College Hosts Collaborative Research Fellow Born and raised in the small town of Piracicaba in São Paulo State, Mayara Zaghi Dal Picolo, D.D.S., M.S., did not let the pandemic stop her from a dream of pursuing a collaborative research project with the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. Before Dr. Zaghi began her journey in research, she earned her doctor of dental surgery degree in 2015 at Piracicaba School of Dentistry (FOP-UNICAMP), where she discovered her passion for research. Upon graduation, she went on to complete a master’s program in restorative dentistry. It was during that time she opened up her private practice while still finishing up her master’s. In 2017, Dr. Zaghi began a Ph.D. program under Dr. Vanessa Cavalli (mentor) and Dr. Marcelo Giannini (co-mentor) and was introduced to several techniques in materials science, oral microbiology and cell culture. Studying these new techniques gave Dr. Zaghi an interest in novel ceramic materials and their interaction with oral microorganisms and human cells. She presented her research results at national and international conferences such as International
Academy for Adhesive Dentistry and the International Association for Dental Research. At one of her presentations, Dr. Zaghi was introduced to the OU College of Dentistry through Fernando Luis Esteban Florez, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., division head of dental biomaterials, and Sharukh Khajotia, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., associate dean for research and innovation. In 2019, her research group came to Oklahoma to visit the college. During this time, she learned about the possibility of a collaborative research project to develop and characterize novel nanofilled dental glazes with long-term and nonleaching antibacterial properties.
“The possibility of a collaborative research project was very exciting to me. During my visit, I witnessed cutting-edge nanofabrication strategies and advanced characterization techniques that are routinely conducted in the Division of Dental Biomaterials, which would help me prepare to launch an independent and wellfunded research program.”
Th e U n i v e r s i t y o f O k l a h o m a C o l l e g e o f D e n t i s t r y / 2 0 22 M a g a z i n e
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