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The research of three University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry students was recognized recently by the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).
Third-year dental students Sheela Jayappa and Brian McIntyre, of Omaha, and second-year dental student Melissa Moultray, of Lincoln, will each receive $1,000 and the opportunity to present their research at the 86th IADR General Session and Exhibition in Toronto, Canada, in July. The cash awards are meant to help offset the student’s travel costs to the conference.
"Out of 56 U.S. dental schools in the country only 50 awards were presented and the UNMC College of Dentistry received three of those awards,” said John Reinhardt, D.D.S., dean of the UNMC College of Dentistry. This honor demonstrates how our student-faculty research interactions serve as a valuable compliment to our clinical and scientific curricula. I’m very proud of the students, and this experience will be a wonderful milestone in their academic careers that they will remember for the rest of their professional lives."
The students and their research projects are listed below along with their hometowns:
Omaha: Sheela Jayappa, “Transforming Growth Factor-beta3 Induced Apoptosis of Osteoblasts.” Faculty mentor: Sundaralingam Premaraj, Ph.D., assistant professor, UNMC College of Dentistry.
Brian McIntyre, “Effects of Transforming Growth Factor-beta3 on Osteoblast Proliferation and Differentiation.” Faculty mentor: Sundaralingam Premaraj, Ph.D.
Both students’ research involves looking at how a growth factor called Transforming Growth Factor-beta3 (TFG beta3), which could prevent premature fusion of the skull in infants.
This premature fusion is called craniosynostosis and results in an abnormal skull shape, blindness and mental retardation.
“Currently the only treatment for craniosynostosis involves invasive surgery, which is very risky. In our lab we are investigating the mechanism by which TGF beta3 prevents cranial suture fusion by inducing cell death in bone cells,” Dr. Premaraj said.
Lincoln: Melissa Moutray, “BMP-7 Activates Smad Dependent and Smad Independent Pathways During Dentinogenesis.” Faculty mentor: Ali Nawshad, Ph.D., assistant professor, UNMC College of Dentistry.
Moutray’s research investigates the mechanisms of tooth development, particularly the cell signaling during dentin development. Her studies have found that in certain cells called odontoblast cells, a bone protein and growth factor, uses several pathways to activate certain genes to facilitate dentinogenesis.
“Her results might shed light into future studies to investigate the therapeutic implication of these molecules in tooth decay by inducing dentin repair and formation,” Dr. Nawshad said.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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