19th annual Research Day explores innovation and discovery

The School of Dentistry’s 19th annual Research Day took place on Friday, March 3.

Hosted by Continuing Dental Education, Research Day brings together experts across the discipline to discuss cutting-edge discoveries and showcase progress made at the school and beyond. The event features a keynote, school research updates and poster presentations from learners.

Dean Keith Mays, DDS, MS, PhD, provided a brief welcome message and introduced Kristin Artinger, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Discovery. Mays expressed his gratitude for the return to an in-person event, as well as his excitement to welcome Artinger, who accepted her role earlier this year.

Artinger shared an overview of research over the past year at the School of Dentistry, including student awards, faculty grants and publications.

“Our mission statement begins with the goal of advancing health through scientific discovery,” Artinger said. “This day culminates an exciting year of enterprise for our mission and our researchers.”

This year’s keynote was presented by Tamanna Tiwari, MPH, MDS, BDS, assistant professor in the Department of Community Dentistry and Population Health and Associate Director of the Center for Oral Disease Prevention and Population Health Research at the School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado.

Tiwari is an expert in the social determinants of health and oral health inequities, and she shared her research on strengths-based motivation in the prevention and treatment of caries in Navajo and Hispanic populations.

“The dissemination of information on interventions is critical in moving oral health to a higher priority for parents,” Tiwari said. “The more we can encourage families and help them perceive fewer barriers to care, the better our outcomes will be.”

Throughout the day, attendees also heard from School of Dentistry faculty on topics like temporomandibular disorders, scaling and root planing, digital orthodontia and more. Learners from the Student Summer Research Program and the Graduate Program in Oral Biology took part in a poster presentation that showcased their research projects and accomplishments. Summer research learners were also honored alongside donors to the program at a special luncheon.

As part of the Research Day tradition, Dean Keith Mays, DDS, MS, PhD, announced the 2022 Professor of the Year, Paul Jardine, BSc, DUT, PhD. Jardine is a professor in the Division of Basic Sciences who focuses on virology research. 

“Jardine plays a significant role in education, research and service at the School of Dentistry,” Mays said. “It is my honor to present him with the 55th annual Century Club Professor of the Year Award.”

The day ended with a “meet the researchers” social hosted by the Graduate Program in Oral Biology.

Click on the image below to see a gallery of photos from the day.