RR - Penn Dental Medicine...Congress on Adhesive Dentistry (IAD), hosted by Penn Dental Medicine June 14 –15, 2013. This marked the first time that the Congress was held in the United

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL | FALL 2013 47

$13.36MTotal research funds awarded to Penn Dental Medicine in FY13from active research grants.

28%Percent increase in number of faculty publications in FY13 over FY12.

222Total number of publications in FY13by Penn Dental Medicine faculty ontheir research.

WE ARE PLEASED to present this special supplement to the Penn Dental Medicine Journalwith highlights from four research conferences held by Penn Dental Medicine in 2013. In

June, Penn Dental Medicine hosted two conferences that broughttogether leading researchers and clinicians from across the countryand around the world—the 5th International Congress on AdhesiveDentistry and the Penn Periodontal Conference 2013. And in May, ourfaculty and students gathered to share their recent research throughthe School’s annual Faculty Research Retreat and Student ResearchDay—programs that demonstrated the great depth of research activi-ties by our faculty and students. The level of information sharedthrough all four gatherings was tremendous, which will be shared with

you through a selection of abstracts from each on the pages that follow. Creating such forums facilitate the exchange of ideas among investigators and help

build new collaborations, which is a vital part of the School’s mission and important to ourongoing research growth and leadership. Multidisciplinary research that reaches acrossschools, across fields of study, and across the globe is the hallmark of Penn as a world-classresearch institution and of Penn Dental Medicine’s research enterprise. Whether buildingcollaborations between our own basic and clinical science departments, among colleaguesfrom the other Penn schools, or with other universities throughout the country and aroundthe world, this integration of knowledge advances the science and practice of oral biologyand dental medicine.

The impact of the School’s research and scholarship is far reaching. This is evidencednot only by the number of publications from the School’s faculty, but also by the number andfrequency of faculty publications cited in the scholarship of other researchers. The charts onpage 60 offer a snapshot of that impact over a five-year period, showing the average h indexof faculty in each of the School’s academic departments as well as the top 20 h index levelsand number of publications achieved by individual faculty members during that time. Theimpact of research from both the clinical and basic science departments spotlights thebreadth of the School’s research activities and Penn Dental Medicine’s continuing strengthas an international leader in the generation of new knowledge and treatment modalities inoral health.

Dana Graves, DDS, DMScVice Dean for Research and Scholarship

RRRESEARCH REVIEW: HIGHLIGHTS FROM PENN DENTAL MEDICINE 2013 RESEARCH CONFERENCES

48 WWW.DENTAL.UPENN.EDU

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MORE THAN 550 attendees representing 20 countries attended the 5th InternationalCongress on Adhesive Dentistry (IAD),hosted by Penn Dental Medicine June 14–15,2013. This marked the first time that theCongress was held in the United States, andDr. Markus Blatz, Chair and Professor ofPreventive and Restorative Sciences at PennDental Medicine, served as President of thehistoric gathering and head of the organizingcommittee.

“As an internationally renowned academicinstitution, it is our responsibility to be atthe forefront of modern dentistry and partic-ipate in the research and education of noveland proven treatment protocols, such asdental adhesion,” says Dr. Blatz. “We were,therefore, very proud when the JapaneseAdhesive Society asked us a few years agoto host the IAD in Philadelphia.”

The intensive two-day program, held inthe Annenberg Center for the PerformingArts, brought together clinicians, researchers,and the dental industry to discuss the state-of-the-art in adhesive technologies and resinbonding. The opening day of the scientificprogram addressed the history, current state,and future of dental adhesion, while the secondday focused on adhesive restorative materialsand treatment options, including updates oncomposite resin materials for direct restora-tions and on adhesion to indirect materials,such as dental ceramics. The program alsoincluded a scientific corporate forum whereindustry leaders discussed their latest inno-vations and developments.

“While research and science were themain focal points of the IAD, the programfeatured several more clinically oriented pre-sentations to emphasize the importance ofclinical relevance in scientific efforts,” addsDr. Blatz.

In addition, a pre-Congress hands-oncourse, held June 13 and presented in limited-attendance format, featured two internation-ally acclaimed clinicians who demonstrated

their techniques for ultimate esthetic andfunctional success with anterior and posterioradhesive restorations.

“Adhesive dentistry has become thecenter of research and development inrestorative dentistry, fundamentally alteringand literally transforming our field with significantly less invasive, more esthetic,and longer-lasting dental restorations,” saysDr. Blatz. “In addition, adhesive technologiesand resin bonding have vastly expandedclinical treatment options and become keyelements of almost every specialty area inmodern dentistry.”

A total of 107 peer-reviewed scientificand clinical poster presentations on allaspects of adhesive dentistry were also partof the Congress, with scientific awards pre-sented for the winning posters selected bymembers of the IAD Scientific AdvisoryBoard (see abstracts of the three winningposter presentations, page 49–50).

“Complementing information shared onthe main podium, these presentations wereinvaluable for clinicians and researchers toget the latest scientific information and togauge current clinical and research trends,”notes Dr. Blatz.

The complete proceedings of the Congressand the abstracts accepted for presentationat the IAD are scheduled for publication in aspecial supplement with the November 2013

issue of The Compendium of ContinuingEducation in Dentistry.

The gathering also offered a forum forthe founding meeting of The InternationalAcademy for Adhesive Dentistry, a newinternational organization and informationplatform to foster the benefits of adhesiveand minimally invasive dentistry amongresearchers, dentist, dental students, the dental industry, and patients.

“Following a strong tradition of previousIAD meetings held in Japan, China, andKorea, the 5th IAD was an incredible success,and the wealth of knowledge and ideasshared during the meeting was tremendous,”says Dr. Blatz. “The fast-paced clinicalimprovements, scientific discoveries, andindustry developments in adhesive dentistry,as impressively displayed during the Congress,are simply fascinating. We are just begin-ning to understand the impact they will haveon the future of our profession.”

The program sponsors includedKuraray; Shofu; 3M ESPE; Dentsply-Caulk;GC Corporation; Sun Medical Co.; BISCODental Products, Inc.; Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc.;Tokuyama Dental Corporation; DMG DentalMaterial Gesellschaft mbH; Ultradent; DanvilleMaterials; and GlasSpan; with publishingpartners Aegis Publications LLC andQuintessence Publishing Co. Inc.

Penn Dental Hosts InternationalCongress on Adhesive Dentistry


IAD SELECTED ABSTRACTSFollowing are the abstracts of the three winning poster presentations from the 5thInternational Congress on Adhesive Dentistry(IAD), selected by members of the IADScientific Advisory Board.

Non-destructive Non-staining 3D Analysis ofMarginal and Internal MicrogapsSadr A.1, Shimada Y.1, Bista B.1, Bakhsh T.A.1, SumiY.2, Tagami J.11Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan; 2 National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology,Japan

The objective of this work was to (3D) visualizemarginal and internal gaps with differentbonding agents using optical coherencetomography (OCT). Tapered cylindrical cavities(3 mm in diameter and 2 mm in depth) wereprepared on flattened occlusal surfaces of

molars and treated with either the two-stepself-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond (CSE,Kuraray) or one of the all-in-one adhesivesClearfil S3 Bond Plus (S3P, Kuraray), G-aenialBond (GCB, GC), or Xeno V (XNV, Dentsply).

After bonding agent application, thepreparations were bulk-filled with a low-viscositycomposite (Estelite Flow Quick, Tokuyama).After 24 h, the specimens were scanned usingswept-source dental OCT (Prototype-II,Panasonic Health Care). 3D image segmenta-tion was performed in Avizo software (VSG).Depth-dependent interfacial binary thresholdswere defined to overcome OCT signal attenua-tion while detecting the defects.

Quantitative 3D comparisons were per-formed by calculating the proportion of sealedinterface. Enamel interfacial microgaps wereobserved in the form of detached areasextending from external margins towards internalwalls that only occasionally continued intodentin walls.

The majority of dentin microgaps weredetected as interconnected areas of debondingat the pulpal floor extending towards the bottomthird of the walls. These areas were rarely acontinuation of the external marginal gaps.Smaller isolated patches of interfacial defectswere observed less frequently throughout thedentin interface.

Based on the sealed area, the results suggest the following ranking of bondingagents: CSE=S3P>GCB>XNV. Cross-sectionalmicrocopy showed adhesive-compositedetachment at the bottom with all-in-oneadhesives. 3D analysis of microgaps withoutdye penetration suggests that debonding ofexternal margins and gaps at the pulpal floorunder high-C factor occurred independently.

Some all-in-one adhesives showed short-term results comparable to the gold-standardtwo-step self-etch system. OCT allows fornon-destructive evaluation of marginal andinternal microgaps with a potential applicationin clinical trials.

Commentary and clinical relevance: Opticalcoherence tomography (OCT) has exhibited aunique capability for time-resolved analysis ofdefect formation in dental restorative compositesduring and after placement and polymeriza-tion. The non-destructive testing methodologyis based on the optical contrast between themedia filling the defects and the surroundingbiomaterial or tissue which results in adetectable reflectivity signal peak. The technicalevolution of this methodology has nowenabled 3D visualization of voids and microgapswithout the need for a staining agent or dyepenetration that are required in conventionalmicroleakage studies.

With OTC, marginal integrity can even beassessed clinically for existing restorations.Therefore, the results are not only importantfor research in adhesive dentistry to answerquestions about polymerization shrinkagestress and adhesion, but the goal is to allowdentists to have access to this revolutionarytechnology chair-side for an objective andquick evaluation of marginal integrity andinternal adaptation of existing resin-basedrestorations in clinics.

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IAD SELECTED ABSTRACTS

QCM-D Analysis of Chemical Adsorption ofFunctional-monomer with HAp SensorTakagaki T., Nikaido T., Matsui N., Sato T.,Tagami J. Tokyo Medical and Dental University,Japan

Previous reports suggest that the functionalmonomer 10-methacryloxydecyl dihydrogenphosphate (MDP) has the ability to chemicallybind to hydroxyapatite (HAp). This studyinvestigated the chemical adsorption of fourdifferent functional monomers on HAp.Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation(QCM-D, Q- Sense) was used to measure theamount of functional monomer adsorbed onthe HAp sensor in real time.

Four different functional monomer solu-tions containing 0.1% functional monomer(MDP, 4-META, GPDM or Phenyl-P), 2%ethanol and 8 mM HEPES were prepared (pHadjusted to 7.0 with NaOH). Frequencychange and the shift of energy dissipationwere recorded at a flow rate of 1 ml/min. TheQCM-D chamber and liquid samples weretemperature-stabilized to 37.0±0.1 °C.

Each of the four functional monomer solutions was injected after frequency and dissipation became stable with the controlsolution without functional monomer. Afterthe reaction was completed, the control solutionwas again injected to wash the unreactedfunctional monomer on the HAp surface.Immediately after injection of the functionalmonomer solutions, the HAp-sensor frequencydropped significantly in all the groups. In theMDP group, along with the frequency drop,energy dissipation shifted sharply and evenafter the wash with the control solution. Thefrequency shift was leveled at a fixed position.

Frequency change and the shift of energydissipation were material-dependent anddepended on the design of the monomerstructures. The adsorption behaviors of thefunctional monomers on HAp varied dependingon the molecular structure. The chemicaladsorption of chemical monomers on HAp,particularly MDP, may potentially improve the bonding interface and reduce the risk ofsecondary caries.

Monomers Interaction to Collagen Studied bySaturation Transfer Difference NMRHiraishi N., Otsuki M., Tagami J.Tokyo Medical and Dental University GraduateSchool, Japan

The interaction of adhesive monomers withcollagen is not well understood at a molecular/atomic level. The saturation transfer differenceNMR spectroscopy is a powerful method indrug delivery studies for screening ligands fortheir binding to proteins and to determine theligand binding epitopes. The objective of thisstudy was to examine the molecular/atomiclevel interactions of dental resin monomerswith collagen model.

Saturation transfer difference NMR experiments were performed to investigate thebinding interaction of three adhesive monomers:2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), 4-methacryloyloxyethyl trimellitate anhydride(4-META) and 10- methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogenphosphate (MDP), with atelocolla-gen as a triple-helical peptide model. The ligands HEMA, 4-META and MDP were dissolved in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide(d6-DMSO) to 20 mM and each one wasadded to the atelocollagen solution.

Final concentration for saturation transferdifference NMR measurement was 4 mM.NMR experiments were performed at 298 Kon 600 MHz and 800 MHz spectrometersequipped with a cryogenic probe (BrukerBioSpin Corporation). When the saturationtransfer difference effect was detected, its epitope mapping of ligands binding to atelocol-lagen was obtained by normalizing the largestvalue to 100%. High saturation transfer differ-ence intensities were detected on the protons

in MDP, whereas they were not detected forHEMA and 4-META. The STD epitope mappingrevealed that the intense saturation transferdifference signals were primarily associatedwith the aliphatic region in MDP.

The results imply that MDP has a relativelystable interaction with the collagen, because ofthe hydrophobic interactions between thehydrophobic MDP moieties and the collagensurface. HEMA and 4- META have not suchhydrophobic regions and no intense saturationtransfer difference signals were observed.Hydrophobic moiety allows the MDP monomerto form the monomer-collagen aggregate andmay control collagen degradation, which accountsfor the stable property of hybrid layers.


ON JUNE 23-28, 2013, Penn DentalMedicine presented its inaugural PennPeriodontal Conference, which drew morethan 200 attendees from across the countryand around the world. Interest was so greatthat the conference, originally scheduled tobe held at the dental school, was moved tothe Annenberg Center for the PerformingArts on Penn’s campus to accommodatemore participants. The scientific gatheringwas a success on multiple levels, saysMorton Amsterdam Dean Denis Kinane,who organized and hosted the event with Dr. Dana Graves, Professor, Department ofPeriodontics, and Vice Dean for Researchand Scholarship.

“This was a conference that was timelyand much needed, and had an impact thatgreatly exceeded expectations,” says DeanKinane. “Our aim of encouraging a largebody of both young and experienced dentaland basic science researchers was admirablyachieved. In addition, the impact on the discipline is already being felt in terms ofnew projects and publications.”

The conference featured presentationsby leading researchers on the latest findingsin periodontology, concentrating on fourmain topics: inflammation, microbiology,periodontal regeneration and repair, and theoral-systemic health connection. Other areasof discussion included innate and adaptiveimmunity, bone remodeling, oral medicine,disease specificity, epigenetics, stem cells,

and clinical microbiology. Highlightsincluded a keynote address by Dr. E. JohnWherry, Director of Immunology andAssociate Professor, Department ofMicrobiology, at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, titled “Altered Immunity whenPathogens Persist.” Invited speakers camefrom the United States, Europe, Asia, andSouth America. See selected abstracts onpages 52–53 for a flavor of the topics andresearch projects that were presented.

FILLING A VOID IN PERIODONTALRESEARCH In the past, explains Dr. Graves, those at theforefront of periodontal research attendedthe Gordon Conference on PeriodontalDiseases, which is no longer held. “Therewas a need for a new, broad-based conferencethat explored the basic sciences related toperiodontal disease, etiology, and treat-ment,” he says, and Penn Dental Medicinewas eager to take the lead in filling that void.

“Our goal was to create a forum forinvestigators to meet, hear presentations by leading researchers in different fields of periodontology and to discuss research projects,” he says. The scientific programwas structured to encourage interactionamong participants. Presentations were

scheduled in the morning and evenings sothat the afternoons were free for attendees totalk about their research projects and attendthe poster sessions. A total of 69 posterswere presented.

Dr. Graves believes the success of theconference is due in large part to the inter-nationally known, highly respected presenters,who drew a large audience throughout theweeklong meeting. “The response was over-whelmingly positive because of the qualityof the speakers,” he says, “and also becausethe University provided such a rich environ-ment for an international conference of thiscaliber.”

Adds Dean Kinane, “In less than twoyears, we plan to rekindle this wonderfullyexciting conference. We hope it will continueto stoke the fires of high quality periodontalresearch and serve this discipline well intothe future.”

First Penn Periodontal ConferenceExceeds Expectations

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PENN PERIO CONFERENCESELECTED ABSTRACTSFollowing is a selection of abstracts from the presentations as part of the scientificprogram at the Penn Periodontal Conference 2013.

Dysbiosis of the Oral Microbiome: HostGenetics and Pathogen EffectsBy Mike Curtis, BSc, PhD, Director of BlizardInstitute, Barts and The London School ofMedicine & Dentistry

Periodontal disease is associated with changesin the oral microbiome. However, it is stilluncertain how periodontal pathogens causeperiodontal disease. We have previouslyshown in a mouse model that introduction of ahuman periodontal pathogen causes periodontalbone loss. Interestingly, the periodontalpathogen virtually disappears from microbiomeof the mice as they develop periodontal disease.

In our experiments, we transferred bacteriafrom the oral cavity of mice that had periodon-tal disease induced but had virtually eliminatedthe human periodontal pathogen. Surprisingly,the transfer of these bacteria still caused peri-odontal disease. This changes the concept of a“pathogen” and suggests that the periodontalpathogen may alter the other bacteria present,which in turn contribute to periodontitis. Theseexperiments begin to address one of the keyissues in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseaseand emphasize the importance of the commen-sal bacteria. Thus, one of the major events thatmay occur is the alternation of the commensalbacteria by a key periodontal pathogen. Wehave termed this concept the keystone conceptof infectious disease.

Detection of Undiagnosed Diabetes in the Dental SettingBy Evie Lalla, DDS, MS, Professor of DentalMedicine, Division of Periodontics, Section of Oraland Diagnostic Sciences, Columbia UniversityCollege of Dental Medicine

Type 2 diabetes often remains undiagnosed.Early identification, diagnosis, and treatmentcan limit the disease’s many serious oral andsystemic complications and improve healthoutcomes. The purpose of the work presentedwas to evaluate approaches to identification of undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes indental patients and to assess outcomes at sixmonths in those identified with hyperglycemia.

In total, 1,097 new dental patients whopresented for care at Columbia with a self-reported risk factor for diabetes completed thestudy. All eventually received a diagnosticblood test to determine their actual diabeticstatus. The presence of ≥ 26% teeth withdeep pockets or ≥ 4 missing teeth correctlyidentified 75% of prediabetic or diabetic individuals. The addition of a fingerstick bloodtest (HbA1c ≥ 5.7%) as part of the screeningincreased correct identification to 90%.

At a six-month follow-up visit, the vastmajority of those identified as potentially diabetic or prediabetic in the dental officereported that they had followed our recom-mendation to visit a physician and had discussedstudy outcomes. Many reported changing dietand exercise habits. Only a small fraction ofthe prediabetic individuals progressed, basedon a six-month HbA1c test, to or above thediabetes diagnostic cut-off. Almost 2/3 stayedin the prediabetic state and almost 1/3improved. All diabetic patients had improvedHbA1c levels.

This work underscores that dental profes-sionals have the unrealized opportunity toassume an active role in identifying, amongtheir patients who present with diabetes riskfactors, those with undiagnosed hyperglycemia,and can have a positive impact on lifestyle andmetabolic outcomes in such patients.

Modulation of Periodontal Regeneration byInflammation and Biomechanical LoadingBy James Deschner, DMD, PhD, Professor andHead of the Clinical Research Unit 208,Experimental Dento-Maxillo-Facial Medicine,University of Bonn

Regeneration of periodontal tissues remains amajor and often unpredictable challenge thatmay be due to a number of factors such asinflammation and occlusal loading. A betterunderstanding of the interactions of regenerationfactors with inflammatory and biomechanicalsignals may result in more powerful treatmentstrategies in the future. We therefore examinedin vitro whether the response of periodontalligament (PDL) cells to enamel matrix derivative(EMD) is modulated by inflammation orbiomechanical loading.

Our in vitro studies revealed that EMDstimulated the proliferation, osteogenic differ-entiation, adhesion, wound fill rate as well asthe synthesis of growth factors and matrixmolecules. However, inflammatory factors orbiomechanical loading reduced the beneficialeffects of EMD on PDL cells.

Our findings suggest that critical PDL cell functions are reduced in an inflammatoryenvironment and biomechanical loading.Therefore, an efficient anti-infectious and anti-inflammatory periodontal treatment before theapplication of EMD may be critical to ensurethe full regenerative capacity of the periodontalligament tissue. Furthermore, occlusal loadingof EMD-treated teeth, at least immediately following surgery, may be minimized to obtainoptimal regenerative healing results.


Molecular Inhibition of Bone Formation by NF-kBBy Cun-Yu Wang, DDS, PhD, Associate Dean ofGraduate Studies, Dr. No-Hee Park EndowedChair in Dentistry, Chair of the Division of OralBiology and Medicine, UCLA School of Dentistry

The purpose of this work is to investigatewhether oral inflammation may inhibit boneformation and mesenchymal stem cell functionby activating nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), a master regulator of inflammation and infec-tion. Although it has been long known thatpro-inflammatory cytokines from periodontalor periapical diseases inhibit bone formationand repair, the underlying mechanism is notclear. Using a mouse model, our group at UCLAfound that inflammatory mediators inhibitedbone- forming cell function and bone formationin vovp. In contrast, the inhibition of NF-kBsignificantly enhanced bone formation.

Mechanistically, we found that NF-kB activation led to the degradation of the keymolecules that promoted with bone formation.By inhibiting NF-kB with a small moleculeinhibitor, we enhanced the function of mes-enchymal stem cells, bone regeneration, andbone repair in vivo. Our results suggest thattargeting NF-kB may have dual benefits inenhancing bone regeneration and repair andinhibiting oral inflammation and bone loss. Thismay be important in a number of oral treatmentsincluding endodontics, periodontics, and oralsurgery.

The Influence of Vitamin D and ParathyroidHormone on Periodontal RegenerationBy Jill Bashutski, DDS MS, Clinical AssistantProfessor, Division of Periodontics, Department ofPeriodontics and Oral Medicine, University ofMichigan School of Dentistry

Teriparatide is a commercially available formof the first 34 amino acids of parathyroid hormone and is FDA approved for the treat-ment of osteoporosis. It is unique because itpromotes bone growth as opposed to mostother bone regeneration therapies, which typically prevent bone loss. Regenerating bonearound teeth that is lost due to periodontaldisease is unpredictable and thus, there is acritical need for the development of new ther-apies to encourage periodontal regeneration.

Teriparatide is a promising therapeuticcandidate since numerous studies have vali-dated its ability to successfully improve bonequality in osteoporotic patients and there arenumerous similarities between osteoporosisand periodontitis. A double-masked, placebo-controlled study was conducted in order toevaluate the effects of teriparatide in conjunc-tion with periodontal surgery on craniofacialosseous regeneration in patients withadvanced periodontal disease. In this study,40 adult patients with a severe verticalinfrabony defect received an open flapdebridement surgical procedure along withdaily self-administered injections of teriparatide

(20 µg) or placebo control, 1000 mg calciumand 800 IU of Vitamin D for six weeks. Patientswere then followed for one year post-operatively.

Teriparatide administration resulted insignificantly greater probing depth reduction,clinical attachment gain, and radiographicalveolar bone defect resolution than patientswho received placebo, and these results weresustained for one year. The use of a systemicanabolic agent like teriparatide provides anexciting new avenue of therapeutic potentialfor periodontitis patients.

These findings are significant since thismay support the development of a more pre-dictable and less invasive treatment for bonelost due to periodontal disease. Furthermore,the results of this study support the idea that asystemic medication can have positive effectsin the oral cavity and so there may be thepotential for expanded applications, such aspromoting dental implant success or treatingother craniofacial defects.

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PENN DENTAL MEDICINE’S StudentResearch Day, held May 9, 2013, was a cele-bration of the broad range of research projectsconducted by Penn Dental Medicine DMDstudents during the past year. This inauguralevent brought together for the first time thework of students who benefit from three ofthe School’s dynamic curricular opportunities:the Summer Research Program; the School’shonors degree programs in research, com-munity health, and clinical care; and theBridging the Gaps community externship.

“Each year there is a significantincrease in the level of sophistication andattention to detail in the research projectsand poster presentations. I believe this is a testament to the quality of the students we are attracting to our programs,” says Dr. Joseph DiRienzo, Assistant Dean forStudent Research and Director of theSummer Research Program.

The event, held in the Fonseca Gardenscourtyard behind the School’s RobertSchattner Center, centered on a poster session.Students from all three programs presentedposter displays on projects conducted through-out the past year and also submittedabstracts of their work, which were includedin an abstract booklet (view online atwww.dental.upenn.edu/StudentResearchDay2013). A total of 86 posters were presented,including 15 from Summer ResearchProgram participants, 13 from Bridging theGaps, and 58 from the three honors degreeprograms combined. Students shared high-lights of their projects with fellow students,faculty, and staff.

“Making a poster presentation offersstudents an experience similar to a profes-sional meeting, which is an important part of all of these programs, so we were pleasedto offer all of our student researchers thisopportunity,” says Dr. Kathleen Boesze-Battaglia,Director of the research honors program.

Previously, students in the honors degreeprograms presented their projects at a sepa-rate event from the Summer Research Programand Bridging the Gaps participants. Havingwork from all three programs presented atone event added depth and breadth to theproceedings, noted Dr. Francis Mante, advisorto the School’s Vernon Brightman ResearchSociety. Board members of the VernonBrightman Research Society (Penn DentalMedicine’s chapter of the National StudentResearch Group, a subset of the AmericanAssociation for Dental Research) helped toorganize the day’s program.

The participating students representedprograms that enrich and expand the academicopportunities available at Penn DentalMedicine. The Summer Research Programallows students to engage in a basic labora-tory or clinical research project full-time during July and August with a faculty pre-ceptor. Bridging the Gaps, also held over thesummer, is an interdisciplinary externshipprogram that teams healthcare and socialservice students from throughout Penn aswell as other Philadelphia-area universitiesto provide services for underserved and eco-nomically disadvantaged residents at sitesthroughout the region. The honors degreeprogram—the newest of the initiatives(entering its fourth year with the 2013-2014academic year)—enables exceptional students

to earn a DMD degree with honors in one ofthree areas—research, clinical dentistry, andcommunity health.

The posters from the School’s SummerResearch Program and Bridging the Gapswere judged by a team of independent facultymembers. This year’s winners in clinical andbasic science research include the following(read abstracts of their work on page 55):

SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMFirst place: Kang I. Ko (D’15), as the first-place winner, Ko represented Penn DentalMedicine in the ADA/DENTSPLY StudentClinician Research Program at the ADAAnnual Session in New Orleans, October 31– November 3, 2013; Second place: WilliamS. Konicki (D’15), as the second-place winner,Konicki presented his poster at the HinmanStudent Research Symposium in Memphis,Tenn., October 25-27, 2013; and Third place:Snow Feng (C’14).

BRIDGING THE GAPS First place: Wenting Guo (D’15); Secondplace: Eunice Chay (D’15); and Third place:Laurel Lee (D’15).

“The School of Dental Medicine researchcommunity is proud to have such accom-plished students representing our researchenterprise on Student Research Day and atnational meetings,” adds Dr. DiRienzo.

Student Research Day CelebratesAchievement with Poster Presentations


SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAMWINNING ABSTRACTSFollowing are abstracts of the winningposter presentations by students participatingin the 2012 Summer Research Program,awarded at Student Research Day, May 9, 2013.

Diabetes Reduces Mesenchymal Stem CellsThrough Altering Apoptosis and ProliferationKang I. Ko (D’15) was awarded first place for thisstudy, conducted with faculty preceptor, Dr. DanaGraves, Professor, Department of Periodontics

This work tested the hypothesis that diabetesreduces the number of mesenchymal stemcells and that this occurs through a mechanisminvolving diabetes-enhanced inflammation.Mesenchymal stem cells are multi-potentstem cells that can differentiate into osteoblasts,hence, they are indispensable to bone forma-tion. It is well known that bone formation isreduced by diabetes, but the reasons for thishave not been conclusively established.

Diabetic mice had a 40% reduction inmesenchymal stem cells. This was due to twoprimary causes: significantly increased celldeath and significantly reduced mesenchymalstem cell proliferation. When inflammationwas reduced by treatment with a TNF blocker,the mesenchymal stem cell number wasrestored to normal levels.

This study revealed that the inflammatoryenvironment, which is enhanced by diabetes,adversely affects mesenchymal stem cells byincreasing their cell death and reducing theirproliferation. This may indicate that anti-inflammatory treatment could enhance boneformation in diabetics by preserving mes-enchymal stem cells.

Inheritance of Amelogenesis Imperfecta andModifier Genes in Transgenic Murine ModelsWilliam Konicki (D’15) was awarded second placefor this study, conducted with faculty preceptor,Dr. Carolyn W. Gibson, Professor, Department ofAnatomy & Cell Biology

Transgenic mice of varying backgrounds wereused to simulate genetic diversity in humanfamilies affected by X-linked amelogenesisimperfecta (AI). It was hypothesized thatmuch of the noted variation in clinical pheno-type between members of the same siblinggroup is due to individuals' unique complementsof modifier genes rather than variations in themutated alleles themselves. We predicted thatcrossing mouse backgrounds could generatesomething akin to what is seen in families'clinical presentation.

This work has the possibility of contributingto the growing body of knowledge of how X-linked amelogenesis imperfecta is clinicallymanifested once inherited. Furthermore, itwould investigate the appropriateness ofmouse models for this disease and explorevarious methods of describing the severity ofAI in the models. Various methods includingvisual inspection, immunohistochemistry,image analysis, and microCT were used toshow that mouse strains with induced knockoutmutations to Amelx (gene coding for amelo-genin) had the smallest volumes and qualitiesof enamel. Mice with a mixed background displayed phenotypes somewhere betweenour positive and negative controls. In addition,the C57BL/6 strain of mice containing knockoutmutations appeared to have diminished densi-ties of both enamel and dentin. The wild-typemouse strain FVB, often chosen for transfor-mation experiments, displayed a short, richlypigmented and inconsistently dense dentition.

The results of these experiments indicatedthat the experimental model of AI was legiti-mate. The expected trend of mixed-backgroundmice displaying less severe phenotypes, com-pared to those of a single background, correlatesclinically to family members' varying penetranceof modifier gene complements resulting in different phenotypes even when the X-linkedmutation to amelogenin is shared by all. Theunexpected hypodensity seen in the dentin ofthe KO C57BL/6 mouse strain may hint at anunexplored link between amelogenesis and

dentinogenesis. Amelogenin is expressed indentin, though at one thousandth of the levelfound in enamel. The data obtained with theFVB mice identifies what might be a challengefor workers using this mouse in transgenicexperiments. The strain appears to have severalinherent idiosyncrasies that previous studiesmay have taken for granted.

This work generated a successful mousemodel of x-linked amelogenesis imperfecta,provided inroads in identifying modifier genesaffecting expression of the disease, raisedquestions about the interplay between amelo-genesis and dentinogenesis in a certain com-mercial strain of mouse, and highlighted a fewdevelopmental quirks of one strain that mayconfound the outcomes of other studies.

The Effect of Musashi Expression on the Self-Renewal and differentiation of MesenchymalStem CellsSnow Feng (D’15) was awarded third place for this study, conducted with faculty preceptor, Dr. Christopher Lengner, Assistant Professor,Department of Animal Biology, School ofVeterinary Medicine

The effect of Musashi (Msi) gene expressionon stem cell differentiation and proliferationhad never been studied in mesenchymal stemcells (MSC). The purpose of the research wasto identify whether Msi induces differentiationor maintenance of MSCs. Msi is a translationalregulator of cell fate and has been demonstratedin recent studies to regulate CNS, mammary,and hematopoietic stem cells. In addition,Msi2 is a prognostic marker in acute myeloidleukemia. The role of Msi had been demon-strated in many stem cell compartments andaggressive tumors but it has never been studiedin MSC.

MSC have the ability to differentiate intoosteoblasts, chondrocytes and adipocytes.Therefore, they serve as an important reservoirfor self repair of bone tissue. Understandingthe mechanism Msi plays in MSC differentiationwill provide greater insight into connective tissue regeneration. Manipulation of Msi activity may enable strategies for expansion of undifferentiated MSC in vitro.

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BRIDGING THE GAPS PROJECT WINNERSThe following abstracts summarize the experiences of three Student Research Dayprizewinners in their community externshipsthrough the Bridging the Gaps program.

Working for ChangeWenting Guo (D’15) was awarded first prize forher project at The College of Physicians ofPhiladelphia, with Caroline Fortin, Penn’s Schoolof Social Policy and Practice

Guo and Fortin worked with the College ofPhysicians of Philadelphia staff and 13 highschool students in the Teva Summer InternshipProgram, which focused on sexually transmitteddisease and violence education and preventionin Philadelphia communities. The program’sactivities included workshops; writing andfilming public service announcements aboutHPV; field trips to Children’s Hospital ofPhiladelphia, local gardens and communitybuilding projects; and resource gathering. Guo and Fortin assisted in the various programactivities, compiled lessons on STIs, developedpre- and post-evaluations of the program,chaperoned trips, and hosted lunchtime discussions.

Sudanese Women’s GroupEunice Chay (D’15) was awarded second place forher project at HIAS and Council Migration Serviceof Philadelphia, with Ijeoma Chinwuba, Penn’sPerelman School of Medicine

Chay and Chinwuba facilitated a biweeklywomen’s group for recently resettled Sudaneserefugee women living in Northeast Philadelphia.Each meeting focused on a particular healthtopic or life skill, such as family planning, nutrition, oral health , and financial literacy.Learning activities took place in clients’ homesas well as at various sites in the community,such as health clinics and grocery stores.Guest speakers were invited to present onpregnancy, personal safety and women’shealth. Individually, Chay assessed the needfor improved access to pediatric dental care byidentifying community resources and patternsof utilization. In addition, both Chay andChinwuba served as liaisons between patientsand medical and dental clinics, as well asbetween the clinics and HIAS, by acting aspatient escorts, scheduling appointments,securing interpretation services, and commu-nicating messages and health informationbetween patients and their caseworkers atHIAS.

Laying Down Roots in West PhiladelphiaLaurel Lee (D’15) was awarded third place for her project with Earth’s Keepers, Inc. (EK), anurban farm in Southwest Philadelphia, with NicoleOakman, Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine

Lee and Oakman worked with high school students at Earth’s Keepers (EK) to grow, harvest, and sell fresh organic produce. Theyalso led discussions and hands-on exercisesrelated to nutrition, food sovereignty, health,cooking, and guidance counseling. The interns’work culminated in the production of a colorfulmural on the side of the garden’s greenhouse.Lee noted, “Seeing the interest people in thecommunity have to come to the farm to volun-teer, ask questions, or purchase fresh producereinforces my belief that food can bind a community, and reaffirms the importance ofhaving local farms within otherwise food-poor neighborhoods.”

There were no obvious differencesbetween the number of colonies formed byMsi-deleted cells compared to that of a wild-type control. Reduced colony formation wasobserved by Msi+/doxycycline resistant cellscompared to that of the control. These resultswere completely opposite those obtained withintestinal stem cells. There were no obviousdifferences in colony number betweenMsi+/tamoxifen resistant and control cells.Reduced colony formation was observed withMsi-induced cells compared to that of the control cells. This observation is completelyopposite of what was observed with intestinalstem cells. There were no obvious differencesin colony number of Msi-deleted cells comparedto that of control cells.

At the histological level, both Msi-induced and -deleted cells were able to differ-entiate into the tri-lineage when cultured inspecific differentiation media and no differ-ences were observed compared to the controlcells. Understanding the roles that Msi plays inMSC differentiation will increase understandingof connective tissue regeneration and improvemethods for expansion of undifferentiatedMSC in vitro.


ON MAY 31, 2013, Penn Dental Medicineheld its annual faculty research retreat,bringing together the School’s basic scienceand clinical faculty, as well as postdoctoralfellows and students, for a day of exchangewith colleagues across disciplines. The meet-ing, held this year at the Hill Pavilion withinPenn’s School of Veterinary Medicine,reflects the quality and diversity of researchcarried out at the School, and providesopportunities for information sharing, net-working, and discussions on future collabo-rations.

“The goal of our annual retreat is to cre-ate a forum in which our basic and clinicalscience faculty can take time out together toshare their latest research activities with oneanother,” says Dr. Ellis Golub, Professor,Department of Biochemistry, and Chair ofthe Research Retreat Organizing Committee.

In preparation for the retreat, faculty,postdoctoral fellows, and students are askedto submit abstracts of their research fromthe past year for consideration by theSchool’s Faculty Senate ResearchCommittee. This year, from more than 60abstract submissions, seven faculty projectswere selected for the day’s program of pre-sentations and five abstracts from postdoc-toral fellows were chosen for oral posterpresentations. Poster presentations of manyof the faculty research project submissionswere also on display for discussion.

Those faculty projects presentedincluded the following (see abstract briefson several of the research presentations,page 58):

Mechanical Signal Transduction PathwaysAssociated with the Sarcoglycan Complex,Dr. Elisabeth Barton, Associate Professor,Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology

The Role of Genipin, a Phytochemical fromthe Terpenoid Family, in Osteoblast, Matrixand Mineral Characteristics, Dr. PatriciaMiguez, Assistant Professor, Department ofPeriodontics

A Virally Encoded Small Peptide Regulatesthe Switch of Kaposi’s Sarcoma- associatedHerpesvirus from Latent to Lytic Life Cycle,Dr. Yan Yuan, Professor, Department ofMicrobiology

Sensory Feedback for Dental CariesDetection and Removal, Dr. Margrit P.Maggio, Assistant Professor of ClinicalRestorative Dentistry

Antimicrobial peptides activate human mastcells via MAS-Related gene (MrgX2 andMrgX3): Cross-regulation by LPS,Dr. Hydar Ali, Professor, Department ofPathology

Classification of TMJ Dislocations andTreatment of Longstanding Type with TotalAlloplastic TMJ Reconstruction, Dr. HelenGiannakopoulos, Associate Professor of Oral& Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology

Characterization and Treatment of DentalImplant Postsurgical Pain EmployingIntranasal Ketorolac, Elliot V. Hersh,Professor, Department of Oral &Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology

In addition to these and the oral presen-tations by postdoctoral students (see thewinning student abstracts, page 59), theretreat featured an annual tradition, TheJoseph L. Rabinowitz Memorial Lecture, presented this year by Dr. Ali Naji, M.D.PhD., J. William White Professor of Surgeryand Director, Kidney/Pancreas TransplantPrograms, Hospital of the University ofPennsylvania. Dr. Naji’s lecture focused onhis work in developing procedures for pan-creas transplants in the treatment of Type Idiabetes. A key part of this work involvesdeveloping protocols for immune suppres-sion which will protect the transplanted tis-sue from the host’s immune system withoutdepriving the recipient of the ability to fightoff infections.

“The retreat was inspiring and edifyingfor all attendees,” says Dr. Golub. “Each year,the research shared at our retreat grows indepth and diversity.”

Faculty Retreat Spotlights ResearchAcross Basic, Clinical Sciences

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SELECTED FACULTY RETREATABSTRACTSFollowing are highlights of several of theresearch projects presented at the School’sannual faculty research retreat, held May 31, 2013.

Characterization and Treatment of DentalImplant Postsurgical Pain EmployingIntranasal KetorolacElliot V. Hersh, Professor, Department of Oral &Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology

The purpose of this project was to characterizethe nature of postsurgical pain following theplacement of one to three implants. A secondarygoal was to explore the analgesic efficacy andtolerability of intranasal ketorolac in this patientpopulation. Twenty eight patients 18-64 yearsof age who required the surgical placement ofone to three dental implants and signed anIRB-approved informed consent participated in this open-label study.

Following surgery, patients self-adminis-tered 31.5 mg ketorolac nasal spray upon expe-riencing pain of at least a moderate intensity(≥40 mm on a 100 mm VAS). Pain intensityand pain relief were assessed for six hours, aswere the onsets of first perceptible and mean-ingful relief. Patients were transitioned to amulti-dose take-home phase, administered thedrug every six hours as needed and recordeddose frequency and adverse events over fivedays.

The results were as follows: Ninety twopercent (23/25) of subjects rated intranasalketorolac as very good or excellent. Eighty percent (20/25) of subjects required additionaldoses of intranasal ketorolac and/or rescuemedication at home and 54% (13/25) requireddosing on an as-needed basis for three days. In conclusion, NSAIDS such as ketorolac shouldrepresent the first line of drugs for post-surgicaldental implant pain. Future studies of intranasalketorolac should be double-blind with aplacebo control and active comparator drugs.

Mechanical Signal Transduction PathwaysAssociated with the Sarcoglycan ComplexDr. Elisabeth Barton, Associate Professor,Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology

Muscles respond to changes in mechanicalload, and can respond by altering expression of genes to adapt properties to use needs. Thesarcoglycan complex, which is lost from themuscle membrane in several Limb Girdle muscular dystrophies and Duchenne musculardystrophy, is important for sensing muscle load.

The goal of this study was to identify thekey steps in the signaling process associatedwith mechanical loading and to determine howsignal transduction is altered in the absence of the sarcoglycan complex. Isolated extensordigitorum longus (EDL) muscles were sub-jected to 30 minutes of passive stretch (10%increase in resting length) or no stretch at all,and then rapidly frozen for biochemical analysis.Without stretch, the muscles from gamma-sarcoglycan null mice had elevated two importantsignaling proteins compared to unstretchedwildtype muscles.

Passive stretch invoked increases in thesetwo proteins in wildtype muscles, but in musclesfrom gamma-sarcoglycan null mice had ablunted response to passive stretch. Thus, thesarcoglycan complex appears to be importantfor appropriate mechanical signal transduction,and that impaired mechanical signal transduc-tion underlies a significant part of the pathologyassociated with loss of sarcoglycans in themuscular dystrophies.

A Virally Encoded Small Peptide Regulatesthe Switch of Kaposi’s Sarcoma- associatedHerpesvirus from Latent to Lytic Life CycleDr. Yan Yuan, Professor, Department ofMicrobiology

One key feature of Herpes viruses is they canremain dormant in a human host for manyyears, and then can become activated to thepathologic, lytic phase. How this transition iscontrolled is not well understood. Dr. Yuanpresented evidence of a novel control mecha-nism which appears to function in Karposi’sSarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV). It was previously known that one gene in theKSHV genome encoded the replication andtranscription activator (RTA) that controls theswitch of the virus between latent and lytic life cycle.

The present study found that a small RNAtranscribed from the opposite DNA strandfrom that which encodes RTA encodes a smallpolypeptide which appears to bind to and stabilize RTA. As a consequence, expression of this small peptide facilitates KSHV geneexpression and lytic replication. This findingrevealed a novel mechanism of gene regulationin viral life cycle and provided a new paradigmfor the biology of (apparently) noncoding RNAs.


RESEARCH RETREAT POSTDOCWINNING ABSTRACTSFollowing are abstracts of the winningposter presentations by postdoctoral students at the School’s faculty researchretreat, May 31, 2013.

The Role of MMP-13 in Skeletal MuscleRegenerationLucas R. Smith was awarded first place for thisproject, conducted in the lab of Dr. Elisabeth R.Barton, Associate Professor, Department ofAnatomy & Cell Biology

Skeletal muscle requires timely expression ofgenes for satellite cell-based regeneration incoordination with extracellular matrix (ECM)remodeling. The ECM of skeletal musclebecomes pathologic in many muscle conditions,including muscular dystrophies and severeinjury. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) area family of enzymes responsible for break-down of ECM components. We have identifiedone member of the MMP gene family, MMP13,which degrades fibrillar collagen during theresolution of muscle damage. To determinethe timecourse of MMP expression and activityin regenerating muscle, cardiotoxin (CTX)injections were used to create reproduciblemuscle regeneration in adult mice.

Our results showed MMP13 expression issignificantly increased in regenerating muscle.In unchallenged muscle, MMP13 null micehave no significant difference in histology or in active and passive mechanical propertiescompared to muscles of wild type mice. Todetermine the necessity of MMP13 expressionin regeneration we injected CTX into MMP13null mice and compared the resolution of damage to wild-type mice. Our results showtrends for reduced muscle fiber size and vascularity of MMP13 null mice during regen-eration following CTX injection. We comparedfibrosis formation using sirius red staining andfound that muscles from MMP13 null micehave similar collagen area, but that collagen is in a looser state compared to those fromwildtype mice. Because satellite cells are an

important component of muscle repair, we cultured primary myoblast (satellite cells)from MMP13 null and wild-type mice andfound no change in proliferation, but reducedmigration rates in the MMP13 null cultures.These data show that mice lacking MMP13have decreased regenerative capacity withinthe muscle.

Understanding the role of MMP13 in muscle regeneration and fibrosis resolutionmay serve as a new therapy for muscle impair-ments that occur in nearly all muscle disorders.

FOXO1 Orchestrates the Wound HealingResponse through Regulation of TGF� 1 andPrevention of Oxidative StressBhaskar Ponugoti was awarded second place forthis project, conducted in the lab of Dr. DanaGraves, Professor, Department of Periodontics

Keratinocyte mobilization is a critical aspect of wound re-epithelialization, but the mecha-nisms that control its precise regulationremain poorly understood. We set out to testthe hypothesis that FOXO1 has a negativeeffect on healing because of its capacity toinhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis.

We investigated our hypothesis by gener-ating keratinocyte-specific FOXO1-deficientmice in vivo and by RNAi in primary culturesof dermal keratinocytes in vitro. Contrary toexpectations FOXO1 deletion in keratinocytes

delayed wound closure in vivo (P<0.05).Further analyses revealed that FOXO1 deletionreduced expression of the keratinocyte migra-tion marker uPAR and increased cell death(P<0.05). Moreover, we show that decreasedkeratinocyte migration was due to a largedecrease in TGF�1 expression while increasedapoptosis was due a substantial increaseoxidative stress when FOXO1 was deleted invivo (P<0.05). To test whether the control ofTGF�1 was functionally important, wounds inFOXO1 deleted mice were treated with recom-binant TGF�1 and rescued the delayed woundhealing phenotype. Lastly, we determined thatFOXO1 directly regulated TGF�1 levels in vitro(P<0.05).

Our studies identify a novel function for FOXO1 in coordinating the response of ker-atinocytes to wounding through upregulationof TGF�1 and other factors needed for ker-atinocyte migration and protection againstoxidative stress that inhibits migration.Treatment with FOXO1 agonists may repre-sent a potential therapeutic target for thetreatment of tissue repair by mobilizing ker-atinocytes for rapid wound epithelialization.


The Impact of Scholarly Activity

AVERAGE H INDEX FOR DEPARTMENT FACULTY

DEPARTMENT AVERAGE *H INDEX FOR DEPT. FACULTY

Microbiology 8.4

Anatomy & Cell Biology 8.0

Periodontics 6.7

Biochemistry 5.9

Pathology 5.2

Endodontics 5.0

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology 4.2

Preventive & Restorative Sciences 3.4

Orthodontics 3.1

Oral Medicine 2.8

*The h index indicates the quantity and quality of the researcher's publications during their career and was developed to measure the impact of an individual’s scientific research output. The higher the number the better. Older researcherswith longer careers will always have more than new or younger researchers.

These lists were generated using the Scopus database, and the Author IDs foundwithin that system. Articles published in journals that are not indexed in Scopus, arenot included in the calculation. The articles that were included were publishedbetween January 2008 and December 2012 and the h index calculations were donein early 2013.

TOP 20 FACULTY SCHOLARLY OUTPUT

BY H INDEX & NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS

FACULTY MEMBER *H INDEX # ARTICLES 2008–2012 2008–2012

George Hajishengallis, DDS, PhD, Dept. of Microbiology 17 50

Henry Daniell, PhD, Depts. of Biochemistry & Pathology 17 38

Denis Kinane, BDS, PhD, Depts. of Periodontics & Pathology 16 37

Dana Graves, DDS, DMSc, Dept. of Periodontics 14 35

Michel Koo, DDS, MS, PhD, Dept. of Orthodontics, Divisions of Pediatric Dentistry & Community Oral Health 13 36

Gary Cohen, PhD, Dept. of Microbiology 12 27

Anh Le, DDS, PhD, Dept. of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology 11 29

Elisabeth Barton, PhD, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology 9 27

Carolyn Gibson, PhD, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology 8 20

Yota Stathopoulou, DDS, MS, PhD, Dept. of Periodontics 8 9

Claire Mitchell, PhD, Dept. of Anatomy & Cell Biology 7 17

Markus Blatz, DMD, PhD, DrMDH, Dept. of Preventive & Restorative Sciences 6 41

Sunday Akintoye, BDS, DDS, MS, Dept. of Oral Medicine 6 17

Marjorie Jeffcoat, DMD, Dept. of Periodontics 6 16

Hydar Ali, PhD, Dept. of Pathology 6 11

Syngcuk Kim, DDS, PhD, MD (hon), Dept. of Endodontics 6 10

Elliot Hersh, DMD, MS, PhD, Dept. of Oral & MaxillofacialSurgery/Pharmacology 5 20

Yan Yuan, PhD, Dept. of Microbiology 5 14

Bekir Karabucak, DMD, MS, Dept. of Endodontics 5 13

Robert Ricciardi, MA, PhD, Dept. of Microbiology 5 13

“The Penn Dental Medicine research enterprise continuesto have a far-reaching impact across disciplines as evidenced by the number and frequency of faculty publications cited in the scholarship of other researchers.The impact of the research in the clinical departmentsdemonstrates the breadth of research activities and is an important part of the School’s scholarship.”

—DR. DANA GRAVES, VICE DEAN FOR RESEARCH & SCHOLARSHIP

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Documents

RR - Penn Dental Medicine...Congress on Adhesive Dentistry (IAD), hosted by Penn Dental Medicine June 14 –15, 2013. This marked the first time that the Congress was held in the United