AADOCR NSRG President Candidate 2026-2027
Indiana University School of Dentistry
Mechanicsville, VA
Graduation Date: 2027
Reasons for Running
What does it mean to be a dentist-scientist? At a recent workshop, we identified key traits: creativity, curiosity, leadership, and strong communication skills. These qualities are essential for advancing academic dentistry and fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration. As a DDS-PhD candidate at Indiana University School of Dentistry, I recognize the importance of building strong networks to support the development of the next generation of dental educators and researchers.
My genuine commitment to a career in dental academia and research is rooted in my interactions with diverse students and the exchange of ideas. In my roles as NSRG Graduate Student Representative and Ohio Valley Regional Representative, I’ve led initiatives to support clinical and basic science student researchers. These include organizing webinars such as the NIH Medical Research Scholar Program and Dental Clinical Research Fellowship for dental students, as well as highlighting AADOCR opportunities for pre-dental and post-baccalaureate students.
As NSRG President, I aim to expand these initiatives, foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, and prioritize student well-being. I also plan to enhance communication and inspire greater enthusiasm for research. These efforts will strengthen student representation in academic dentistry, contribute to developing the next generation of dental educators and researchers, and help address the nationwide faculty shortage.
Research Conducted/Student Activities
Research:
- DDS/PhD Student, NIH Graduate Program Partnership, Mays Lab (NIDCR) and Srinivasan Lab (IU School of Dentistry) (May 2022 – present)
- Generated in vitro and ex vivo cell culture protocols for characterizing the function of Zymogen Granule 16 B (ZG16B) in salivary glands using mass spectrometry, organoid cultures and CRISP/Cas9 single gene expression control. I am also driving the inter-institutional collaboration to further study the clinical importance of ZG16B in salivary proteome
- I also screened patient saliva samples to develop a proposed “toolkit” of non-invasive way to screen for changes in salivary proteome with the onset of oral chronic graft vs. host disease (cGVHD).
- I conducted experiments on a collaborative project with pharmaceutical company to study the effects of ROCK2 inhibitor on IL-17 production in cGVHD pathogenesis.
- Student Research Assistant, Schrader Lab, IU School of Dentistry (2020-present)
- I led several projects on analyzing student communication and behavioral management with special needs patients (visually impaired patients, domestic violence survivors). The manuscript has been resubmitted and under revision.
- I was a crucial part of writing and obtaining a grant to fund pro-bono treatment for survivors of domestic and intimate partner violence
- Student Research Assistant, Duarte Lab, IU School of Dentistry (2019-2021)
- I conducted experiments studying the effects of Low-Temperature Plasma Short Exposure to Decontaminate Peri-Implantitis-Related Multispecies Biofilms on Titanium Surfaces In Vitro. PMID: 37228507
Activities:
- NIH/NIDCR (2021-present):
- NIDCR Annual Fellows' Scientific Training - Planning committee member
- NIDCR monthly Immunology book club - co-founder
- NIDCR Graduate Student Council - active member
- AADOCR National Student Research Group (2022-present):
- NSRG Graduate Student Representative
- AADOCR NSRG 411 Rapid Research Competition, Abstract reviewer and judge
- Regional representative - Midwest Region (2022-23)
- 2023 NSRG Outstanding Regional Representative Award Recipient
- IU School of Dentistry (2021-present):
- Student Research Day - Planning committee member
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences - student teaching assistant