8 minute read
News & Notes
To date, the Northeast region, run by EIOH and one of the six administrative nodes of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, has recruited 824 of the 4,630 members nationwide.
Funded by a $67 million NIDCR grant awarded to the lead institution, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the network is a consortium of practices and clinics devoted principally to conducting practice based research to improve the oral health care of patients, with members investigating research questions with practical impact that will improve the quality of dental care.
Nationally, there are numerous studies in the pipeline in various stages of development. One study originating from the Northeast region is on dentine hypersensitivity, and has been approved by the network’s executive committee and NIDCR.
The primary objective of the study, led by principal investigator and EIOH associate professor Dorota Kopycka-Kedzierawski, DDS, MPH, is to characterize methods of diagnosing dentin hypersensitivity in the practice setting and dentists’ selected treatment(s), and their respective effectiveness. Some 180 practitioners and 2,500 adult patients will be recruited from all six National Dental PBRN regions.
The secondary objectives are to evaluate
patient-, practitioner-, practice- and tooth- level characteristics that may contribute to practitioners’ decisions towards their approach to care and to assess patients’ satisfaction with the received treatment.
Two Practitioner Advisory Committees have been established in the Northeast region. The Practitioner Core Advisory Group provides input into study development and comments on studies during their development. They assist with recruiting participants for the network and also for studies. Members also advise and assist with disseminating study results, engaging and recognizing network participants, and help foster interaction with colleagues in other network regions.
The Annual Meeting Advisory Committee advises the Northeast Administrative hub on the design and location of the annual meeting including associated logistics.
“In addition to the annual meeting to be held early next year, we are also the host site for the ‘Face to Face’ meeting of the network next September,” added Cyril Meyerowitz, DDS, MS, EIOH professor and director of the Northeast region. “That meeting brings together the entire networks’ administrative staff, central administration, Westat, the coordinating center, and NIDCR representatives.”
Interested in joining the network? Visit nationaldentalpbrn.org to learn more or enroll. If you have questions about the Northeast region, don’t hesitate to contact Kathy Bohn at 585-273-5272 or Kathy_ Bohn@urmc.rochester.edu
Jacqueline Abranches, PhD has been promoted to assistant professor of Microbiology & Immunology in the Center for Oral Biology. Abranches was educated in her native Brazil at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, obtaining her PhD in Environmental Microbiology.
She came to Rochester in 2000 to work in the Dept. of Microbiology & Immunology and later relocated to the University of Florida. She was recruited back to Rochester in 2007 as a research assistant professor.
Her research interests concern the virulence characteristics of the oral streptococci, with an emphasis on species able to colonize damaged heart valves. Abranches has won a number of awards during her training and is nationally and internationally known for her work. Her current work is funded by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research of the NIH.
You can play an important role in improving dental care across the nation!
The National Dental PBRN is a non-profit research network. Its major source of funding is from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). OUR MISSION: To improve oral health by conducting dental practice- based research and by serving dental professionals with education and collegiality
The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (National Dental PBRN) is comprised of practitioners who are committed to advancing oral health knowledge by participating in research. The Northeast Region encompasses Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, US Virgin Islands, and Vermont. Staff at Regional Centers across the nation will be your connection to the network. Central administration of the network is provided by the University of Alabama at Birmingham under the direction of Gregg Gilbert, DDS, MBA, FAAHD, FICD.
Visit the National Dental Practice Based Research Network website for more information: www.nationaldentalpbrn.org
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOW DO I BECOME A JOINING? MEMBER?
Conduct research in your practice Enroll in the network by completing the enrollment questionnaire Expand your knowledge base for making clinical decisions at: www.nationaldentalpbrn.org Enhance the image of your practice Participation in the network is at one of Engage staff in the excitement of discovery and quality three levels: improvement Informational-receive newsletters and correspondence Achieve continuing education credits Limited-receive newsletters, correspondence, and participate in surveys Receive financial remuneration for the time spent doing studies Full-receive newsletters, correspondence, participate in surveys, Meet and interact with other practitioners involved in the network Participate in the dissemination of study results Contribute to the development of knowledge that improves oral health
Aliakbar Bahreman
Aliakbar Bahreman, DDS,
MS (Ortho’ 67) has been named an Honorary Fellow by the International College of Dentists for his ethical, positive, continuous contributions to the profession.
Center for Oral
Biology’s William H.
Bowen, PhD, DSc, a
world-renown authority on causes and prevention of tooth decay, celebrated his 80th birthday with his wife Carole (left) and (l to r) Robert Quivey, PhD, Kurt Schilling, PhD, and James Melvin, DDS.
AEGD December graduates are (l to r) Drs. Di Le,
Xiuxin Liu and Hector Rodriguez
COB colleagues threw a surprise party for Barb Sperduto, who’s retiring from her job as secretary after 14 years. (l to r) Wendy Keck, Jan Murphy, Barb Sperduto, Nici Beaumont, and Doris Wheeler
Edward Chappelle, DDS
(Gen Den ’81), (right) president of the National Dental Association, accepted the invitation of
Harold Kolodney, DMD
(Gen Den ’81), president of the Mississippi Dental Association, to be a guest at their annual session.
Jocelyn Abi-Nahed, DDS
(Ortho ’11) welcomed daughter Chanel Nicole Soo Chan
Drs. Linda Rasubala (left) and Ximena Velasquez demonstrated brushing techniques to students at the Children’s School at URMC, as part of an oral health educational presentation. They were joined by several other GPR and AEGD residents.
ASBMR co-chair Dr. Laurie McCauley presents Dr. Maruyama the award. Congratulations to Center for Oral Biology’s
Takamitsu Maruyama, PhD, and Ming Jiang, PhD, with Biomedical Genetics, for winning the The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2013 Raisz-Drezner Award. The award recognizes the first authors of meritorious scientific publication published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. It is named for Lawrence G. Raisz, MD, founder of the journal and Marc K. Drezner, MD, who expanded its international reach and helped maintain its high ranking. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium and a plaque. The award-winning paper is “Gpr177, a novel locus for bonemineral-density and osteoporosis, regulates osteogenesis and chondrogenesis in skeletal development.”
Takamitsu Maruyama, PhD, was also recognized for his abstract, covering new data but an extension of the JBMR paper. He was selected to receive this year’s Young Investigator Award at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research meeting, where he delivered a Distinguished Oral Presentation.
Catherine Ovitt, PhD, Center for Oral Biology scientist, and associate professor in the department of Biomedical Genetics, was selected to participate in the 2013 Mid-Career Women Faculty Professional Development Seminar, designed for women physicians and scientists holding medical school appointments at the associate professor level, and holding leadership positions within their discipline, department or institution. Seminar participants are chosen from various schools in the U.S. and Canada for their demonstrated leadership abilities and offer knowledge, inspiration and valuable career advice to participants.
Kolman Apt, DMD, (Ortho ‘85) was inducted into the American College of Dentists Jiang Fu, MD, PhD, received a travel award from the American Society for Cell Biology to present his work on epidermal stem cells at its annual meeting. Fu’s research focuses on the regulation of stem cells essential for organ development, repair and regeneration. He is particularly interested in gene regulatory networks underlying development of the tissue-specific stem cells in health and disease.
Robert Berkowitz, DDS, professor and chair, EIOH Pediatric Dentistry Division, was invited to present his lecture, Clinical Outcomes for Severe Early Childhood Caries, at an early childhood caries symposium held at the Collegium Stomatologicum, Jagiellonian University in Krakow Poland, one of the oldest universities in the world. Wei Hsu, PhD, professor of Biomedical Genetics and Oncology (left) with Jiang Fu
Leopoldo Vesco,
DDS (Ortho ‘13) has been appointed a parttime teacher in the orthodontic program of San Carlos State University, Guatemala.
Leo Vesco
nn In Sympathy
The Eastman Institute for Oral Health expresses sympathy to the loved ones of our deceased alumni and friends
Susan Cort McHugh (wife of former Eastman Dental Director Dr. William McHugh) passed away December 5, 2013. Dr. Myron H. Nozik (Gen Den ’64) passed away September 28, 2013.
William R. Calnon, DDS
(GPR ’79) was given the Director’s Award, for his extraordinary service, philanthropy and leadership to the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the University of Rochester, as well as his dedication and commitment that inspire others to serve. Many friends, family and colleagues joined the celebration at the George Eastman House.
Dr. Eliav (left) presented the prestigious award to Dr. Calnon
(l to r) Mrs. Harriette Howitt, Dr. Jack Howitt, Mrs. Jacqueline Lipschitz, Dr. Wayne Lipschitz, Ms. Alysa Plummer, Dr. J. Daniel Subtelny
(l to r) Ms. Diane Caselli, Mr. John Caselli (l to r) Dr. Sean McLaren, Mrs. Andrea McLaren, Ms. Katia Azevedo, Mrs. Kathryn Malmstrom, Mrs. Jane Levy
