STUDENT INTERVIEW

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RESEARCH?

My research entailed working with 2 other students under the instruction of Dr.France. We wanted to see if biologic agents, drugs used to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, and so forth, had any impact on oral health. Primarily, I focused on the periodontal status of patients on biologics. We extracted data from AxiUm on the medical and dental histories of these patients in order to track their caries status, oral manifestations, and periodontal procedures.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM?

I wanted to get more exposure to the research side of dentistry because everything in D1 year was mostly just building the didactic and pre-clinical skills. Additionally, I saw summer research as an opportunity to get to know a faculty member on a deeper level because it is hard to do that when you are in a class with 150 other people.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO PRESENT YOUR RESEARCH?

Yes! My two other teammates and I will be presenting at AAODCR in March taking place in Portland, Oregon.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY OF AN EFFECTIVE RESEARCHER?

I think a crucial part of being an effective researcher is being inquisitive. In order to discover something new, it is essential to have a desire to know more about a given topic and further avenues.

FUN FACT?

I used to fly planes recreationally in high school!