AADOCR NSRG Councilor Candidate 2024-2025
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Graduation Date: 2028
Reasons for Running
My passion for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial research has led me to pursue a DDS/PhD training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry. I understand the importance of research towards advancing our knowledge of health and, ultimately, towards developing better clinical outcomes for patients. As a result, I am a strong advocate for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial research.
Through leadership in the National Student Research Group (NSRG), I will work with other officers to achieve the goals of the NSRG. UCSF offers ample opportunities for research, ranging from funded summer research opportunities for dental students, to my DDS/PhD program that aims to train clinician-scientists. From my experiences interacting with dental students, graduate students, and other research trainees at UCSF, I hope to offer a multitude of perspectives to help promote participation in research programs.
I am particularly interested in serving as Councilor given its role of facilitating interactions between the AADOCR Council and the NSRG. I am motivated by the opportunity to participate in discussions that will ultimately better the field of dentistry by promoting new and inventive student research.
Research Conducted:
My research training takes place in the laboratory of Dr. Ophir Klein, where I study how mechanical forces influence ameloblast development. Using the continuously-growing mouse incisor as a model, I aim to discern differences in the function of ameloblasts that interact with substrates of different mechanical properties.
At UCSF School of Dentistry, I actively serve my graduate program as a student representative on the Steering Committee. In this role, I facilitate dialogues between the student body and members of the Steering Committee to address and resolve student concerns.
I am also passionate about promoting dental research opportunities to the broader community. On several occasions, I have participated in UCSF School of Dentistry outreach programs to talk about the DDS/PhD training path with Pre-Dental applicants.