University student wins research award at dental symposium

Attending and presenting at professional meetings is an excellent way for students to network, make important connections and increase their understanding of the dental profession. For DDS/PhD candidate Ayden Chapman, being selected to represent the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry at the symposium at the 29th Hinman Student Research Symposium was an opportunity to do all that, plus to present his research project, “Comparison of Extracellular Vesicles Collected from Bone Marrow Derived and RANKL Differentiated Osteoclasts in Young and Aged Mice,” which was directed by Dr. Isha Mutreja, assistant professor of Restorative Sciences.

At the symposium’s closing ceremony, Chapman was awarded one of the Basic Science Research Awards for most outstanding student presentations, given to those ranking in the top 10% of all submissions.

“This project in particular helped me solidify my understanding of the active bone microenvironment and how to work with primary culture to answer questions in a broader scientific setting,” Chapman said. “I was able to show how exosomes produced by bone remodeling osteoclast cells have a significant change in molecules contained, due to the aging process.” In the future, Chapman says he hopes to investigate if elderly mice (and eventually people) could have a gain in bone mass by being exposed to exosomes produced by osteoclasts of younger individuals, or the specific molecule combination that is found to be  different between older and younger exosomes.”

Chapman spoke highly of the guidance and direction he received on his research. “Dr. Mutreja is a very intelligent and encouraging Primary Investigator, who pushed me to understand not only what I was working on, but also the process in which my understanding and experience could be deepened. Setbacks were quickly acknowledged, investigated, and then used as an opportunity to brainstorm problem solving and future planning.’

For her part, Dr. Mutreja said that the event provided Chapman “not only with the opportunity to present his research, but also to engage with fellow students from other institutions, fostering valuable connections and sharing a common passion for advancing oral health. It was a rewarding experience that contributed greatly to his growth as a researcher and a dental professional.”

This year, the symposium was attended by 117 students who represented 49 dental schools in 35 states, the District of Columbia, and two provinces of Canada. Its purpose is to reward and encourage student efforts in research, while supporting the research and educational programs of faculty research mentors and administrators. The symposium is named in honor of Dr. Thomas Hinman, a 1891 Doctor of Dental Surgery graduate of Southern Dental College in Atlanta, who created a trust that has sponsored more than $11 million to support research meetings and student scholarships.