alliance to cause virulent tooth decay in children. Future Micro-biol. 2014;9(12):1295–7. DOI:10.2217/fmb.14.92 [doi]. Miller JH, Aviles-Reyes A, Scott-Anne K, Gregoire S, Watson GE, Sampson E, Progulske-Fox A, Koo H, Bowen WH, Lemos JA, Abranches J. The collagen binding protein cnm contributes to oral colonization and cariogenicity of strepto-coccus mutans OMZ175. Infect Immun. 2015 Mar 2. DOI:IAI.03022–14 [pii].

Nguyen PTM, Falsetta ML, Hwang G, Gonzalez-Begne M, Koo H. a-mangostin disrupts the development of streptococcus mutans biofilms and facilitates its mechan-ical removal. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(10)

Yoon SS, Chung C-. Comparison of cra-niofacial growth of untreated class i and class II girls from ages 9 to 18 years: A longitudinal study. American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthope-dics. 2015;147(2):190–6.

PATHOLOGY

SELECTED PUBLICATIONSRecently published work by departmentresearchers (indicated in bold).

Bilodeau EA, Prasad JL, Alawi F, Seethala RR. Molecular and genetic aspects of odontogenic lesions. Head Neck Pathol. 2014 Dec;8(4):400–10. DOI:10.1007/s12105–014–0588–7 [doi].

Gill AJ, Kovacsics CE, Cross SA, Vance PJ, Kolson LL, Jordan-Sciutto KL, Gelman BB, Kolson DL. Heme oxygenase-1 defi-ciency accompanies neuropathogenesis of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. J Clin Invest. 2014 Oct;124(10):4459–72. DOI:10.1172/JCI72279 [doi].

Shenker BJ, Ojcius DM, Walker LP, Zekavat A, Scuron MD, Boesze-Battaglia K. (co-author in Dept. of Biochemistry) Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans cytolethal distending toxin activates the NLRP3 inflammasome in human macro-phages leading to the release of pro-in-flammatory cytokines. Infect Immun. 2015 Feb 2. DOI:IAI.03132–14 [pii].

Zyskind JW, Wang Y, Cho G, Ting JH, Kolson DL, Lynch DR, Jordan-Sciutto KL. E2F1 in neurons is cleaved by calpain in an NMDA receptor-dependent manner in a model of HIV-induced neurotoxicity. J Neurochem. 2014 Oct 3. DOI:10.1111/jnc.12956 [doi].

PERIODONTICS

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTSDr. Alan Polson, Professor, Dept. of Periodontics, received the Robert Morris Award from the Welsh Society of Philadelphia. Given annually to a distinguished Welsh-American, the award recognizes Dr. Polson’s many years of research and teaching at Atrix Laboratories, the University of Rochester, and the University of Pennsylvania.

RECENT GRANT AWARDSInternational Team for Implantology grant to examine changes in gene expression during implantitis.Principal Investigator: Dr. Dana Graves, Professor, Dept. of Periodontics

National Institutes of Health grant to test the hypothesis that diabetes negatively affects osteoblasts/osteocytes to aggra-vate periodontal bone loss.Principal Investigator: Dr. Dana Graves, Professor, Dept. of Periodontics

Media grant designed to establish a new periodontal diagnostic measurement system using Cone beam CT scans. This will make it less invasive for patients, less time consuming, more accurate, and a standardized measurement for clinicians.Principal Investigator: Dr. Keisuke Wada, Assistant Professor of Periodontics

National Institutes of Health grant to study and unravel epigenetic mecha-nisms in human inflammatory dysfunc-tions that render patients susceptible to periodontal disease. Principal Investigator: Dr. Denis Kinane, Professor of Periodontics & Pathology and Morton Amsterdam Dean

SELECTED PUBLICATIONSRecently published work by departmentresearchers (indicated in bold).

Benakanakere M, Abdolhosseini M, Hosur K, Finoti LS, Kinane DF. TLR2 promoter hy-permethylation creates innate immune dys-biosis. J Dent Res. 2015 Jan;94(1):183–91. DOI:10.1177/0022034514557545 [doi].

Hameedaldeen A, Liu J, Batres A, Graves GS, Graves DT. FOXO1, TGF–ß regulation and wound healing. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2014;15(9):16257–69.

60TH ANNIVERSARY The Department of Periodontics will celebrate its 60th Anniver-sary with the Penn Esthetics Symposium, June 11–13, 2015, and pay tribute to the life of Dr. Morton Amsterdam (C’43, D’45) through a special program on June 13. Learn more at www. dental.upenn.edu/esthetics2015.

PERIO HEALTH LOWERS MEDICAL COSTSA study by Dr. Marjorie Jeffcoat, Professor, Dept. of Periodontics, analyzing medical and dental insurance claims data of individ-uals with type 2 diabetes (T2D), coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebral vascular disease (CVD), pregnancy, and rheumatoid ar-thritis (RA) to estimate the affect of periodontal therapy on medical costs and hospitalizations, found that medical costs for those with T2D, CAD, CVD, and pregnancy who received periodontal therapy were lowered 40.2%,. 40.9%, 10.7%, and 73.7%, respectively; with comparable result for hospital admissions.

As a result of this study, the dental insurer United Concordia Companies, Inc. has expanded the level of periodontal coverage for T2D, CAD, and CVD patients and covered the procedures 100%, upgrading the dental benefit so these patients are not postponing treatment. “The study added an economic component to what the basic science research has been showing over time — an association between periodontal disease and systemic disease,” says Dr. James Bramson, Chief Dental Officer at Concordia.See: Jeffcoat, M.K., Jeffcoat, R.L., Gladowski, P.A., Bramson, J.B., Blum, J.J. Impact of periodontal therapy on general health: Evidence from insurance data for five systemic conditions. Am J of Preven-tive Medicine. 2014;47(2):166–174.


PREVENTIVE &RESTORATIVE SCIENCES

CONTEMPORARY IMPLANT THERAPYDr. Markus Blatz, Professor and Chair of Preventive & Restorative Sciences, recently co-authored (with Iñaki Gamborena) the book “EVOLUTION — Contem-porary Protocols for Anterior Single-Tooth Implants.” Pub-lished by Quintessence Publish-ing, the highly visual text charts new paths for the treatment of single-tooth dental implants in the esthetic zone. The authors present advanced implant protocols step-by-step, providing guidance on the surgical and restorative details that are key to optimum esthetics, including implant hard and soft tissue integration, implant selection, implant placement principles, soft tissue esthetics, minimally invasive surgical procedures, and optimized restorative protocols. Research sections throughout the book provide an overview of scientific evidence on essential implant topics.

ACADEMICUPDATEKim SJ, Ribeiro ALVL, Atlas AM, Saleh N, Royal J, Radvar M, Korostoff J. (co-authors in Dept. of Preventive & Re-storative Sciences) Resonance frequency analysis as a predictor of early implant failure in the partially edentulous posterior maxilla following immediate nonfunctional loading or delayed loading with single unit restorations. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2015;26(2):183–90. DOI:10.1111/clr.12310.

Ko KI, Coimbra LS, Tian C, Alblowi J, Kayal RA, Einhorn TA, Gerstenfeld LC, Pignolo RJ, Graves DT. Diabetes reduces mesenchymal stem cells in fracture healing through a TNFa-mediated mechanism. Diabetologia. 2015. DOI:10.1007/s00125–014–3470–y.

Reynolds MA, Kao RT, Camargo PM, Caton JG, Clem DS, Fiorellini JP, Geisinger ML, Mills MP, Nares S, Nevins ML. Periodontal regeneration — intrabony defects: A consensus report from the AAP regeneration workshop. J Periodontol. 2015;86:S105–7. DOI:10.1902/jop.2015.140378.

Wang Y, Dong G, Jeon HH, Elazizi M, La LB, Hameedaldeen A, Xiao E, Tian C, Alsadun S, Choi Y, Graves DT. FOXO1 mediates RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and activity. J Immunol. 2015 Feb 18. DOI:1402211 [pii].

Xu F, Othman B, Lim J, Batres A, Ponugoti B, Zhang C, Yi L, Liu J, Tian C, Hameedaldeen A, Alsadun S, Tarapore R, Graves DT. FOXO1 inhibits diabetic mucosal wound healing but enhances healing of normoglycemic wounds. Diabe-tes. 2015;64(1):243–56.

Zweers J, Thomas RZ, Slot DE, Weisgold AS, Van der Weijden FG. Characteristics of periodontal biotype, its dimensions, associations and prevalence: A systematic review. J Clin Periodontol. 2014 Oct;41(10):958–71. DOI:10.1111/jcpe.12275 [doi].

NEWS/ACHIEVEMENTSDr. Beverley Crawford, Director of Di-versity Affairs and Assistant Professor of Clinical Restorative Dentistry, has been awarded the ADEA/AAL Faculty of Color Tuition Scholarship for Profes-sional Development: ADEA/AAL Com-pass Program for Academic Achieve-ment. The scholarship was created to enable faculty of color to participate in programs that will improve their teach-ing abilities, increase their leadership skills, and advance their understanding and mastery of other critical elements of a successful academic career.

RECENT GRANT AWARDSChristopher L. Moseley Foundation grant to investigate titanium surface treatments conducive to cartilage formation and integration.Principal Investigator: Dr. Francis Mante, Associate Professor, Dept of Preventive & Restorative Sciences


Arslan S, Zorba YO, Atalay MA, Ozcan S, Demirbuga S, Pala K, Percin D, Ozer F. Effect of resin infiltration on surface properties and streptococcus mutans ad-hesion to artificial enamel lesions. Dental Materials Journal. 2015;34(1):25–30.

Collins RJ. Global Oral Health In: Spooner B, editor. Globalization: The Crucial Phase. Philadelphia: Univ. of Pennsylvania Press; 2015; p. 227–33.

Hirsh LS, Marion LR. Prosthetic man-agement of gingival recession around implants: lessons learned from staged-ap-proach treatment planning. Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry. 2015;36(3):180–9.

Katsoulis J, Müller P, Mericske-Stern R, Blatz MB. CAD/CAM fabrication accu-racy of long- vs. short-span implant-sup-ported FDPs. Clin Oral Implants Res. 2015;26(3):245–9.

Lindemeyer RG, Rashewsky SE, Louie PJ, Schleelein L. Anesthetic and dental management of a child with IMAGe syndrome. Anesth Prog. 2014 Win-ter;61(4):165–8. DOI:10.2344/0003–3006–61.4.165 [doi].

DIGITAL UPGRADES The Division of Community Oral Health’s PennSmiles mobile clinic/van, outfitted to provide restorative and preventive care to children throughout the community, has new technology upgrades to help increase pa-tient workflow. Enhanced Wi-Fi service and a dedicated server on the van now enable students and faculty to communicate directly back to the School. In addition, new computers; chair-side, mounted monitors; and a command center at the back of the van, also allow x-ray distribu-tion chair-side.

Pugach MK, Ozer F, Mulmadgi R, Li Y, Suggs C, Wright JT, Bartlett JD, Gibson CW, Lindemeyer RG. (co-author in Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology) Shear bond strength of dentin and deprotein-ized enamel of amelogenesis imperfecta mouse incisors. Pediatr Dent. 2014 Sep–Oct;36(5):130–6.

Wegstein PG, Horvath SD, Stemmann J, Luthi M, Blatz MB. Three-dimension-al analysis of the correlation between anterior tooth form and face shape. Int J Periodontics Restorative Dent. 2014 Nov–Dec;34(6):765–71. DOI:10.11607/prd.2171 [doi].

Yehia B, Calder D, Hirsh R, Flesch J, Higginbotham E, Tkacs N, Crawford B, Fishman N. Advancing LGBT health at an academic medical center: A case study. LGBT Health December, 2014. DOI: 10.1089/lgbt2014.0054.

EDITOR’S NOTE/CORRECTIONWithin this section of the Fall 2014 Penn Dental Medicine Journal, a faculty member was incorrectly identified as a result of a misspelling. The entry should have read:

Dr. Mark Snyder, Clinical Associate Professor of Periodontics, was elected President of the Northeastern Society of Periodontics for 2015.


ALUMNIHIGHLIGHTSPROFILES, GATHERINGS & ENGAGEMENT

Leadership Gift, Take a Seat Campaign Set Stage for William W. M. Cheung Auditorium DR. WILLIAM W. M. CHEUNG (D’81, GD’82), Chair of Penn Dental Medicine’s Board of Overseers, has made a leadership gift to the Evans Building Centen-nial Renaissance project, pledging support to upgrade a vital educational space with the naming of the William W. M. Cheung Auditorium.

William W. M. Cheung (D’81, GD’82)

The auditorium, presently known as B-60, is the major lecture hall on the lower concourse of the Evans Build-ing — one of the most heavily-used academic spaces in the School.

“B-60 Auditorium is very special to me going back to my student days. That’s where we spent a lot of time attending lectures in dental school,” recalls Dr. William Cheung. “It brings back a lot of fond memories, as well as memories of challenges, and I’m excited to take part in helping to enhance this space for our students.”

The enhancements planned for the auditorium as part of the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project directly respond to needs articulated by current students and faculty, including better seating, digital connectivity, and improved aesthetics and lighting.

To fully fund the auditorium up-dates, alumni and friends are invited to be part of the Take a Seat Campaign. Donors can “name” a seat in the William W. M. Cheung Auditorium with a tax-deductible gift of $1,000. All donors will be recognized through signage in the transformed facility.

The Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project, set to begin this fall, will transform the 100-year-old Evans Building throughout. With the renovation, the lower concourse will be fully devoted to student activities and instruction. In addition to the William W. M. Cheung Auditorium, this level will include a state-of-the-art preclinical lab and CE training center, an advanced simulation lab, small group study and meeting rooms, a student lounge, and the offices of Stu-dent Affairs and Academic Affairs.

For more information on the Evans Building Centennial Renaissance project, visit www.dental.upenn.edu/evans; to make a gift to the Take a Seat Campaign, visit www.dental.upenn.edu/give.


ALUMNIHIGHLIGHTS

AT 16 YEARS OLD, Dr. Nhat-Khai Do (D’03) emigrated to the United States as part of a humanitarian effort to assist families of former Vietnamese government officials. Her older brother had previously left Vietnam when he was 13. The reunited family at first went to Virginia and then settled in a small Pennsylvania town.

“I have received many great opportunities and help to get where I am today,” says Dr. Do, who has a private dental practice in Phoenix-ville, Pa. “My parents had to rebuild everything from the start, and any kind of help we could get we really appreciated.”

Today, Dr. Do pays that help her family received forward as one of the founding mem-bers of Vietnamese United for Health, a group established in early 2014 to provide health-care access and education to the Vietnamese com-munity in the Philadelphia region. “I feel for these people, I could relate,” Dr. Do says.

The group includes a number of health-care professionals, including Dr. Giang T. Nguyen, Assistant Professor of Family Medi-cine and Community Health at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, who provide a range of services, including flu shots, hepatitis B screenings, and information about such things as health insurance and gambling addiction.

Dr. Do says it is the first health-care related group in the region that specifically serves the Vietnamese community. While they thought the need was there, the group’s leaders still were surprised when almost 1,000 people showed up at the first VUH event held last April at a rented Vietnamese restaurant in South Philadelphia. Dr. Do says they were expecting about 400 to 500 people to attend.

“I participate in many cultural activities through the Vietnamese community in Philadelphia,” she says, “yet I didn’t realize so many people needed access to health care.”

It was clear Vietnamese United for Health was serving a vital purpose. “We saw some people who hadn’t had any dental care,” Dr. Do says. “In Vietnam, dental care would be a luxury. Many people aren’t educated in prevention, they only seek help when there is a problem.”

Before that first event, Dr. Do had reached out to Dr. Joan Gluch, Interim Chief of the Division of Community Oral Health, which led to there being a group of student volunteers on hand to provide additional support. For four busy hours that day, Dr. Do and several fourth-year students performed about 150 dental screenings for children up to elderly attendees, while other Penn Dental Medicine students provided oral health education.

Building on that connection, three third-year dental students this summer requested to do their honors program community project with Vietnamese United for Health. Since August, students Andrew Fraser (D’16), Travis Williams (D’16) and Henry Ma (D’16) have worked with Dr. Do at numerous community health events, teaching proper dental hygiene

Alumni Profile: Dr. Nhat-Khai Do (D’03) Making a Difference in the Vietnamese Community


practices, doing oral cancer screenings, provid-ing information and resources for those who need additional care, as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss for hundreds of people.

“We saw the work Dr. Do was doing, and recognized an opportunity both to support a Penn Dental alumna and to reach out to an underserved community,” Fraser explains of their interest in working with the group. “It has been very rewarding to assist Dr. Do and help so many people who have attended the VUH community health events.”

Dr. Do appreciates the support they provide for the relatively new organization for which she is the only dentist. “It’s a learning experience for the students,” she says. “They’re passionate about what they’re doing.”

Eventually, Dr. Do would like to see Vietnamese United for Health expand enough to be able to provide clinical services. “I hope in the future we will have enough funding and support so that we can provide treatment to those in need,” she says.

Despite long hours in her own practice and the demands of raising two young children, Dr. Do says the opportunity to give back to the Vietnamese community is very gratifying.

“I understand to get a new start in a new country is not easy,” she says. “I know many of these immigrants don’t have access to care due to language barriers, financial restrictions, or time. And after every volunteer event, I know we could do so much more.”

Liz Ketterlinus Leading Development, Alumni Relations Team CONTINUING TO BUILD its Office of Development and Alumni Relations, Penn Dental Medicine welcomed Liz Ketterlinus to the new post of Senior Associate Dean of Development & Alumni Relations this past fall. In this new leadership role, Ketterlinus is responsible for the overall conceptualization, planning, and

execution of a coordinated program of private source fundraising, alumni relations, and communications for Penn Dental Medicine, supervising a staff of six.

Prior to joining Penn Dental Medicine, Ketterlinus served as Interim Vice President at Rutgers Biomedical Health Science/Rutgers University Foundation. Over the past eight years, she was also the Associate Vice President of the Rutgers University Foundation and the Vice Presi-dent of the Foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey/New Jersey Health Foundation.

Ketterlinus has also held leadership positions within development at Montgomery Hospital, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Drexel University, and Georgetown University Medical Center. She holds a BS in Development Economics from Georgetown as well as an MA in Russian Area Studies: Soviet Economics.

As part of the growth within the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, Maren Gaughan was named Associate Dean for Leadership Giving. In this role, Gaughan, who has been with Penn Dental Medicine since 2010, is responsible for the creation and management of the leadership and major gift prospect pool at the School.

“I am delighted to be part of the Penn Dental Medicine team,” says Ketterlinus. “There is a wonderful legacy of philanthropy in place. Our department intends to build upon this to help PDM shape the future of dental education, research, and care.”

Ketterlinus welcomes and encourages alumni to reach out to her at [email protected] or 215-898-3328.

Liz Ketterlinus

“I participate in many cultural activities through the Vietnamese community in Philadelphia, yet I didn’t realize so many people needed access to health care.”NHAT-KHAI DO (D’03)

OPPOSITE: Dr. Nhat-Khai Do (D’03, center) with (left to right) students Travis Williams, Andrew Fraser, and Henry Ma, and Dr. Joan Gluch, Interim Chief, Division of Community Oral Health.


Alumni-Student Networking EventOn November 3, students networked with alumni, faculty, members of the Board of Over-seers, and each other at the 2014 Penn Dental Medicine Alumni-Student Networking Event held at the Union League of Philadelphia.

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: Dylan Bordonaro (C’07, D’11); Stefani Cheung ( C’08, D’11); William Cheung (D’81, GD’82), Chair of the Board of Overseers; Scott Odell (D’82); and Betty Yip (D’15).

Greater NY Alumni Reception, Young Alumni After PartyEach year, fourth-year dental students have the opportunity to volunteer for the Greater New York Dental Meeting. Along with attending the conference, students have a chance to attend Penn Dental Medicine’s annual Alumni Reception at the Penn Club.

After the alumni reception, the first young alumni “After Party” was held at Stout NYC. Thirty-five young alumni came out for this event and had a great time learning more about the school’s Young Alumni Initiative. Because of overwhelming interest, Penn Dental Medicine has now created a young alumni interest group where young alumni can come together and share ideas to help further engage the young alumni community. Please contact Lindsay Murphy at [email protected] for more information.


ALUMNIHIGHLIGHTS

Resources to Stay, Get ConnectedLooking to find a former classmate? Get your practice in front of potential patients? Hire a new associate? There are number of resources to help Penn Dental Medicine alumni do just that. Here is a brief review of these easy online resources:

Social Media offers a number of ways you can engage with Penn Dental Medicine. Join “Penn Dental Medicine” on Facebook or follow “PennDentalMed” on Twitter and Instagram. You can also connect to “Penn Dental Medicine Alumni” on LinkedIn (a private group of nearly 400 Penn Dental Medicine alumni and current students).

Career Opportunities is an online resource for those beginning a job search and a place to submit a posting if you are seeking a new employee or looking to sell your practice. Visit www.dental.upenn.edu/careers.

Find a Penn Dentist, located prominently on the Penn Dental Medicine web site, allows visitors to the site (whether other clinicians or potential patients) to search a directory of Penn Dental Medicine alumni practices by city/state, zip code, or spe-cialty. Register your practice by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at 215-898-8951 or through the site directly at www.dental.upenn.edu/map.

QuakerNet is Penn’s secured alumni directory, where you can keep your contact information current as well as search for fellow classmates and peers. Simply create an account at www.myquakernet.com/dental. With recent enhancements to the site, you can now also view Penn Dental Medicine news and Tweets directly from your Quak-erNet profile. It’s an easy way to catch up on the latest news from the School, while connecting with other alumni!

QUAKERNET

CAREERS SOCIAL MEDIA

FIND A PENN DENTIST


IN THE MIDST OF AN ICY North Carolina winter, Dr. Francis G. Serio (D ’80) was already thinking ahead to 10 days in July, when he will return to the Dominican Republic for the 34th summer to spend a week providing dental care to “Los Olvidados” — the forgotten ones, he says — the island poor who have almost no access to dental care, except when Dr. Serio arrives.

Since his first trip in 1982, Dr. Serio esti-mates the annual Dominican Dental Mission Project, funded with private donations, has served more than 60,000 residents and provid-ed more than $15 million in dental care over 33 years.

But it’s not just about dental care, says Dr. Serio, currently a dentist serving mostly low-income patients at David Bernstein Community Health Center in Greenville, N.C. The group also provides hope, he says, “and people can get from today to tomorrow if they’re hopeful.”

In recognition of his commitment to providing care for those in need, Dr. Serio will receive the 2015 American Dental Association (ADA) Humanitarian Award, given annually to dentists who have dedicated extraordinary time and professional skills to improve the oral health of underserved populations in the U.S. and abroad. He will be honored during ADA’s 2015 annual meeting, November 5–10 in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Serio is one of many Penn Dental Medicine alumni who provide dental care for the needy, and coincidentally, the service path of a fellow class of 1980 colleague — Dr. Pamela Alberto (D’80) – would also lead to the Dominican Republic. Dr. Alberto heads a den-tal mission to another part of the Dominican Republic each summer, where she treats children with teeth rotted from chewing sugar cane and adults who have never seen a dentist.

CROSSING BORDERS IN SERVICEALUMNI PROVIDING DENTAL CARE — AND HOPE — TO YOUNG AND OLD IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Perhaps not surprisingly, the notion of serving others runs deep at Penn Dental Med-icine, where being engaged in the community and helping to make it a better place is a key part of its mission and educational goals.

Through a variety of outreach and service- learning programs, Penn Dental Medicine students provide oral health services to com-munity members, while also broadening their understanding of and experience in public health issues. Since 2001, service learning has been a required part of the Penn Dental Medicine curriculum, and presently, students must complete at least 82 hours of service activities, while students in the community health honors program spend 120 hours helping to staff and coordinate educational and dental care programs with community partners.

TOP: Dr. Pamela Alberto (D’80, front row, second from right) with her team of students and volunteers at Cheerful Heart Dental Mission in the Dominican Republic.

LOWER: Dr. Francis Serio (D’80, second from left) with some of the volunteers on one of his annual Dominican Dental Mission Project trips. This summer will be his 34th service trip to the Dominican Republic.


Medicine. “While gaining clinical experiences, students also gain sensitivity to their patients’ needs and the impact of social and cultural factors on health, which prepares students to complete volunteer missions both locally and globally.”

Although community service was not a curricular requirement when Dr. Serio was a student, Penn Dental Medicine contributed to his ability to give back to the community by providing “great dental training,” says Dr. Serio, the son of a dentist and a “very spiritual” moth-er. “I felt comfortable and confident I could manage the clinical challenges I would face.”

Dr. Serio put those skills to use quickly. Two years out of Penn Dental Medicine, after his first year on the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, he had a free month and made his first trip to the Dominican Republic. That summer, he was connected through the Catholic Medical Mission Board to a group of nuns in San Jose de Ocoa, pri-marily because they were bilingual and he didn’t speak Spanish, and realized they had the capacity to accept larger groups of volunteers.

That launched his annual mission to the impoverished country, which each summer includes dentists, dental students, and others to help with administration. Over the years, his wife, dentist Dr. Cheryl Serio, Director of Advanced Education in General Dentistry at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine; his son, Andrew; and his daughter,

Grace, now in medical school; have participated in the trip. Dr. Serio spent most of his career in academic dentistry, and has had many students volunteer for the mission over the years.

Once in the Dominican Republic, the group travels to a different town each day, doing fillings, extractions, partial and full dentures, and treating children. That first month in 1982, he treated a few hundred patients. Now, with two teams going to two locations, the mission saw as many as 1,300 patients last summer.

BASEBALLS AND TOOTHBRUSHESBaseballs and toothbrushes — at first, these two things don’t seem to go together. But when poor children who almost never see dentists need to be coaxed into a treatment chair, Dr. Serio has found that a brand new baseball can be a powerful lure. “In that part of the Dominican Republic, they don’t see new baseballs too often,” Dr. Serio says of the wildly popular sport there.

In addition to treating patients, Dr. Serio is proud that the mission has helped eight Dominicans go to dental school, some of whom helped hold flashlights for mission dentists when they were young. Many of these dentists now provide care for Dominican communities throughout the year, making Dr. Serio’s efforts more sustainable and lasting. “It was one of the best things we did,” he says.

He is also gratified that many who have volunteered with the mission in the past have continued to serve needy populations, some-times starting dental missions of their own to places in Central America and Cambodia. “We show them they can do it,” he says.

For his volunteer efforts, Dr. Serio has also received the President’s Volunteer Action Award in 1991 from President George H. W. Bush and the Daily Points of Light Award in 2001 from President George W. Bush.

“You have to be open to the spirit, where the unseen hand guides you,” says Dr. Serio. “I have loved being a dentist. I have made great friends from this project, some of whom I only see in the Dominican Republic every year. I see Dominican friends and I see American friends. We work hard and have a great time.”

“I have loved being a dentist. I have made great friends from this project, some of whom I only see in the Dominican Republic every year.”DR. FRANCIS G. SERIO, D’80

A COMMITMENT TO SERVICEIn all, Penn Dental Medicine students con-tribute almost 14,000 service hours annually through both required and elective community experiences and the community service honors program. These programs increase community access to oral health care and provide students and faculty with opportunities to work with such community partners as the School District of Philadelphia, Sayre Health Center, and Philadelphia FIGHT.

“Participating in community activities allows dental students to understand the life experiences of a wider range of patients,” notes Dr. Joan Gluch, Interim Division Chief of Community Oral Health at Penn Dental

ABOVE: Dr. Serio with some of his young patients and with his wife, Dr. Cheryl Serio, also a dentist, who has participated in many of the service trips to the Dominican Republic as well.

OPPOSITE: Dr. Alberto (top, left) with some members of her team of students providing care. This spring was the fifth year the Cheerful Heart Dental Mission returned to the Dominican Republic.


CROSSINGBORDERS

as their baggage, so they can set up chairs, equipment, lights, and everything else needed to treat as many as possible in the short period of time.

Although based on the Dominican side of the border, the mission gets permission to go into Haiti and bring about 100 patients most in need of care to the clinic. Although some young children are frightened to go, Dr. Alberto says the promise of a meal overcomes their anxiety: “These little kids are lucky to get one meal a day, so they’ll get on the van with no parent because they’ll get food.”

Dr. Alberto, who also has a private practice in Sparta, N.J., says the opportunity she had at Penn Dental Medicine, which led her to oral surgery at a time when it was not a typical path for a woman, is key to her serving those in need.

“I got a great education at Penn, and even though community service wasn’t required, we took care of a lot of kids in local schools who were needy,” she says. “When I first went on this mission, I thought, this is why I became an oral surgeon, to help people. It’s changed my life.”

Seven years ago, Dr. Alberto helped lay the groundwork for the mission, which is funded by benefactors John and Carol Corn-well. Once it was established, Dr. Alberto’s dental students expressed interest in partici-pating, and it is now offered as an externship that takes place each year during the spring break. Dr. Alberto is also exploring the possi-bility with Penn Dental Medicine of adding this as an externship site option for Penn Dental Medicine students.

“This kind of experience for dental stu-dents is invaluable,” she says. “They learn to

NOT YOUR TYPICAL PLEASURE TRIPFurther up the eastern seaboard on a snowy March morning, Dr. Alberto was veering her four-wheel vehicle to Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, where she is Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and discussing plans for her trip to the Dominican Republic just three days later.

Although the warmth of the Caribbean sun has its appeal at the tail end of a frigid winter, this would be no pleasure trip, although the rewards certainly would be plentiful. On March 8, Dr. Alberto and 19 others, including dental students, a nursing professor and nurs-ing students, a physician, an engineer, and support staff would be flying into Santiago, renting four large passenger vans, loading up on food and supplies, and driving five hours to provide dental care in one of the poorest areas of the world.

Up in the hills that border the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where people live in towns with no electricity, running water, and very little food, Dr. Alberto and the group from Cheerful Heart Dental Mission would treat hundreds of adults and children in need of dental care during the one-week trip.

This is the fifth year the mission is return-ing to the region. Last year, Dr. Alberto and her colleagues treated 460 people, including 300 children, and performed 1,600 procedures, including extractions, restorations and root canals. They triage the most acute problems first, but also managed to seal 750 young teeth and provide fluoride treatments.

While in the Dominican Republic, Dr. Alberto also offers continuing education learning opportunities for local dentists and health care professionals who work with Dominican patients year-round. On the most recent trip, she lectured on advanced local anesthesia techniques.

Dr. Alberto says each mission costs about $25,000 and the group provided the equivalent of $165,000 in dental care last year.

To do all this, they need to lug everything they need to this remote location: each person on the mission takes two trunks of equipment

“When I first went on this mission, I thought, this is why I became an oral surgeon, to help people. It’s changed my life.”DR. PAMELA ALBERTO, D’80

triage, deal with challenging problems, they develop speed. When they return to school, they’re more skilled.”

Students are so moved by their experience that many, including two graduates who are returning with the mission this year, want to continue to serve the community. But for those on the Cheerful Heart Dental Mission, the rewards of helping those most in need are tempered by the abject poverty they see all around.

“There’s so much need and so few of us,” Dr. Alberto says. “For me and everyone who goes there, you get this conviction of your heart that you have to come back, you feel like you haven’t done enough and have to do more.”

SHARE YOUR SERVICE ACTIVITIESShare news of your service/volunteers activi-ties with the Penn Dental Medicine Journal at www.dental.upenn.edu/classnotes or [email protected].

—By Debbie Goldberg


Louis E. Rossman (D’75, GD’77) is currently serving a three-year term as president of the American Association of Endodontics Foundation Board of Trustees. The Foundation supports the endodontic specialty through funding education and research. Rossman main-tains a full-time endodontic practice in Philadelphia and is a Clinical Professor of Endodontics at Penn Dental Medicine.

Kenneth A. Fetter (C’72, D’76), alongside volunteers, recently opened a free dental clinic at the Frederick Douglas School in Chester, Pa. Volunteers have included Carol Falcone Fetter (DH’75), Ron Garinger (D’74, GD’78), David Leidy (D’79) and Dallas Pulliam (D’85).

1950sClaude Springer (D’54) has been quite busy during his retirement enjoying singing in the Great Neck Choral Society for 49 years, teaching driver safety for his local senior center, playing bridge, taking history courses, working out, and writing poetry and prose.

Walter W. Hashimoto (D’58) continues to enjoy practicing dentistry with his son Scott and his daughter Teri for the last 25 years and 15 years, respectively.

1960sAnastassios Koussis (D’61), for the last 14 years, has been traveling back to Pennsylvania one week every month to continue treating his long-standing “family” of patients. In July 2015, he plans to officially retire and enjoy more time for tennis and travel.

1970sRobert Vanarsdall, Jr. (GD’72) has been selected as a recipient of the 2015 Alumni Award of Merit by the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Society. The Award recognizes love for and loyalty to the School, excellence in the profession of dentistry, and community involve-ment. Dr. Vanarsdall will be honored at the Alumni Weekend Reunion Dinner, May 16, 2015.

Ronald M. Pross (D’74) of Tampa, Fla., was nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve a three-year term as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Commit-tee, beginning July 1, 2015.

Charlene Jennings Fenster (DH’75) was re-nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve a second three-year term as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Committee, beginning July 1, 2015.

CLASSNOTESNEWS FROM FELLOW ALUMNI

1910s

Ashley E. Howes, Sr. (D’17) created a fund in 1988 that continues to support faculty development in the Department of Orthodontics. Andrea Collins, Howe’s granddaugh-ter, and her son, David, visited Penn Dental Medicine to get a tour of the school where their grandfather/great-grandfather studied.

LEFT: Dr. Ashley E. Howes, Sr. (D’17) with Dr. Robert Vanarsdall, Jr. (GD’72) at the presentation of Dr. Howe’s plaque. RIGHT: Andrea Collins and son, David, during their visit to Penn Dental Medicine this winter.

1930s

Clement Alpert (C’32, D’34) turned 103 on April 23 and still enjoys reminiscing about his days at Penn Dental Medicine. The Clement and Sandra Alpert Fund continues to support scholarships for second-year students. This year’s recip-ients are: Zachariah Cole (D’17), John Kracke (D’17), Parul Sangwan (D’17), and Jia Tian (D’17, GEN’16).

ABOVE: Clem Alpert (C’32, D’43) and Dr. Martin Levin (D’72, GD’74), Chair of Penn Dental Medicine’s Dean’s Council

1940s

Harry Galblum (C’42, D’43) is enjoying retirement from his multi-office ortho-dontic practice in metro Washington, D.C., by lunching with his R.O.M.E.O. (retired old men eating out) buddies weekly. Harry is a generous scholarship donor to Penn Dental Medicine.

ABOVE: Harry Galblum (C’42, D’43) with his daughter Amy Galblum.

Joseph B. Breitman (D’77), above, was awarded the private practice award for Eastern region 2 by the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) during the 44th Annual Session of the American College of Prosthodontists in New Orleans on November 7, 2014.

P. Deborah Weisfuse (D’77) has served as Co-Chair of the Task Force on Technol-ogy Application for the New York State Dental Association since 2012, working to develop educational programming for members.

Dr. Saul Pressner (D’79) has been volunteering with the Dental Volunteers for Israel (DVI) for the last three years and plans to continue as long as possi-ble. DVI is the largest free dental clinic in all of Israel, offering state-of-the-art treatment, thanks to volunteer dentists from all corners of the world. Dr. Press-ner credits Dr. D. Walter Cohen (C’47, D’50) as his influence for volunteering.


Penn Dental Medicine Global Education Series:

IMPERIAL GRANDEUR OF BEIJING— SEPTEMBER 6–13, 2015 —

– Attend a gala event celebrating the opening of the Penn Wharton China Center along with a host of Penn faculty and alumni.

– Earn CE credits and learn about the future of care in the dental industry by attending the Craniofacial Stem Cell Therapy & Regeneration Symposium, featuring some of the most eminent researchers and leaders from around the world.

– Enjoy all the delights the Imperial City has to offer from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall and experience firsthand the vast changes going on in China today.

– Pre- and post-tour extensions are also available to customize your experience.

Call 888-333-2585 | 415-334-4505 or email [email protected]

Join fellow Penn alumni, friends and family in Beijing:

1980sDr. Marc F. Lipkin (D’80, GD’81) was recently granted Diplomate status by the American Board of Oral Implantol-ogy/Implant Dentistry (ABOI/ID) after practicing dentistry for 35 years. This prestigious organization recognizes dentists for expertise in dental implan-tology, both surgically and restoratively. The conference of Diplomate status sig-nifies that the practitioner conforms to the highest standard of care available, as judged by the board. Dr. Lipkin is one of 13 dentists in Pennsylvania who have achieved this prestigious designation and less than 500 worldwide.

James Hudson (D’82), third generation of Penn Dental Medicine graduates, unearthed his grandfather’s school scrap book filled with pictures and documents from when he was a student during the 1915 opening of the Thomas Evans Building.

Judith A. McFadden (D’82) was elected as Treasurer of the Philadelphia County Dental Society for 2015.

Brian Shuman (D’82, GD’83, GD’85) was awarded Vermont Dental Society’s Distinguished Service Award in recog-nition of his outstanding commitment to the dental profession and the oral health of Vermonters. His 25 years as Chairman of Continuing Education, his co-chairing of the Special Olympics Special Smiles, and his Chairing the VTC Hygiene School program are just some examples of his outstanding commitment to the dental profession and the oral health of Vermonters.

Frank Serio (D’80), founder and co-di-rector of the Dominican Dental Mission Project, has been named the 2015 ADA Humanitarian Award recipient in recog-nition of his more than three decades of service (see story, page 36). Dr. Serio acknowledges his wife, Dr. Cheryl Serio, as integral to the success of the project. Dr. Serio will honored at the ADA Annual Meeting, November 5–8, 2015, in Washington, D.C.

Paul Feldman (D’83) was re-nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve a second three-year term as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Committee, beginning July 1, 2015.

Robert S. Gurmankin (D’84), above, took his 10th trip to Central America with the nonprofit group Medical, Eye and Dental International Care Orga-nization (MEDICO) and helped set up temporary medical and dental clinics to see patients in remote areas. As Board President of MEDICO, Dr. Gurmankin has helped carry out the organization’s mission of providing comprehensive health care in Central America. Dr. Gur-mankin is pictured with his wife Missy.

Eric Spieler (D’84) and his practice Oasis Dental LLC, were awarded the Angie’s List Super Service award for the second year in a row. The award recognizes an exemplary year of service provided to members of the local ser-vices marketplace and consumer review site in 2014.

Jeffrey D. Dorfmam (C81, D85) of The Center for Special Dentistry® in New York, N.Y., was one of 12 health professionals considered to be Centers of Influence (COI) by U.S. Navy Medicine. He was recently invited to tour the Naval Medical Center San Diego, the amphibious as-sault ship U.S.S. Boxer, and Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The visit was organized to highlight the many career opportunities available for dentists, phy-sicians, and nurses in the U.S. military.

John D. Beckwith (D’87) recently Achieved Fellowship Status in the International Congress of Oral Implan-tologists (ICOI), signifying his extensive efforts toward education, research, and clinical experience performing dental implant procedures. To be designated as a Fellow of the ICOI, active members are required to attain formal dental implant education and training, display proficien-cy in surgical and restorative protocols, and pass testing requirements.


For more information, including a personalized illustration of how a Charitable Gift Annuity can work for you, contact:Lynn Ierardi, JD Office of Gift Planning 800.223.8236 / 215.898.6171 [email protected]/giftplanning

Not yet 60? Consider a Penn Deferred Gift Annuity. You choose the date to begin receiving your payments.

Sample Rate ChaRt foR a $10,000 Gift aNNuity oN a SiNGle life

Annuitant Age 60 65 70 75 80 85

Annuity Rate 4.4% 4.7% 5.1% 5.8% 6.8% 7.8%

Charitable Deduction* $2,749 $3,363 $4,002 $4,503 $4,965 $5,622

Annual Payment $440 $470 $510 $580 $680 $780

*Deduction will vary slightly with changes in the IRS Discount Rate. Assumed rate 2.2%. Note: Charitable Gift Annuities are not investments or insurance and are not regulated by the insurance department of any state. The examples provided are for illustra-tion purposes only and are not intended as legal or tax advice.

may We Write you a Check? Support the Future of Penn Dental Medicine with a Charitable Gift Annuity

It has never been easier to provide financial security for you and your loved ones while supporting Penn Dental Medicine.

your gift of appreciated stock or cash can provide you with:

•Guaranteed payments for life, a portion of which may be tax-free

•A current income tax deduction for a portion of your gift

•Satisfaction in the knowledge that you are supporting Penn Dental Medicine

031115-Dental-Ad.indd 1 3/12/15 1:38 PM

1990sOlivia Sheridan (D’90, GD’92) has been selected as a recipient of the 2015 Alumni Award of Merit by the School of Dental Medicine Alumni Society. The Award recognizes love for and loyalty to the School, excellence in the profession of dentistry, and community involve-ment. Dr. Sheridan will be honored at the Alumni Weekend Reunion Dinner, May 16, 2015.

Brian Rinehart (GD’92), was elected as President of the Canadian Dental Regu-latory Authorities Federation (CDRAF) in October 2014.

2000sDan Kubikian (D’01, GD’04, GD’05) of Haddonfield, N.J., was nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve a three-year term as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Committee, beginning July 1, 2015.

Share Your NewsWe want to hear from you. Share your news on personal and pro-fessional accomplishments with your fellow Penn Dental Medicine alumni through the Class Notes section of the Penn Dental Medicine Journal.

We have made it easy for you to make a submission — simply go to www.dental.upenn.edu/classnotes where you can quickly send us your information — we welcome photos as well.

Or, you can send your submissions to:

Robert Schattner Center Penn Dental Medicine Office of Development and Alumni Relations240 South 40th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104–6030

Questions?215-898-8951 (p)[email protected]

2010sJeff Li (D’12) was re-nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve a second three-year term as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Committee, beginning July 1, 2015.

Matt Sones (D’12) was re-nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve a second three-year term as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Committee, beginning July 1, 2015.

Amy Patel (D’15) and Fadi Raffoul (D’15) were nominated by the Penn Dental Medicine Alumni Society to serve as members-at-large of the Alumni Society Executive Committee in recognition of their service as the Executive Student Council President and Class President, respectively, and interest in continuing to engage young alumni.


CLASSNOTES

INMEMORIAMREMEMBERING MEMBERS OF THEPENN DENTAL MEDICINE COMMUNITY

Virginia Pechin Keen (DH’43)Greenfield, MA; February 2, 2014

Howard K. Goldberger (D’44)Springfield, VA; November 30, 2014

Joseph W. Mudge (D’45)Reddick, FL; February 13, 2013

Jean Kyte Adamson (DH’45)Williamsburg, VA; August 13, 2014

Rita N. Ruzansky (DH’45)Canton Center, CT; November 2, 2014

Frederick Kapinos (D’46)Chicopee, MA; December 17, 2013

Virginia F. Fessenden (DH’46)Englewood, FL; December 19, 2013

J. D. Subtelny (D’47)Rochester, NY; September 17, 2014

Charles L. Storer (D’48)East Moriches, NY; August 20, 2014

David H. Newton (D’50)Lawrenceville, NJ; November 6, 2013

Edwin C. Van Valey (D’50)Red Hook, NY; March 14, 2014

James F. Flood (D’50)Yardley, PA; October 3, 2014

Charles I. Pratt (D’51)Lititz, PA; September 14, 2014

Edgar J. Schmidt (D’51)Bend, OR; January 15, 2015

Herbert C. Krouk (D’39)Maplewood, NJ; February 28, 2015

Elmer A. Kestler (D’52)Flushing, NY; April 19, 2013

Thomas B. Cameron, Jr. (D’52)Longview, WA; October 3, 2014

Anthony J. Russo (D’52)Milford, CT; November 8, 2014

George C. Pearson (D’52)Naples, FL; January 23, 2015

Douglas M. Dunbar (D’53)North Andover, MA; January 5, 2014

Glen E. Foster (D’53)Lititz, PA; May 8, 2014

Howard D. Eckhart (D’53)Lancaster, PA; December 24, 2014

Albert A. Galullo (D’54)Norristown, PA; February 16, 2014

Marshall D. Welch, Jr. (D’54, GD’58)Williamsport, PA; August 27, 2014

Raymond L. Bitzer, Jr. (D’54)Glen Rock, NJ; January 14, 2015

Warren E. Dodson (D’55)West Liberty, OH; July 3, 2014

Melvin Lerner (D’56)Torrance, CA; October 3, 2014

Eugene J. Barrack (D’56)Township of Washington, NJ; October 7, 2014

Charles V. Adrian (D’56)Shelburne, VT; December 13, 2014

Lawrence E. Krutick (D’ 57)Roslyn, NY; July 13, 2013

Erwin A. Weiss (D’57)Lake Worth, FL; August 16, 2014

Brooke D. Fulford (D’57)Allentown, PA; February 9, 2015

James B. Edwards (GD’58)Mount Pleasant, SC; December 26, 2014

Paul D. Jacobs (D’59)New York, NY; July 29, 2013

Philip W. Kitchin (D’59)St. Petersburg, FL; June 23, 2014

John D. Thayer (D’59)Rutland, MA; June 28, 2014

Peter P. Ramko (D’59)Salt Springs, FL; October 12, 2014

Nicholas G. Pituras (D’59)Tenafly, NJ; January 8, 2015

Toof A. Boone, Jr. (GD’63)Macon, GA; March 24, 2014

Thomas E. Sheehy, Jr. (D’63)Stamford, CT; October 25, 2014

Edward G. Coopersmith (GD’64)Bridgewater, NJ; October 10, 2014

Harold S. Bressler (D’65)Monroe Township, NJ; November 16, 2013

Manuel H. Marks (GD’65)Tucson, AZ; December 14, 2013

Robert S. Morgenstein (D’65)Chevy Chase, MD; June 16, 2014

Ronald M. Delmonico (C’64, D’66)State College, PA; November 2, 2014

John B. Allwein (GD’67)Largo, FL; April 13, 2013

Edward P. Gada (D’72)East Lyme, CT; August 11, 2013

Edmundo B. Nerry (GD’73) Inverness, FL; June 10, 2014

William C. Rabe (D’73)New London, NC; February 6, 2015

Charlene Zaslawsky Hirsch (CW’71, D’77, GR’79)Philadelphia, PA; August 2, 2014

Roger P. Kenney (GD’88)Pittsburgh, PA; February 21, 2015


JUNEAmerican Academy of Periodontology Annual Meeting: Penn Dental Alumni Reception Orlando, FL

Greater New York Dental Conference: Penn Dental Alumni Reception The Penn Club, New York, NY

Young Alumni After Party New York, NY

CDE: The Penn Esthetics Symposium Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons Annual Meeting: Penn Dental Alumni Reception Washington, DC

NOVEMBER 14–17, 2015

NOVEMBER 30, 2015

JUNE 11–13, 2015

SEPTEMBER 28–OCTOBER 3, 2015

CDE: Penn Periodontal Conference 2015 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

CDE: The World of Oral Medicine: Essentials for Healthcare Professionals Penn Dental Medicine

Senior Farewell Hyatt at the Bellevue

Thomas Evans Collection Exhibition Arthur Ross Gallery

White Coat Ceremony: Class of 2019 Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

CDE/Tour: Global Education Series: Imperial Grandeur of Beijing Beijing, China

CDE: TMJ A to Z: Initial Management Strate-gies, Approaches and End-Stage Disease University of Pennsylvania

Morton Amsterdam Program & Celebration of Life Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Evans Building Centennial Renaissance Project Ceremonial “Ground/Wall Breaking” Penn Dental Medicine

CDE: Penn Endo Global Symposia Mexico City, Mexico

American Dental Association: Penn Dental Alumni Reception Washington, DC

Introduction to Dental Medicine Coursera Coursewww.coursera.org/course/dentmedpenn

5th Annual Penn Dental Alumni/ Student Networking Event Union League of Philadelphia

Student Research Day Penn Dental Medicine

Alumni Weekend 2015 Penn Dental Medicine

Commencement 2015 Irvine Auditorium

PDM Research Retreat Hill Pavilion, Penn Vet

Department of Orthodontics 62nd Annual Alumni Meeting Union League of Philadelphia

JUNE 28–JULY 3, 2015 OCTOBER 17, 2015

MAY 12, 2015

MAY NOVEMBERJULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

JULY 18–NOVEMBER 8, 2015

AUGUST 17, 2015

SEPTEMBER 6–13, 2015 NOVEMBER 14, 2015

JUNE 13, 2015

NOVEMBER 4, 2015



JUNE 1, 2015

OCTOBER 21, 2015

MAY 14, 2015

MAY 15–17, 2015

MAY 18, 2015

MAY 29, 2015

OCTOBER 9, 2015

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.


UPCOMING EVENTS & PROGRAMS

2015CALENDAR

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE ALUMNI SOCIETY2014–2015 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Lee B. Durst-Roisman, D’83President

Robert E. Weiner, C’72, D’79First Vice-President

Bernard W. Kurek, D’73, WMP’03, WEV’04Second Vice-President

Members-at-LargeSeyar Baqi, D’14Judith Zack Bendit, DH’81Hope Berman, C’77, D’83Stefani L. Cheung, C’08, D’11Gail Spiegel Cohen, C’76, D’80Paul Feldman, D’83Charlene Fenster, DH’75Catherine Foote, C’00, D’04, GD’06Alyssa Marlin Greenberger, D’02Marshall J. Goldin, C’60, D’64Wendy Halpern, D’99, GD’02, GD’03Dan Han, D’07, GD’11Elena Kurtz, D’04, GD’06Jeff Li, D’12Riddhi Patel, D’13Michael B. Rulnick, D’74, GD’76Matt Ryskalzyck, D’13Trevan Samp, D’14Donald H. Silverman, D’73, WG’74Thomas L. Snyder, D’71, WG’74Eric Spieler, D’84Matt Sones, D’12Robert Marc Stern, D’87Daniel Tibbetts, D’11Elana Walker, GD’09, GD’10

Past PresidentsKeith D. Libou, D’84Spencer-Carl Saint Cyr, D’97Tara Sexton, D’88Marc B. Ackerman, D’98Anna Kornbrot, D’79, GD’82Lewis E. Proffitt, D’73, WG’80Margrit M. Maggio, D’87Laurence G. Chacker, D’85Michael D. Yasner, C’79, D’83, GD’84, GD’86

Ex Officio MembersJaclyn M. Gleber, DH’74

BOARD OF OVERSEERS

William W. M. Cheung, D’81, GD’82, ChairNancy Baker, Esq.Stanley M. Bergman, PAR ’02Julie CharlesteinRichard Copell, D’80, Campaign Co-ChairMatthew J. Doyle, PhDPatrik ErikssonHaruo MoritaMadeline Monaco, PHD, MS, MedLewis E. Proffitt, D’73, WG’80Robert I. Schattner, D’48Alfred L. Spencer, Jr.David Tai-Man Shen, D’79, GD’81David S. Tarica, D’83, Campaign Co-ChairUmit Yigit, C’81, D’86Robert Zou, WG’94

Ex Officio MembersMartin D. Levin, D’72, GD’74, Chair, Dean’s CouncilLee B. Durst-Roisman , D’83, President, Alumni Society

DEAN’S COUNCIL

Marty Levin, D’72, GD’74, ChairRobert Brody, C’80, D’84Joseph Fiorellini, DMD, DMScJoseph E. Gian-Grasso, C’67, D’71Elliot Hersh, DMD, MS, PhDBrian Lee, D’00, GD’04Glen OxnerSaul M. Pressner, D’79Howard Rosa, D’82Louis Rossman, D’75, GD’77Tara Sexton, D’88Susan Stern, C’77, D’81David Silver, D’85, GD’86, GD’88Robert E. Weiner, C’72, D’79

PDMJ ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Beth AdamsDirector of Publications

Dr. Markus BlatzProfessor of Restorative DentistryChair, Department of Preventive & Restorative Sciences

Sarah BurtonDirector of Alumni Relations & Annual Giving

Corky CacasDirector of Admissions

Maren GaughanAssociate Dean for Leadership Giving

Dr. Dana GravesProfessor, Department of PeriodonticsVice Dean for Research and Scholarship

Elizabeth KetterlinusSenior Associate Dean of Development & Alumni Relations

Dr. Margrit MaggioAssistant Professor of Clinical Restorative DentistryDirector of Operative DentistryDirector of the Advanced Simulation Laboratory

Dr. Robert RicciardiProfessor, Department of MicrobiologyChair, Department of Microbiology

Susan SchwartzAssistant Dean for Student Affairs

Dr. Thomas SollecitoProfessor of Oral MedicineChair, Department of Oral Medicine

The University of Pennsylvania values diversity and seeks talented students, faculty and staff from diverse back-grounds. 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).

Penn Dental Medicine Global Education Series:

IMPERIAL GRANDEUR OF BEIJING— SEPTEMBER 6–13, 2015 —

– Attend a gala event celebrating the opening of the Penn Wharton China Center along with a host of Penn faculty and alumni.

– Earn CE credits and learn about the future of care in the dental industry by attending the Craniofacial Stem Cell Therapy & Regeneration Symposium, featuring some of the most eminent researchers and leaders from around the world.

– Enjoy all the delights the Imperial City has to offer from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall and experience firsthand the vast changes going on in China today.

– Pre- and post-tour extensions are also available to customize your experience.

Call 888-333-2585 | 415-334-4505 or email [email protected]

Join fellow Penn alumni, friends and family in Beijing:

Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDPermit No. 2563Philadelphia, PARobert Schattner Center

University of PennsylvaniaSchool of Dental Medicine240 South 40th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104-6030

Connect with us online! www.dental.upenn.edu

Documents

Penn Dental Medicine Journal, Spring 2015