Check out our 2023 Awards Dinner album on Flickr to see more photos.

More than 60 awards were presented to GSDM graduates, faculty, and staff during the Predoctoral Class of 2023 Recognition and Awards Dinner at Agganis Arena on Thursday, May 18, to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments.  

Associate Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Calabrese, or “Chief Happiness Officer” as he called himself, welcomed the graduates and their guests at the start of evening, saying the DMD 23 and DMD AS 23 classes were a special and determined group of students who have left an everlasting mark on GSDM.   

“We will remember the Class of 2023 as a kind, friendly, diverse, and compassionate group that will forever share a special bond,” Calabrese said. “As a class, you faced a few challenges along the way, but for me, the class of 2023 will be remembered most for their persistence and perseverance.”  

Dean Cataldo Leone said the Recognition and Awards Dinner is a treasured annual event honoring all members of the graduating class and acknowledging individual members for their notable achievements. He spoke directly to the graduates, saying he is excited to have them become GSDM alumni and fellow oral healthcare professionals.  

“Class of 2023, you have worked extremely hard and accomplished so much throughout your years at school,” Leone said. “You met all challenges head on and artfully turned them into opportunities. You demonstrated the ability to adapt – quickly and continually – to new ways of learning, treating patients, and even socializing. You have been an extraordinary class. We commend you for your perseverance and thank you for your partnership in achieving our mutual goals.”  

GSDM Alumni Association President Dr. Maryam Shomali CAS 87 ENDO 93 welcomed the Class of 2023 to the GSDM alumni community, which she described as a family built on a foundation of shared experiences. She encouraged the graduates to nurture those connections as they embark on their dental careers.  

“You are now part of an alumni group of nearly 9,000 members from around the world that boasts diversity and success in all fields,” Shomali said. “Tonight, we celebrate your special achievement – but with this achievement comes a responsibility to our profession that starts with maintaining your strong connection with our school and your fellow alumni. By preserving these relationships, you will set yourself up to achieve all the successes that you seek.”   

The presidents of the DMD and DMD AS Classes of 2023, Jaskamal Singh and Ahmed Baioumy respectively, jointly presented the class gift to Dean Leone. The class donation was matched by Calabrese, and the gift will be designated for programs that will directly benefit both the DMD and DMD AS programs.  

The event program also featured two student speakers – Singh and Faud Tawmeh DMD AS 23 – who were chosen based on peer nominations.  

Singh remarked she felt an instant family-like connection with the members of her class. She said they share an unbreakable bond of “shared laughs, trauma, and triumphs.”  

“We didn’t realize it at the time, but sitting in the student lounge, chatting about exams and clinic was something so simple, but something that truly brought joy and a sense of accomplishment to each of us,” Singh said.  

Tawmeh honored all the Advanced Standing students, noting their dedication in leaving behind their home countries to pursue their dental dreams in the United States. His personal journey was not easy, as he balanced his schoolwork with parental responsibilities involved in raising three boys, Sam, Gigi, and Dave. Despite the challenges, he said he knew he was ultimately working to make his children’s lives better.  

“It was not just the physical toll, but also the emotional weight of feeling torn between my family and the rigorous academic pursuits,” Tawmeh said. “There were moments when I felt like giving up, wondering if I could ever strike a balance between the two. But I knew I had to keep pushing forward. I had to be strong for my family and show my boys that anything is possible with hard work and determination.”  

A full list of individuals recognized at the dinner is available here.  

To read our full commencement coverage, please visit our commencement 2023 page. 

By Rachel Grace Philipson

How does a dental professional make ethical treatment decisions that simultaneously prioritize their patients’ well-being with their own legal obligations and professional standards – all within an increasingly commercialized healthcare landscape? 

Emma Paolella DMD 25 and Melanie Thomas DMD AS 24 grappled with that question in their submissions for the 2023 Ozar-Hasegawa Dental Ethics Award competition — so successfully, as it turns out, that they were named this year’s sole two winners. As part of their victory, the winning essays will be published in the eJournal of the American College of Dentists.  

Catherine Sarkis, GSDM clinical professor of health policy & health service research, served as the faculty advisor for both Paolella and Thomas. When she discovered her two students won this year, Sarkis said she was “really flabbergasted.” GSDM students have previously won this national contest, which is sponsored by the American Society for Dental Ethics and the American College of Dentists — Victoria Chang DMD 23 in 2020 and Luljeta Isedisha DMD AS 21 in 2021 — but this is the first time the school has had two winners in one year.  

“It’s always a thrill to see that kind of recognition for your students, and these two students really put in a lot of effort,” Sarkis said. “I was really, really thrilled and I felt it was very deserving because of their hard work.” 

When Paolella learned about the Ozar-Hasegawa Dental Ethics Award competition, she wasn’t motivated to enter by a potential victory and publication. She said she enjoyed her dental ethics course and wanted to go through the “enriching” process of creating and analyzing an ethical dilemma. Now, she hopes other dental professionals will be inspired by her rationale in her essay ‘“Do Good’ By Your Patient: An Ethical Dilemma That Extends Beyond Dental Care.”  

“It’s important to train our minds to be cognizant and aware of these ethical scenarios that may happen,” Paolella said. “There’s no black and white answer for every ethical scenario; [it’s] training your mind to approach it from an ethical point of view and [to] just be aware that we shouldn’t feel like things will fall out of our jurisdiction because it doesn’t have to do with the physical dentistry.” 

For her ethical reflection entitled “For-Profit Dentistry: A Commercial View of Healthcare,” Thomas said she was pleased to have a platform to express her point of view as an internationally trained dentist entering the U.S. dental landscape. She simply wanted to write about something she really believes in and wishes others would be able to relate.  

“Ethics is something that you’re going to be practicing every day and how you act and how you behave, [it] speaks volumes about your character,” Thomas said. “It’s important to start talking about this and have these conversations because that’s how change happens. I see a trend that healthcare is becoming more and more commercialized, that dentists are being put under a lot of pressure… If we don’t address this and we don’t talk about the negative implications of something like this topic, the commercialization of healthcare, then nothing is going to change.”  

As their faculty advisor, Sarkis worked with the pair to finalize their respective topics and guide them through their writing processes. She noted that Paolella and Thomas picked topics that reflected their personal and professional interests, and it’s clear that their passion shines in their analyses.  

“They really put in the hours and communicated with me,” Sarkis said. “Both of them had appointments with me, multiple appointments, and emails. So, it’s always nice, as a faculty member, to have students who both had really interesting topics, and they were just really interested in them. They were curious. They were motivated. They wanted to know more, and they put in the work.”  

In Paolella’s essay, a 16-year-old named Jane enters a community health center dental clinic by herself complaining of a painful toothache. After completing an examination, the dental professional finds a draining abscess over a “grossly decayed and infected second molar with a large amalgam restoration,” now with very slim likelihood of restorability. The dental professional believes the best treatment would be to extract tooth #31 but wants to do an x-ray to confirm their diagnosis.  

Jane wants to get the x-ray and potential extraction, but due to her age, the dental professional needs her parent/legal guardian’s informed consent. Jane reveals that her mother has a history of substance abuse that has been escalating recently, and she worries her mom is not in a sound state of mind to give an informed consent. The dental provider knows the infection could become life threatening if treatment is delayed for too long – but they must decide how to approach the situation first. 

Her inspiration for the essay was two-fold. As part of the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (NHSC SP), Paolella will be working in a community health center in an underserved community following her graduation from GSDM. She placed her ethical dilemma in a similar setting to the one in which she will be working in order to test her mindset for situations she might face. Paolella also modeled the scenario after the experiences a friend of hers had with a mother who was not competent to make healthcare decisions. 

“I was inspired by the thought of just what would I do if a patient or a family dynamic was presented to me,” Paolella said. “Like how would I respond to that? What would be my obligation and my responsibility?”  

For the patient in her fictional situation, Paolella decided it was best to speak with Jane’s physician, if permitted by Jane and her mother, to help form a full opinion about Jane’s overall healthcare and to speak with a social worker within the community health center.  

“Doing right by your patient is not just limited to the physical dentistry that we provide,” Paolella said. “The patient deserves the regard and care that extends beyond that. I think that that is the obligation, the responsibility that we have as dental professionals.” 

In Thomas’s essay, she analyzed the commercialization of healthcare, which is pressing doctors and dentists to increase productivity at any cost, potentially leading to compromises on ethical and professional standards. In her scenario, which she based on a true story but took artistic liberties to expand the situation, a recent dental school graduate, Dr. KT, starts her first job as an associate working at a private practice with her beloved family dentist. While working there, she forms a close friendship with JC, the dental assistant, who was formerly a dentist from KT’s native country, but had left his residency program to come to the U.S. to obtain his dental license. 

It was only after getting to know each other that JC confessed to KT, saying he had misled the practice owner into thinking he was a specialist in his home country. He formed an arrangement with the owner, allowing him to handle the implant cases within the office to gain valuable experience and a supplementary income while he waited to get his dental license. In return, the practice owner was relieved of the financial burden associated with hiring a certified specialist by having JC place implants without a formal contract and with minimal compensation. 

Appalled by this knowledge, KT was faced with a difficult dilemma between loyalty and ethical responsibility. On one hand, she didn’t want to betray a close friend and colleague, but she also didn’t want innocent patients to be treated by someone who is purposely misleading them about being fully qualified.  

The story goes on to explore KT’s internal struggle to decide whether to report the situation, confront her family dentist/the practice owner, or address the assistant’s actions, while also addressing the complex interplay of relationships, professional integrity, and the broader ethical implications of dishonesty in the medical field. 

“I didn’t make the story up, unfortunately,” Thomas said. “It is a true story that has happened to people that I know and that’s particularly why I wanted to write about it because I’m sure that others can be put in this position. When you don’t have a lot of experience and suddenly, you’re in this difficult situation, how do you address it when you find out that your boss, maybe the clinic owner, or your friend in the office is doing something unethical to the patients. You have to ask yourself. What is your role in this? How do you act? And are there consequences of not taking any action? It’s not as easy as one might think.” 

In her essay, Thomas had KT address the issue by informing the practice owner that she has a duty to report to the state licensing board, which would lead to an investigation into how many patients were involved and the extent of the damage done. Thomas wrote that prioritizing patients’ well-being while upholding professional ethics is critical for healthcare practitioners. 

“As an international dentist and as someone who has had dental assisting experience, I feel every day is a test of ethics in practice,” Thomas said. “Every day you’re put in difficult situations, and you have to know how to act. You have to know that your actions can have really important or difficult implications for everybody around you.” 

After taking part in this essay competition, Thomas said she wants her fellow GSDM peers to be inspired to think ethically in everything they do.  

“I feel that there’s so much more to [ethics] than people understand and that it’s our responsibility as healthcare providers to just really learn to educate yourself, to train yourself on how to be an ethical dentist,” Thomas said. “And if you don’t do it from now while you’re in school, while you have mentors and people who can help you, once you graduate, the stakes are going to be much higher.” 

By Rachel Grace Philipson

The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) recently announced the 2023 winners of its Hatton Competition, crowning two Boston University students as first-place winners.  

Kisa Iqbal ENDO 25 and Emily Fisher CAMED 27 received first place in the junior and senior categories, respectively, at the 2023 IADR Hatton Competition, which was held in Bogota, Colombia, in June 2023. Earlier in the year, Iqbal and Fisher had secured second-place wins in the same categories at the 2023 American Association for Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) Hatton Competition in Portland, Oregon.  

Established in 1953 in honor of IADR’s 10th President Edward H. Hatton, the Hatton Competition was designed to give students and new investigators the valuable experience of presenting their research to a national and international audience in the annual general sessions.  

Iqbal said she is ecstatic about her research project victory.  

“Our celebrations were doubled because when you see your colleagues win, then you feel even more satisfaction and pride for the school – that was amazing,” Iqbal said. “When we both had won at IADR, we were literally sitting next to each other and just excitement was amplified because it’s great when you win, but when your friend wins as well, it just makes it 20 times better.”  

Fisher said she is thrilled that their oral cancer research is highlighting GSDM’s research efforts on an international level.  

“It just goes to show you how [prevalent] oral cancer is, and how we really do need specific treatments for it, so that we can help patients,” Fisher said.  

Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, GSDM associate dean for research and professor of translational dental medicine, said the Hatton Competitions at AADOCR and IADR are incredible opportunities for students to present their findings to new audiences, who may not be as well-versed in the research areas. Students have the valuable educational experience of articulating their research in an approachable, comprehensive manner, ultimately helping more people understand the importance of oral cancer research.    

Kukuruzinska said Iqbal and Fisher are deeply passionate about their work, and their enthusiasm shined in their competition presentations.  

“They are both really fantastic and they’re terrific advocates for the projects, and we are very lucky to have them,” Kukuruzinska said. “It’s very exciting.”

Kisa Iqbal is the presenter and first author of the abstract “LSD1-Induced Signaling Mechanisms Inhibition Sensitizes Oral Cancer for Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy”. The study was performed related to one of the projects at Bais lab, Translational Dental Medicine, GSDM, with the help of other co-authors. The detailed list of co-authors includes Kisa Iqbal, Guoxian Wei, Amit Charkraborty, Thabet Alhousami, Faiza Ali, Tiya Wang, Chumki Choudhury, Sami Chogle, Vikas Kumar, and Manish V. Bais. 

In Iqbal’s research presentation, “LSD1-Induced Signaling Mechanisms Inhibition Sensitizes Oral Cancer for Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy,” she shared the investigation that she is doing under the mentorship of Dr. Manish Bais into how one specific protein, lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), can help with oral cancer treatment and oral cancer prevention in the pre-cancer stage. Once oral cancer progresses past the pre-cancer stage, it makes it significantly harder to treat. The goal of the research is to focus on pre-cancer and prevent progression. 

“The protein we’re working on has an important role in oral cancer progression,” Iqbal said. “We have a lot of promising results suggesting that if we target this protein and understand how it works in the body, we can potentially create a treatment that targets it.”  

Iqbal said research in LSD1 is incredibly useful for clinicians and fellow researchers because it is being evaluated for application in chemotherapy and immunotherapy. 

“LSD1 plays an important role in normal embryo development,” Iqbal said. “However, it can become inappropriately unregulated. Blocking its function using small molecule inhibitors can promote anti-tumor immunity.”  

Kukuruzinska said Iqbal’s research is examining a unique perspective of how non-mutational changes can actually drive oral cancer, initiation, and progression.  

“It’s interesting because it’s not genetic change; it’s not really a classical understanding of how tobacco or alcohol can impact this disease, but it really has more to do with the inner workings of the cellular metabolism and cellular activities, but not on a genetic level but more the non-mutational reprogramming of cells,” Kukuruzinska said. “They have done some very nice work with mouse models and also looking at the underlying molecular basis of what’s happening when lysine specific demethylase 1 is apparently expressed.”

Emily Fisher is thepresenter and first author of the abstract “Wnt/β-Catenin Epigenetic Modifications Drive Age-Dependent Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Evolution.” The study was performed related to one of the projects at Kukuruzinska’s lab, Translational Dental Medicine, GSDM, with the help of other co-authors. The detailed list of co-authors includes Emily Fisher, Anthony Spinella, Xaralabos (Bob) Varelas, Manish V.  Bais, and Maria Kukuruzinska. 

Fisher wanted to use a translational approach to investigate how therapeutics can potentially be used for cancer treatment, which led her to Kukuruzinska’s lab. Her research presentation, “Wnt/β-Catenin Epigenetic Modifications Drive Age-Dependent Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Evolution,” documented differences between young and old mice non-mutational DNA reprogramming within the signaling pathway of Wnt/β-Catenin, which is responsible for tumor growth in HPV negative oral squamous cell carcinoma. 

Typically, oral cancer research on drug compounds uses young mice that mirror humans in their twenties or thirties. However, the median age of oral-cancer diagnosis is 60 years old. According to Fisher, using older mice in experimentation may help researchers understand how age affects the reaction to medication and how to best adjust treatment protocols.  

“There are a lot of big findings that we’ve shown, but I think the number one finding is that old mice and old humans, older organisms with this cancer, respond differently, and they’re not responding in the same manner that we are seeing in young [people],” Fisher said. “If you can really understand the biology of what’s going on in these older patients, then you can really tailor a drug to make it more responsive for those people of interest.” 

Kukuruzinska said that Fisher has made great inroads into understanding how aging can impact oral cancer. 

“At the same time, in fact, our colleagues in biochemistry have been also studying aging more in terms of understanding what are the changes in the immune system with progression of age,” Kukuruzinska said. “So, this is very exciting, and Emily is great at projecting some of the ideas.”  

Kukuruzinska said she is intrigued to how these two research projects will continue to investigate how oral cancer can best be prevented and treated.  

“We want our school to be a scholarly institution that [does] not just provide fantastic clinical care,” Kukuruzinska said. “One of the huge things that comes out of this is that working as teams between our scientists, clinicians, and residents leads to improved overall knowledge about this disease.”  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

How does a dental professional make ethical treatment decisions that simultaneously prioritize their patients’ well-being with their own legal obligations and professional standards – all within an increasingly commercialized healthcare landscape? 

Emma Paolella DMD 25 and Melanie Thomas DMD AS 24 grappled with that question in their submissions for the 2023 Ozar-Hasegawa Dental Ethics Award competition -- so successfully, as it turns out, that they were named this year's sole two winners. As part of their victory, the winning essays will be published in the eJournal of the American College of Dentists.  

Catherine Sarkis, GSDM clinical professor of health policy & health service research, served as the faculty advisor for both Paolella and Thomas. When she discovered her two students won this year, Sarkis said she was “really flabbergasted.” GSDM students have previously won this national contest, which is sponsored by the American Society for Dental Ethics and the American College of Dentists -- Victoria Chang DMD 23 in 2020 and Luljeta Isedisha DMD AS 21 in 2021 -- but this is the first time the school has had two winners in one year.  

“It's always a thrill to see that kind of recognition for your students, and these two students really put in a lot of effort,” Sarkis said. “I was really, really thrilled and I felt it was very deserving because of their hard work.” 

When Paolella learned about the Ozar-Hasegawa Dental Ethics Award competition, she wasn’t motivated to enter by a potential victory and publication. She said she enjoyed her dental ethics course and wanted to go through the “enriching” process of creating and analyzing an ethical dilemma. Now, she hopes other dental professionals will be inspired by her rationale in her essay ‘“Do Good’ By Your Patient: An Ethical Dilemma That Extends Beyond Dental Care.”  

“It's important to train our minds to be cognizant and aware of these ethical scenarios that may happen,” Paolella said. “There's no black and white answer for every ethical scenario; [it’s] training your mind to approach it from an ethical point of view and [to] just be aware that we shouldn't feel like things will fall out of our jurisdiction because it doesn't have to do with the physical dentistry.” 

For her ethical reflection entitled “For-Profit Dentistry: A Commercial View of Healthcare,” Thomas said she was pleased to have a platform to express her point of view as an internationally trained dentist entering the U.S. dental landscape. She simply wanted to write about something she really believes in and wishes others would be able to relate.  

“Ethics is something that you're going to be practicing every day and how you act and how you behave, [it] speaks volumes about your character,” Thomas said. “It's important to start talking about this and have these conversations because that's how change happens. I see a trend that healthcare is becoming more and more commercialized, that dentists are being put under a lot of pressure... If we don't address this and we don't talk about the negative implications of something like this topic, the commercialization of healthcare, then nothing is going to change.”  

As their faculty advisor, Sarkis worked with the pair to finalize their respective topics and guide them through their writing processes. She noted that Paolella and Thomas picked topics that reflected their personal and professional interests, and it’s clear that their passion shines in their analyses.  

“They really put in the hours and communicated with me,” Sarkis said. “Both of them had appointments with me, multiple appointments, and emails. So, it's always nice, as a faculty member, to have students who both had really interesting topics, and they were just really interested in them. They were curious. They were motivated. They wanted to know more, and they put in the work.”  

In Paolella’s essay, a 16-year-old named Jane enters a community health center dental clinic by herself complaining of a painful toothache. After completing an examination, the dental professional finds a draining abscess over a “grossly decayed and infected second molar with a large amalgam restoration,” now with very slim likelihood of restorability. The dental professional believes the best treatment would be to extract tooth #31 but wants to do an x-ray to confirm their diagnosis.  

Jane wants to get the x-ray and potential extraction, but due to her age, the dental professional needs her parent/legal guardian’s informed consent. Jane reveals that her mother has a history of substance abuse that has been escalating recently, and she worries her mom is not in a sound state of mind to give an informed consent. The dental provider knows the infection could become life threatening if treatment is delayed for too long – but they must decide how to approach the situation first. 

Her inspiration for the essay was two-fold. As part of the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (NHSC SP), Paolella will be working in a community health center in an underserved community following her graduation from GSDM. She placed her ethical dilemma in a similar setting to the one in which she will be working in order to test her mindset for situations she might face. Paolella also modeled the scenario after the experiences a friend of hers had with a mother who was not competent to make healthcare decisions. 

“I was inspired by the thought of just what would I do if a patient or a family dynamic was presented to me,” Paolella said. “Like how would I respond to that? What would be my obligation and my responsibility?”  

For the patient in her fictional situation, Paolella decided it was best to speak with Jane’s physician, if permitted by Jane and her mother, to help form a full opinion about Jane’s overall healthcare and to speak with a social worker within the community health center.  

“Doing right by your patient is not just limited to the physical dentistry that we provide,” Paolella said. “The patient deserves the regard and care that extends beyond that. I think that that is the obligation, the responsibility that we have as dental professionals.” 

In Thomas’s essay, she analyzed the commercialization of healthcare, which is pressing doctors and dentists to increase productivity at any cost, potentially leading to compromises on ethical and professional standards. In her scenario, which she based on a true story but took artistic liberties to expand the situation, a recent dental school graduate, Dr. KT, starts her first job as an associate working at a private practice with her beloved family dentist. While working there, she forms a close friendship with JC, the dental assistant, who was formerly a dentist from KT’s native country, but had left his residency program to come to the U.S. to obtain his dental license. 

It was only after getting to know each other that JC confessed to KT, saying he had misled the practice owner into thinking he was a specialist in his home country. He formed an arrangement with the owner, allowing him to handle the implant cases within the office to gain valuable experience and a supplementary income while he waited to get his dental license. In return, the practice owner was relieved of the financial burden associated with hiring a certified specialist by having JC place implants without a formal contract and with minimal compensation. 

Appalled by this knowledge, KT was faced with a difficult dilemma between loyalty and ethical responsibility. On one hand, she didn’t want to betray a close friend and colleague, but she also didn’t want innocent patients to be treated by someone who is purposely misleading them about being fully qualified.  

The story goes on to explore KT’s internal struggle to decide whether to report the situation, confront her family dentist/the practice owner, or address the assistant's actions, while also addressing the complex interplay of relationships, professional integrity, and the broader ethical implications of dishonesty in the medical field. 

“I didn’t make the story up, unfortunately,” Thomas said. “It is a true story that has happened to people that I know and that's particularly why I wanted to write about it because I'm sure that others can be put in this position. When you don't have a lot of experience and suddenly, you're in this difficult situation, how do you address it when you find out that your boss, maybe the clinic owner, or your friend in the office is doing something unethical to the patients. You have to ask yourself. What is your role in this? How do you act? And are there consequences of not taking any action? It's not as easy as one might think.” 

In her essay, Thomas had KT address the issue by informing the practice owner that she has a duty to report to the state licensing board, which would lead to an investigation into how many patients were involved and the extent of the damage done. Thomas wrote that prioritizing patients' well-being while upholding professional ethics is critical for healthcare practitioners. 

“As an international dentist and as someone who has had dental assisting experience, I feel every day is a test of ethics in practice,” Thomas said. “Every day you're put in difficult situations, and you have to know how to act. You have to know that your actions can have really important or difficult implications for everybody around you.” 

After taking part in this essay competition, Thomas said she wants her fellow GSDM peers to be inspired to think ethically in everything they do.  

“I feel that there's so much more to [ethics] than people understand and that it's our responsibility as healthcare providers to just really learn to educate yourself, to train yourself on how to be an ethical dentist,” Thomas said. “And if you don't do it from now while you're in school, while you have mentors and people who can help you, once you graduate, the stakes are going to be much higher.” 

By Rachel Grace Philipson

The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) recently announced the 2023 winners of its Hatton Competition, crowning two Boston University students as first-place winners.  

Kisa Iqbal ENDO 25 and Emily Fisher CAMED 27 received first place in the junior and senior categories, respectively, at the 2023 IADR Hatton Competition, which was held in Bogota, Colombia, in June 2023. Earlier in the year, Iqbal and Fisher had secured second-place wins in the same categories at the 2023 American Association for Dental, Oral & Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) Hatton Competition in Portland, Oregon.  

Established in 1953 in honor of IADR’s 10th President Edward H. Hatton, the Hatton Competition was designed to give students and new investigators the valuable experience of presenting their research to a national and international audience in the annual general sessions.  

Iqbal said she is ecstatic about her research project victory.  

“Our celebrations were doubled because when you see your colleagues win, then you feel even more satisfaction and pride for the school – that was amazing,” Iqbal said. “When we both had won at IADR, we were literally sitting next to each other and just excitement was amplified because it’s great when you win, but when your friend wins as well, it just makes it 20 times better.”  

Fisher said she is thrilled that their oral cancer research is highlighting GSDM’s research efforts on an international level.  

“It just goes to show you how [prevalent] oral cancer is, and how we really do need specific treatments for it, so that we can help patients,” Fisher said.  

Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska, GSDM associate dean for research and professor of translational dental medicine, said the Hatton Competitions at AADOCR and IADR are incredible opportunities for students to present their findings to new audiences, who may not be as well-versed in the research areas. Students have the valuable educational experience of articulating their research in an approachable, comprehensive manner, ultimately helping more people understand the importance of oral cancer research.    

Kukuruzinska said Iqbal and Fisher are deeply passionate about their work, and their enthusiasm shined in their competition presentations.  

“They are both really fantastic and they’re terrific advocates for the projects, and we are very lucky to have them,” Kukuruzinska said. “It’s very exciting.”

Kisa Iqbal is the presenter and first author of the abstract “LSD1-Induced Signaling Mechanisms Inhibition Sensitizes Oral Cancer for Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy”. The study was performed related to one of the projects at Bais lab, Translational Dental Medicine, GSDM, with the help of other co-authors. The detailed list of co-authors includes Kisa Iqbal, Guoxian Wei, Amit Charkraborty, Thabet Alhousami, Faiza Ali, Tiya Wang, Chumki Choudhury, Sami Chogle, Vikas Kumar, and Manish V. Bais. 

In Iqbal’s research presentation, “LSD1-Induced Signaling Mechanisms Inhibition Sensitizes Oral Cancer for Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy,” she shared the investigation that she is doing under the mentorship of Dr. Manish Bais into how one specific protein, lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), can help with oral cancer treatment and oral cancer prevention in the pre-cancer stage. Once oral cancer progresses past the pre-cancer stage, it makes it significantly harder to treat. The goal of the research is to focus on pre-cancer and prevent progression. 

“The protein we’re working on has an important role in oral cancer progression,” Iqbal said. “We have a lot of promising results suggesting that if we target this protein and understand how it works in the body, we can potentially create a treatment that targets it.”  

Iqbal said research in LSD1 is incredibly useful for clinicians and fellow researchers because it is being evaluated for application in chemotherapy and immunotherapy. 

“LSD1 plays an important role in normal embryo development,” Iqbal said. “However, it can become inappropriately unregulated. Blocking its function using small molecule inhibitors can promote anti-tumor immunity.”  

Kukuruzinska said Iqbal’s research is examining a unique perspective of how non-mutational changes can actually drive oral cancer, initiation, and progression.  

“It’s interesting because it’s not genetic change; it’s not really a classical understanding of how tobacco or alcohol can impact this disease, but it really has more to do with the inner workings of the cellular metabolism and cellular activities, but not on a genetic level but more the non-mutational reprogramming of cells,” Kukuruzinska said. “They have done some very nice work with mouse models and also looking at the underlying molecular basis of what’s happening when lysine specific demethylase 1 is apparently expressed.”

Emily Fisher is thepresenter and first author of the abstract “Wnt/β-Catenin Epigenetic Modifications Drive Age-Dependent Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Evolution.” The study was performed related to one of the projects at Kukuruzinska’s lab, Translational Dental Medicine, GSDM, with the help of other co-authors. The detailed list of co-authors includes Emily Fisher, Anthony Spinella, Xaralabos (Bob) Varelas, Manish V.  Bais, and Maria Kukuruzinska. 

Fisher wanted to use a translational approach to investigate how therapeutics can potentially be used for cancer treatment, which led her to Kukuruzinska’s lab. Her research presentation, “Wnt/β-Catenin Epigenetic Modifications Drive Age-Dependent Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Evolution,” documented differences between young and old mice non-mutational DNA reprogramming within the signaling pathway of Wnt/β-Catenin, which is responsible for tumor growth in HPV negative oral squamous cell carcinoma. 

Typically, oral cancer research on drug compounds uses young mice that mirror humans in their twenties or thirties. However, the median age of oral-cancer diagnosis is 60 years old. According to Fisher, using older mice in experimentation may help researchers understand how age affects the reaction to medication and how to best adjust treatment protocols.  

“There are a lot of big findings that we’ve shown, but I think the number one finding is that old mice and old humans, older organisms with this cancer, respond differently, and they’re not responding in the same manner that we are seeing in young [people],” Fisher said. “If you can really understand the biology of what’s going on in these older patients, then you can really tailor a drug to make it more responsive for those people of interest.” 

Kukuruzinska said that Fisher has made great inroads into understanding how aging can impact oral cancer. 

“At the same time, in fact, our colleagues in biochemistry have been also studying aging more in terms of understanding what are the changes in the immune system with progression of age,” Kukuruzinska said. “So, this is very exciting, and Emily is great at projecting some of the ideas.”  

Kukuruzinska said she is intrigued to how these two research projects will continue to investigate how oral cancer can best be prevented and treated.  

“We want our school to be a scholarly institution that [does] not just provide fantastic clinical care,” Kukuruzinska said. “One of the huge things that comes out of this is that working as teams between our scientists, clinicians, and residents leads to improved overall knowledge about this disease.”  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Tooth enamel plays a critical role in protecting our teeth and gums from decay, periodontitis, and other health issues–so when enamel erodes, it can cause major problems. Current tooth enamel restoration techniques are expensive and invasive–as well as being non-permanent solutions with multiple limitations. Now, GSDM professor Yuwei Fan and his team are one step closer to creating a superior solution that strives to address these restoration issues. 

Fan, GSDM research associate professor of restorative sciences & biomaterials, recently won a Boston University (BU) Ignition Award for his work on a process that utilizes an enamel-mimicking formula directly on the damaged tooth’s surface. He was one of eight winners this year, joining a prestigious list of industry-changing researchers.  

Fan said he was delighted to receive a BU Ignition Award. He and his team have already tested the process in the lab in conditions that simulate the environment of the human mouth, but they will be using the award to move their technology closer to clinical applications. 

“Current solutions, even using the best material we have, may not last forever, or not even over 10 years,” Fan said.   

In the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, nearly 90 percent of adults ages 20 to 64 years old were reported to have some amount of tooth decay. Current approaches to enamel restoration have limited ability to be effective for the remainder of a patient’s life, said Fan, because the available mainstream material options are neither structured like enamel nor integrated into the tooth structure. These performance limitations result in patients repeating pricey procedures.  

Fan can’t discuss the specifics of his work, as he and his team are working to secure a patent, but he believes their product could help a huge population who needs a permanent tooth enamel solution.  

“Our vision [is] to restore forever,” Fan said. “Once, and you’re done.” 

Through BU Technology Development, the BU Ignition Award program gives Boston University or Boston Medical Center researchers funds to advance ideas with clear commercial potential.  Award winners also receive specialized coaching and support to bring their inventions to their peak marketable potential, in addition to the financial grant.  

After connecting with industry mentors and taking training programs, Fan said he and his team have been in contact with a target population of dentists who would, in theory, be using the product. He said they will work to adapt the product to best fit the needs of that population.  

“The dentists are the ones who observe the outcome,” Fan said. “If they see there is need, then it’s usable. [We] don’t want its use to be complicated – that’s what we learned from our training.”  

As for the next steps of the project, Fan said they are going to file the patent by the end of 2023. 

“People are living longer than our teeth were designed for,” Fan said. “[With this technology], people will still have their natural teeth in their 90s.”  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Three GSDM alums were named winners of the American Dental Association’s 2024 “10 Under 10” Awards.   

Ana Keohane DMD 16, Dr. Jessica C. Williams DPH 23, and Dr. Austin Lee AEGD 16 were recognized for their significant philanthropy, leadership, and/or advocacy efforts in the dental field. The “10 under 10” awards are given to American Dental Association (ADA) members who graduated dental school less than 10 years ago.  

“I am so proud to see three of our GSDM alums being recognized for the 2024 ADA ‘10 Under 10’ Awards,” Stacey McNamee, director of alumni relations & annual giving, said. “It’s incredible to see our recent graduates already doing amazing work for the dental community.” 

We spoke to the three winners about their win. Here’s what they had to say.

Dr. Ana Keohane DMD 16GSDM Director of Predoctoral Urgent Care and Clinical Associate Professor of General Dentistry 

In addition to her GSDM faculty positions, Keohane is the chair of the Boston District Dental Society Executive Committee and has served as president of the Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association and treasurer of the Hispanic Dental Association. 

“It is a true honor to receive the ADA ‘10 under 10 Award.’ I am humbled to be recognized for what I have done throughout my dental career. This award inspires and motivates me to continue working hard for our practices, mentor our future dentists, and improve the quality of care for our patients.”

Dr. Jessica C. Williams DPH 23

Williams is a dental public health specialist who worked in rural Iowa as part of the National Health Service Corps. She has worked to improve dental public health on a state and national level by working with organizations including Iowa Public Health Association, American Association of Public Health Dentistry, American Public Health Association, and National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity.

“I’m very honored to have been selected along with a bright, dynamic group of dentists who are improving dentistry and health care, overall!”

Dr. Austin Lee AEGD 16  

Lee is a restorative dentist and the owner of Orbis Dental Group in San Antonio, Texas. He serves on the board of directors and chairs the New Dentist Committee at the San Antonio District Dental Society. He also serves on the Council on Governance and Peer Review Committee for the Texas Dental Association. 

“I am absolutely honored for this award of ADA 10 under 10. However, these ‘achievements’ always have been and [always] will be a team effort of many great leaders around me. This award shows that our effort in organized dentistry is recognized by others and that we as colleagues, friends, and fellow members of various groups, still have a lot to work to do to make a better tomorrow for dentistry and our profession.”  

By Rachel Grace Philipson 

From winning second place in student poster competition to being elected to officer appointments for various ADEA committees, sections, and special interest groups, the GSDM community was extremely active during the 2024 American Dental Education Association Annual (ADEA) Session and Exhibition, held from March 9-12 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

ADEA Leadership Institute Alumni Association Board Councilor Afsheen Lakhani, GSDM group practice director and clinical associate professor of general dentistry, participated in this year’s session in numerous ways, ranging from advising students on their poster presentations to leading workshops and seminars. In keeping with this year’s theme “New Beginnings, Endless Opportunities,” she said she was pleased to see many first-time GSDM attendees thrive with their presentations and officer appointments.

“GSDM was well represented this year by some first-time faculty, staff, and students as well as seasoned faculty and staff,” Lakhani said. “A highlight for me was how GSDM was one team, supporting and encouraging each other in all conference activities such as poster, workshops, presentations, and section/SIG meetings.”

Read on for some highlights from this year’s event.

*GSDM affiliations will be written on first reference only

GSDM Student Won Second Place in ADEA Student Poster Competition

Brionna Palmerino DMD 25, president and District 1 school representative for ADEA, won second place in the ADEA student poster competition for her poster entitled “A Generalizable TA Training Module for Predoctoral Courses.” GSDM faculty Marianne Jurasic DMD 95, Center for Clinical Research director, and Matthew Mara DMD 16 AEGD 17 Wheelock 19, assistant professor of general dentistry, served as Palmerino’s faculty advisors.

The goal of their research is to implement a generalized dental school teaching assistants (TAs) training module that would efficiently prepare incoming TAs, Palmerino said. Together, Palmerino, Jurasic, and Mara built a questionnaire, asking all GSDM course directors who use TAs how they select those individuals, what they are looking for in a TA, and what responsibilities their TAs would have. As of right now, the team is developing a preliminary version of the module based on the information they gathered and is looking for incoming students to join the research efforts.

“I just felt really validated that people also saw value in what I was doing,” Palmerino said. “It made me really proud to be a student at BU because I [realized] we already have all these opportunities to be involved in [academia] that a lot of other schools don’t have… I [saw how we could] really leave our legacy on the world of dental academia.”

GSDM Students, Faculty, and Staff Presented Posters

Four GSDM DMD students, along with their faculty/staff mentors, and 12 GSDM faculty/staff presented their original research during the conference’s poster presentation sessions.

Mara, who is the ADEA Council of Sections Administrative Board secretary, served as mentor/co-mentor to three GSDM students presenting posters: Palmerino, Kate Winebrake DMD 25, and Kayvon Baradar DMD 24. Mara said watching his mentees present their posters as the culminating experience of their Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program was a full circle experience, as it reminded him of his first poster presentation experience as a student. He said that he couldn’t be more delighted with his students’ work.

“It’s been a pleasure to work so closely with these students over the past two years and see their projects evolve as they develop and grow as emerging researchers,” Mara said. “I strongly believe affording students with opportunities to present their research at national meetings is a critical experience that can help recruit some of our brightest students to careers in academic dentistry and I am glad GSDM provides so many students this exceptional opportunity.”

GSDM Faculty/Staff Newly Elected and Continue to Serve on Committees, Sections, and Special Interest Groups Officers Appointments:

Seven GSDM faculty/staff were newly elected to officer appointments for various ADEA committees, sections, and special interest groups.

Alisha Marble, GSDM Student Affairs program manager, was elected as secretary for the ADEA Section on Student Affairs and Financial Aid. Marble said she plans to use this role to gain knowledge and insight about potential professional and educational development opportunities that she can bring back to GSDM.

“I am looking forward to helping document and facilitate discussions to address any ideas for improvement and development for Student Affairs that arise during my time in leadership,” Marble said. “I’m extremely excited for this opportunity.”

GSDM Community Displays Innovative Dental Ideas in Workshops and Seminars:

Seven members of the GSDM community lead thought-provoking workshops and seminars over the four-day conference.

Maseli, clinical associate professor of general dentistry, who led workshops on preparing students for licensure exams and innovative educational strategies, said it was inspiring to create conversations that allowed for the exchange of ideas and learning opportunities with peers who were committed to improving dental education.

“It is a unique opportunity to join forces with highly esteemed colleagues from dental schools across the country throughout the year, to put together those lectures,” Maseli said. “The annual meeting is the highlight of this collaboration, as each presentation opens the dialogue among everyone attending.”

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Fifty-eight awards were presented to graduating students during the Predoctoral Class of 2024 Recognition and Awards Dinner on Thursday, May 16, held at Agganis Arena.   

Associate Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Calabrese opened the evening’s event, welcoming the graduates and their loved ones to celebrate the achievements of the DMD 24 and DMD AS 24 classes. He said the classes will be remembered as a diverse and compassionate group that will forever share a special bond.  

He added that receiving a Doctorate in Dental Medicine from Boston University is an honor and privilege that is not given—but one that is earned. From working in the Patient Treatment Center to conducting innovative research, he said every member of the DMD 24 and DMD AS 24 classes earned their degree.  

“Whether you traveled just down the street or from the other side of the world, we appreciate you joining us here this evening to help celebrate the hard work, dedication, and accomplishments of all our graduates,” Calabrese said.  

In his welcoming remarks, Dean Cataldo Leone said the annual Recognition and Awards Dinner is a wonderful time to commemorate all members of the graduating class and acknowledge individuals for their notable achievements. He said the Class of 2024 has been an extraordinary class, meeting all challenges head on and “artfully” turning them into opportunities.  

“No matter what your plans are after graduation, please know that your time at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine has been special,” Leone said. “Speaking on behalf of our faculty and staff, it has truly been an honor and a privilege that you chose to spend that time at our school. We are excited that you will be alumni, fellow oral healthcare professionals, and colleagues.”  

GSDM Alumni Association President Hongsheng Liu DMD 10 ENDO 12 urged the graduating students to stay connected to one another and engage with the alumni community for guidance and mentorship.  

“Amidst our endeavors, let’s not forget to stay connected—with each other and with our alma mater,” Liu said. “Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine is more than just an institution we attended; it’s a lifelong community to which we will always belong.”  

Two student speakers were chosen based on nominations from their peers: Parsa Shahidi DMD 24 and Chandi Proothi DMD AS 24.  

Shahidi shared that when he embarked on his dental education four years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed uncertain whether he and his classmates would make it their commencement day. But, he continued, their class demonstrated perseverance and purpose to endure the rigorous program.  

“In all seriousness, a profession where we serve patients every day, bring them to health, take them out of pain, and profoundly contribute to the wellbeing of humanity is not only what we all signed up for, it is what we all fought for together day in and day out, as teammates and family, for the last four years,” Shahidi said.  

Taking a leap of faith—that’s how Chandi Proothi DMD AS 24 described her mindset when she left India with “suitcases bigger than her dreams” to come to GSDM. She said she loved how her fellow Advanced Standing students were a blend of people from different countries, backgrounds, struggles, and depth of knowledge, all here for one greater good: Dentistry.  

“GSDM, you have given us the privilege to practice in this country but also a lifetime of friendships and the best mentorship we could ever ask for,” Proothi said.  

In total, 62 awards were presented at the dinner, with four awards given to GSDM faculty and staff. All the awards given to faculty/staff were selected by DMD and/or DMD Advanced Standing Class of 2024, with the exception of the American Student Dental Association Advocate Award, which was selected by the BU ASDA Executive Committee.  

A full list of individuals recognized at the dinner is available here.  

To read our full commencement coverage, please visit our Commencement 2024 page.  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Check out our 2023 Awards Dinner album on Flickr to see more photos.

More than 60 awards were presented to GSDM graduates, faculty, and staff during the Predoctoral Class of 2023 Recognition and Awards Dinner at Agganis Arena on Thursday, May 18, to celebrate their hard work and accomplishments.  

Associate Dean of Students Dr. Joseph Calabrese, or “Chief Happiness Officer” as he called himself, welcomed the graduates and their guests at the start of evening, saying the DMD 23 and DMD AS 23 classes were a special and determined group of students who have left an everlasting mark on GSDM.   

“We will remember the Class of 2023 as a kind, friendly, diverse, and compassionate group that will forever share a special bond,” Calabrese said. “As a class, you faced a few challenges along the way, but for me, the class of 2023 will be remembered most for their persistence and perseverance.”  

Dean Cataldo Leone said the Recognition and Awards Dinner is a treasured annual event honoring all members of the graduating class and acknowledging individual members for their notable achievements. He spoke directly to the graduates, saying he is excited to have them become GSDM alumni and fellow oral healthcare professionals.  

“Class of 2023, you have worked extremely hard and accomplished so much throughout your years at school,” Leone said. “You met all challenges head on and artfully turned them into opportunities. You demonstrated the ability to adapt – quickly and continually – to new ways of learning, treating patients, and even socializing. You have been an extraordinary class. We commend you for your perseverance and thank you for your partnership in achieving our mutual goals.”  

GSDM Alumni Association President Dr. Maryam Shomali CAS 87 ENDO 93 welcomed the Class of 2023 to the GSDM alumni community, which she described as a family built on a foundation of shared experiences. She encouraged the graduates to nurture those connections as they embark on their dental careers.  

“You are now part of an alumni group of nearly 9,000 members from around the world that boasts diversity and success in all fields,” Shomali said. “Tonight, we celebrate your special achievement – but with this achievement comes a responsibility to our profession that starts with maintaining your strong connection with our school and your fellow alumni. By preserving these relationships, you will set yourself up to achieve all the successes that you seek.”   

The presidents of the DMD and DMD AS Classes of 2023, Jaskamal Singh and Ahmed Baioumy respectively, jointly presented the class gift to Dean Leone. The class donation was matched by Calabrese, and the gift will be designated for programs that will directly benefit both the DMD and DMD AS programs.  

The event program also featured two student speakers – Singh and Faud Tawmeh DMD AS 23 – who were chosen based on peer nominations.  

Singh remarked she felt an instant family-like connection with the members of her class. She said they share an unbreakable bond of “shared laughs, trauma, and triumphs.”  

“We didn’t realize it at the time, but sitting in the student lounge, chatting about exams and clinic was something so simple, but something that truly brought joy and a sense of accomplishment to each of us,” Singh said.  

Tawmeh honored all the Advanced Standing students, noting their dedication in leaving behind their home countries to pursue their dental dreams in the United States. His personal journey was not easy, as he balanced his schoolwork with parental responsibilities involved in raising three boys, Sam, Gigi, and Dave. Despite the challenges, he said he knew he was ultimately working to make his children’s lives better.  

“It was not just the physical toll, but also the emotional weight of feeling torn between my family and the rigorous academic pursuits,” Tawmeh said. “There were moments when I felt like giving up, wondering if I could ever strike a balance between the two. But I knew I had to keep pushing forward. I had to be strong for my family and show my boys that anything is possible with hard work and determination.”  

A full list of individuals recognized at the dinner is available here.  

To read our full commencement coverage, please visit our commencement 2023 page. 

By Rachel Grace Philipson

How does a dental professional make ethical treatment decisions that simultaneously prioritize their patients’ well-being with their own legal obligations and professional standards – all within an increasingly commercialized healthcare landscape? 

Emma Paolella DMD 25 and Melanie Thomas DMD AS 24 grappled with that question in their submissions for the 2023 Ozar-Hasegawa Dental Ethics Award competition -- so successfully, as it turns out, that they were named this year's sole two winners. As part of their victory, the winning essays will be published in the eJournal of the American College of Dentists.  

Catherine Sarkis, GSDM clinical professor of health policy & health service research, served as the faculty advisor for both Paolella and Thomas. When she discovered her two students won this year, Sarkis said she was “really flabbergasted.” GSDM students have previously won this national contest, which is sponsored by the American Society for Dental Ethics and the American College of Dentists -- Victoria Chang DMD 23 in 2020 and Luljeta Isedisha DMD AS 21 in 2021 -- but this is the first time the school has had two winners in one year.  

“It's always a thrill to see that kind of recognition for your students, and these two students really put in a lot of effort,” Sarkis said. “I was really, really thrilled and I felt it was very deserving because of their hard work.” 

When Paolella learned about the Ozar-Hasegawa Dental Ethics Award competition, she wasn’t motivated to enter by a potential victory and publication. She said she enjoyed her dental ethics course and wanted to go through the “enriching” process of creating and analyzing an ethical dilemma. Now, she hopes other dental professionals will be inspired by her rationale in her essay ‘“Do Good’ By Your Patient: An Ethical Dilemma That Extends Beyond Dental Care.”  

“It's important to train our minds to be cognizant and aware of these ethical scenarios that may happen,” Paolella said. “There's no black and white answer for every ethical scenario; [it’s] training your mind to approach it from an ethical point of view and [to] just be aware that we shouldn't feel like things will fall out of our jurisdiction because it doesn't have to do with the physical dentistry.” 

For her ethical reflection entitled “For-Profit Dentistry: A Commercial View of Healthcare,” Thomas said she was pleased to have a platform to express her point of view as an internationally trained dentist entering the U.S. dental landscape. She simply wanted to write about something she really believes in and wishes others would be able to relate.  

“Ethics is something that you're going to be practicing every day and how you act and how you behave, [it] speaks volumes about your character,” Thomas said. “It's important to start talking about this and have these conversations because that's how change happens. I see a trend that healthcare is becoming more and more commercialized, that dentists are being put under a lot of pressure... If we don't address this and we don't talk about the negative implications of something like this topic, the commercialization of healthcare, then nothing is going to change.”  

As their faculty advisor, Sarkis worked with the pair to finalize their respective topics and guide them through their writing processes. She noted that Paolella and Thomas picked topics that reflected their personal and professional interests, and it’s clear that their passion shines in their analyses.  

“They really put in the hours and communicated with me,” Sarkis said. “Both of them had appointments with me, multiple appointments, and emails. So, it's always nice, as a faculty member, to have students who both had really interesting topics, and they were just really interested in them. They were curious. They were motivated. They wanted to know more, and they put in the work.”  

In Paolella’s essay, a 16-year-old named Jane enters a community health center dental clinic by herself complaining of a painful toothache. After completing an examination, the dental professional finds a draining abscess over a “grossly decayed and infected second molar with a large amalgam restoration,” now with very slim likelihood of restorability. The dental professional believes the best treatment would be to extract tooth #31 but wants to do an x-ray to confirm their diagnosis.  

Jane wants to get the x-ray and potential extraction, but due to her age, the dental professional needs her parent/legal guardian’s informed consent. Jane reveals that her mother has a history of substance abuse that has been escalating recently, and she worries her mom is not in a sound state of mind to give an informed consent. The dental provider knows the infection could become life threatening if treatment is delayed for too long – but they must decide how to approach the situation first. 

Her inspiration for the essay was two-fold. As part of the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (NHSC SP), Paolella will be working in a community health center in an underserved community following her graduation from GSDM. She placed her ethical dilemma in a similar setting to the one in which she will be working in order to test her mindset for situations she might face. Paolella also modeled the scenario after the experiences a friend of hers had with a mother who was not competent to make healthcare decisions. 

“I was inspired by the thought of just what would I do if a patient or a family dynamic was presented to me,” Paolella said. “Like how would I respond to that? What would be my obligation and my responsibility?”  

For the patient in her fictional situation, Paolella decided it was best to speak with Jane’s physician, if permitted by Jane and her mother, to help form a full opinion about Jane’s overall healthcare and to speak with a social worker within the community health center.  

“Doing right by your patient is not just limited to the physical dentistry that we provide,” Paolella said. “The patient deserves the regard and care that extends beyond that. I think that that is the obligation, the responsibility that we have as dental professionals.” 

In Thomas’s essay, she analyzed the commercialization of healthcare, which is pressing doctors and dentists to increase productivity at any cost, potentially leading to compromises on ethical and professional standards. In her scenario, which she based on a true story but took artistic liberties to expand the situation, a recent dental school graduate, Dr. KT, starts her first job as an associate working at a private practice with her beloved family dentist. While working there, she forms a close friendship with JC, the dental assistant, who was formerly a dentist from KT’s native country, but had left his residency program to come to the U.S. to obtain his dental license. 

It was only after getting to know each other that JC confessed to KT, saying he had misled the practice owner into thinking he was a specialist in his home country. He formed an arrangement with the owner, allowing him to handle the implant cases within the office to gain valuable experience and a supplementary income while he waited to get his dental license. In return, the practice owner was relieved of the financial burden associated with hiring a certified specialist by having JC place implants without a formal contract and with minimal compensation. 

Appalled by this knowledge, KT was faced with a difficult dilemma between loyalty and ethical responsibility. On one hand, she didn’t want to betray a close friend and colleague, but she also didn’t want innocent patients to be treated by someone who is purposely misleading them about being fully qualified.  

The story goes on to explore KT’s internal struggle to decide whether to report the situation, confront her family dentist/the practice owner, or address the assistant's actions, while also addressing the complex interplay of relationships, professional integrity, and the broader ethical implications of dishonesty in the medical field. 

“I didn’t make the story up, unfortunately,” Thomas said. “It is a true story that has happened to people that I know and that's particularly why I wanted to write about it because I'm sure that others can be put in this position. When you don't have a lot of experience and suddenly, you're in this difficult situation, how do you address it when you find out that your boss, maybe the clinic owner, or your friend in the office is doing something unethical to the patients. You have to ask yourself. What is your role in this? How do you act? And are there consequences of not taking any action? It's not as easy as one might think.” 

In her essay, Thomas had KT address the issue by informing the practice owner that she has a duty to report to the state licensing board, which would lead to an investigation into how many patients were involved and the extent of the damage done. Thomas wrote that prioritizing patients' well-being while upholding professional ethics is critical for healthcare practitioners. 

“As an international dentist and as someone who has had dental assisting experience, I feel every day is a test of ethics in practice,” Thomas said. “Every day you're put in difficult situations, and you have to know how to act. You have to know that your actions can have really important or difficult implications for everybody around you.” 

After taking part in this essay competition, Thomas said she wants her fellow GSDM peers to be inspired to think ethically in everything they do.  

“I feel that there's so much more to [ethics] than people understand and that it's our responsibility as healthcare providers to just really learn to educate yourself, to train yourself on how to be an ethical dentist,” Thomas said. “And if you don't do it from now while you're in school, while you have mentors and people who can help you, once you graduate, the stakes are going to be much higher.” 

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Dr. Xiaofei Zhu ENDO 21, assistant professor and research director of endodontics, is the first GSDM faculty member to be awarded the AAE Foundation for Endodontics’ Endodontic Educator Fellowship. 

The fellowship is awarded annually to one full-time endodontic educator from a dental school that is accredited by or has a reciprocal agreement with the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The chosen fellow will be given funding for up to five years to help support their teaching and research pursuits. 

“Getting the fellowship is a tremendous honor,” Zhu said. “It’s a very meaningful recognition, not only for myself, but also for the department and GSDM.” He added that winning the fellowship has not only motivated him to further dedicate himself to teaching but also reinforced his commitment to academic excellence.  

Zhu was selected from a national pool of early-career endodontic educators and will be recognized for his achievement at the AAE meeting in April 2025. 

Dr. Sami Chogle, GSDM chair and associate professor of endodontics, said Zhu has consistently performed beyond the duties assigned to him and has proved a strong commitment to both academia and endodontics. 

“Xiaofei is an invaluable asset to our program who will help fulfill the mission of the department as well as the school,” Chogle said. 

Throughout his time as fellow, Zhu said he plans to build upon the strong foundation he has laid in his didactic/clinical teaching, research, and administrative work.  

“I will continue mentoring residents on their research projects, especially those in collaboration with translational dental medicine,” Zhu said. “I’m also eager to deepen my understanding of general dentistry to facilitate more multidisciplinary clinical research. I also want to explore research in education itself, focusing on improving the learning experience of both pre and postdoctoral students.”  

Zhu doesn’t see this fellowship as a victory for himself. He sees it as an ever-evolving opportunity to support the GSDM community.  

“The fellowship can be for five years, but actually my goals are always beyond that,” Zhu said. “This fellowship allows me the time commitment for teaching, but also with this kind of honor, I think it can also inspire our students and our colleagues.”

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Five GSDM DMD/DMD AS students received honorable mention in the 2024 American Dental Association’s Council on Ethics, Bylaws, and Judicial Affairs’ Student Ethics Video Contest for their video, “The Greedy Cavity.”  

The winning students, all members of GSDM’s Student Professionalism and Ethics Association (SPEA), are Sarah Sveen DMD 25, Vasilika Stefo DMD AS 25, Shikha Nayar DMD AS 25, Varun Nischal DMD AS 25, and Harpreet Singh Bhui DMD AS 25.  

The award-winning video depicts a dentist who is debating whether to give a patient a simple restoration or to do an extensive and expensive treatment plan. The dentist ultimately acts ethically, informing the patient of a potential cavity and doing the simple restoration.

SPEA hosted a screening of “The Greedy Cavity” on Wednesday, January 22 in G-170. Members of the GSDM community attended to celebrate the win and engage in a discussion about dental ethics.

Nischal said that the 2024 win came as a “sweet” surprise.  

“It goes without saying that sticking true to the ethical code of conduct in the practice of dentistry levitates our profession and benefits our patients immensely without breaching the trust they have invested in us,” Nischal said. “This win means a lot to me and will help me bolster my confidence in upholding our profession’s ethical integrity and trust in great esteem.” 

Stefo said winning the honorable mention prize goes beyond the recognition. It symbolizes their team’s commitment to staying loyal to their ethical principles in the patient treatment center and in their future careers.  

“In a world focused on work and driven by economy we sometimes forget that we are humans,” Stefo said. “Winning represents our commitment to integrity, patient care, and the ethical principles that define our profession.”  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

The GSDM chapter of the American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) secured two major national awards in 2024, including being named Student Chapter of the Year, the first time in the history of the GSDM chapter that it has won this award. The chapter’s president, Aisha Amel M. Daigle DMD 25, was also selected as Student Leader of the Year. 

The Student Chapter of the Year Award recognizes an active student chapter that has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication through a range of chapter activities, while the Student Leader of the Year award recognizes a student who has shown outstanding leadership and positively impacted their chapter. 

Dr. Kadambari Rawal, clinical associate professor of general dentistry and attending for the postdoctoral Geriatric Dental Medicine residency program, one of two faculty advisors for the chapter, along with Dr. Vasiliki Maseli, clinical associate professor of general dentistry and practice leader for the predoctoral treatment center, said she has always been impressed with the hard work and dedication of chapter members. However, she felt this year the chapter had really gone above and beyond in their activities.  

“We just go day-by-day and do what we’re supposed to do, and we expect the chapter to do what they’re supposed to do,” Rawal said. “It wasn’t until their application [for the 2023-2024 AAWD Student Chapter of the Year Award] came through to us and we read how much they had done in a year. All of our students in the chapter are really incredible and it’s no wonder why they were [selected for] the award.”  

Daigle, the 2024 AAWD Student Leader of the Year, has been involved with AAWD since her first year at GSDM, first as a general member, then as community service chair, and now as chapter president.  

During Daigle’s time as community service chair and now as president, she worked on various initiatives, including a successful application for a Boston University Wellbeing Grant to hold Paint and Press Pause event in January 2025 in collaboration with ASDA Health and Wellness and ASDA Sustainability. She also helped organize monthly Rosie’s Place oral hygiene promotion events. Daigle said she has fostered open communication with her executive board members to increase event engagement and to take advantage of all the resources Boston University has for student organizations.  

“I think the key for success for any organization is not just how good of a leader or president is, but more in terms of like engaging the executive board, engaging with members, and then actually executing that plan in your community,” Daigle said.  

Daigle said her win is not a reflection just of her actions, but of those of the entire executive board and general chapter members. 

“Me winning is mostly the impact that all the executive board has and how the BU chapter is recognized,” Daigle said. “It was a big surprise because yes, I won, but I couldn’t see myself winning without my executive board.” 

Maseli said she thinks receiving these two awards will inspire the current and future members in the chapter to further their efforts in camaraderie and collaboration.  

“I think this national recognition will motivate them even more to continue this work and make meaningful impact to the dental community,” Maseli said.  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Dr. Kadambari Rawal AGED 10 DPH 18, clinical associate professor of general dentistry, was awarded the 2025 American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Dr. Jeanne C. Sinkford Faculty Leadership award, the first GSDM faculty member to receive this award.  

The ADEA Dr. Jeanne C. Sinkford Faculty Leadership Award recognizes faculty members at U.S. and Canadian dental or allied dental education institutions who has demonstrated a passion for academia, leadership, and social justice issues. The award is given in honor of Dr. Jeanne C. Sinkford, the first woman and African American to become dean of a U.S. dental school. According to the ADEA website, Sinkford’s leadership and activism has had–and continues to have–an impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within dentistry and on access to equitable oral healthcare. The award was established in 2023. 

According to Rawal, this award symbolizes the never-ending work she and her colleagues have done to champion positive changes in dental education and the profession of dentistry. She said she is grateful to Dean Cataldo Leone and Dr. Joseph Calabrese, associate dean of students and clinical professor of general dentistry, for nominating her for this prestigious award. 

“This award is definitely very empowering because not only does it confirm that all the work that not just me, but everyone else in this space, has put in is truly acknowledged … but it also says that there’s so much more work to be done,” Rawal said, who added that she accepted the award not just for herself, but for the long list of mentors who have supported her throughout her career. 

Looking ahead, Rawal said she wants to continue and expand her work in assisting dental educators/leaders, promoting health equity, and launching advocacy initiatives. 

“I realize how many of us [in the dental profession] are internationally educated and we bring a plethora of knowledge and information about global dental medicine to our schools where we serve as faculty in the United States,” Rawal said. “We learn from our colleagues, we educate our colleagues, our students, and ourselves each and every day. An award like this helps to set in stone how important representation, multiculturalism and acceptance are in our teaching spaces. A big thank you to GSDM for continuing to promote these ideals in our clinics and classrooms.”  

By Rachel Grace Philipson

Tim Huang DMD 25 and his brother Scott Huang, a student at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, won the 2024 American Dental Association and the National Advisory Committee Oral Health Literacy in Dentistry Video Contest with an engaging music video promoting oral healthcare tips.  

“It didn’t fully hit us [that we won until] we got a call,” Tim said. “We both got the emails at first and we were like ‘Is this happening?’ When we both got phone calls, we said ‘Oh my God, this is real.’ We called up friends [and kept saying] ‘Oh my God, this is real. We just won.”

 When the Huang brothers first heard about the contest, they decided it would be a unique opportunity to work together—something they rarely do during their different dental school journeys. 

The contest asked for three-to-four-minute video submissions that displayed the “teach-back” method of patient instruction, educating a 17-year-old patient on nutritional counseling and dental caries risk. The sibling duo took an unconventional approach to the contest, opting to write an original spoken rap song depicting a patient’s dental visit with two dentists. The brothers recruited another Tufts dental student, Jamyla Palomar, to sing alongside them as the patient in the video. It took three days for the Huang brothers to write the song, complete with rhyming health facts, and then film, edit, re-record audio, and export the final video submission.  

“We were hoping that the whole music video thing would kind of make it stand apart,” Tim said. “Towards the end though, I think we were just like ‘I’m just glad that we’re done.’ And then, we were hoping to win. My brother was like ‘Oh my gosh, we’re putting in so much more time than we thought we would have to. I really hoped this wins.’”