Research retreat highlights opportunities for collaboration and growth

The School of Dentistry hosted its second Research Retreat on October 4, 2024, at the Bell Museum.

Hosted by the Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Discovery, the retreat brought together members of the research community, including faculty, lab staff and students to share advancements in research at the school.

Kristin Artinger, PhD, Associate Dean for Research and Discovery, began the event with a discussion of the school’s research vision. She shared her goals for research and discovery at the school, including an increase in interaction between researchers, a culture of research mentorship, sustainability in research funding and a focus on research infrastructure and policies, before leading a brief discussion on those goals and effective ways of reaching them.

The day then began with a series of “flash talks” from Chong Wang, PhD, assistant professor of basic sciences, Yvette Reibel, EdD, LDH, assistant professor of dental hygiene, Jae Sung Lee, PhD, assistant professor of biomaterials, Donald Nixdorf, DDS, MS, professor and director of the Division of TMD and Orofacial Pain and Kim Mansky, PhD, professor of orthodontics. These five-minute talks allowed researchers to provide a brief overview of their teams’ research priorities, encouraging greater interest and understanding across clusters.

Wang shared his research on Epstein-Barr Virus infections and how they cause disease and cancer. Reibel explored how dental professionals can support patient outcomes related to obstructive sleep apnea. Lee shared biomaterials-baed approaches for tissue engineering. Nixdorf provided an overview of advances in TMJ imaging with MRI. Finally, Mansky shared projects from her lab’s studies of osteoclasts and the regulation of gene expression.

A keynote panel focused on the use of artificial intelligence in research and health care. Moderated by Eric Jensen, PhD, assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology, the panel featured contributions from Joseph Konstan, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the College of Science and Engineering, Martin Michalowski, PhD, FAMIA, associate professor of population health and systems in the School of Nursing, Boyen Huang, DDS, MHA, PhD, associate professor of dental public health, and Gerard Cramer, DVM, DVSc, professor of veterinary population medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine.

“This is a topic that already generated a lot of interest and discussion among the panelists as we developed the panel,” shared Jensen as he began the discussion.

The panelists discussed methods of using artificial intelligence for grant writing, research and clinical care, stressing caution and an understanding of how tools work while also sharing ways the tools can increase efficiency and convenience. They also explored ways of introducing artificial intelligence tools and best practices in their use to students.

Cramer stressed the importance of disclosing any use of artificial intelligence tools, and understanding the origins and ownership of data. “I don’t have a lot of answers, but there are a lot of questions about who owns what,” he explained. “Most importantly, we tell our students to always share when and how they’re using these tools, and I recommend that for researchers as well.”

Konstan reminded attendees to understand the scope and limitations of artificial intelligence, treating it as a tool rather than an expert. “You’ve got to understand how these models work, and that you are accountable for what you use from them,” he explained. “Know what your system is and isn’t capable of, and understand what it’s doing enough to be properly skeptical of the end product.”

Michalowki agreed, encouraging researchers not to “get lazy” when using these tools. “These tools are great for system one level thinking, but don’t expect them to engage in critical thinking,” he cautioned. “We need to build competency in artificial intelligence, for ourselves and our students.”

Huang shared ways he has used artificial intelligence to enhance research and patient care, while maintaining full ownership over the information and data. “There are some things AI does very well, like summarizing information or even creating flow charts that can synthesize and simplify patient care plans,” he explained. “When I use AI for research, it acts as an assistant, and I make the final decisions.”

A poster and tabling session featured resources available to School of Dentistry researchers through the Grants Management Unit, the Health Sciences Libraries and the Oral Health Clinical Research Center, as well as research posters from trainees, students and post-doctoral researchers.

The afternoon featured breakout discussions on grant writing, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, networking, postdoctoral and student recruitment and project management, facilitated by School of Dentistry leaders. The day finished with a second round of flash talks, featuring Cyndee Stull, DHSc, MDH, RDH, assistant professor and director of the Division of Dental Hygiene, Isha Mutreja, PhD, MSc, assistant professor of biomaterials, Sven-Ulrik Gorr, PhD, professor of basic sciences, Wei Zhang, PhD, associate professor of basic sciences, and Estephan Moana Filho, DDS, MS, PhD, assistant professor of TMD and Orofacial Pain.

Stull shared her research on interprofessional identity development and the role of faculty in guiding student development. Mutreja shared themes explored by the IMpact Biomaterial Lab, including the prevention of oral cancer through the design of functional nanostructures. Gorr shared his lab’s work on the antimicrobial peptide DGL13K and its use against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Zhang shared her research on the key molecular interactions that drive enveloped virus assembly and entry. Moana shared insight into chronic TMD pain.

“Thank you for joining us as we explored one another’s research and how we can all work together,” Artinger shared in her closing remarks. “I’m already looking forward to what we can discover together next year!”