We hope those who were able to attend the NESO Annual Meeting in Boston had a chance to see the poster presentations highlighting our 2016 NESO Resident Research Sponsorship Program Winners! What an outstanding group of people who are working hard to advance our profession. Our 2017 Winners are:
- Bianca Cabri, Columbia University: The role of alpha 2 macroglobulin in inhibiting TMJ osteoarthritis.
- Camille Francois, Boston University: 3D evaluation of condylar changes after rapid maxillary expansion.
- Khaled Taha, University at Buffalo: The effect of vibrational appliances on maxillary canine retraction and perceived pain.
Our NESO eNews had the recent honor of corresponding with our award winners to learn a bit more about their experience with this competition and what this award means to them.
Dr. Bianca Cabri, Columbia University: The role of alpha 2 macroglobulin in inhibiting TMJ osteoarthritis.
Please briefly describe your research
My research aims to discover why temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) predominantly affect women using a mouse model. Chronic TMD is 2-3x more prevalent in females. The biological mechanism behind this sex dimorphism has still not been well characterized. A type of chronic TMD is TMJ degenerative joint disease (TMJ-DJD) which is characterized by abrasion and deterioration of the mandibular condyle fibrocartilage. Estrogen has been found to potentially upregulate alpha 2 macroglobulin, a protease inhibitor. My research looks to delineate the role of estrogen receptors in mediating alpha 2 macroglobulin expression and possible lead to the discovery of a novel treatment for TMJ-DJD.
What does winning this award mean to you?
Winning the NESO award has been a great honor and opportunity. The award has allowed me to pursue my interest in temporomandibular joint disorders using the powerful tool of mouse genetics. I am extremely appreciative of the award and look forward to pursuing my research topic. Thank you, NESO!
What was your biggest take away from attending the NESO Annual Meeting in Boston this past November?
My biggest take away from the NESO meeting is to critically evaluate statements made by companies, especially with regards to accelerated tooth movement. Advertisements and statements made by companies regarding their products are not necessarily scientifically based. More research is needed to fully appreciate these statements.
Dr. Camille Francois, Boston University: 3D evaluation of condylar changes after rapid maxillary expansion.
Please briefly describe your research
The aim of my retrospective cohort study is to determine the effects of Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) on condylar shape, volume and orientation as well as on mandibular rotation. Pre- and post-expansion cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) images of forty-four healthy subjects who previously had undergone banded RME were selected from a CBCT repository. Linear, angular and volumetric changes as well as condylar surface area differences and changes in mandibular rotation were assessed.
What does winning this award mean to you?
Receiving the NESO Resident Research Sponsorship program will help me purchase a software program enabling me to add a geometric morphometric and shape modeling dimension to my project. The rest of the award will go towards on-site training at the Orthodontic department of Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine.
What was your biggest take away from attending the NESO Annual Meeting in Boston this past November?
My biggest take away from the 2017 NESO Annual Conference was the multidisciplinary approach to treating surgical cases which were presented by the Mass General Hospital group. It was extremely eye-opening to listen to their way to treating complex surgical cases with a team of dentists from many specialties.
Dr. Khaled Taha, University at Buffalo: The effect of vibrational appliances on maxillary canine retraction and perceived pain
Please briefly describe your research
My research is a randomized controlled clinical trial which aims to answer the following questions: 1) Does the complimentary vibrational force applied during maxillary canine retraction accelerate the rate and the total amount of tooth movement? 2) Does it reduce the level of pain perceived by the patients? The effect of vibrational force on the orthodontic tooth movement has became a controversial subject during recent years. Thus, this study aims to help evaluating the efficacy and usefulness of using this supplementary intermittent forces on the rate of maxillary canine retraction during treatment. The study will be performed in the Orthodontics department, University at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine. Participants will be assigned to the treatment or control groups. The study outcomes will focus on three points (1) Rate of canine retraction on a monthly basis (2) Total amount of canine movement during the study (3) Perceived level of pain reported by the patient
What does winning this award mean to you?
This award is an amazing opportunity not only for me, but for any resident in NESO district. It is really an important encouragement to start and work on interesting research projects which will help to move our specialty to a higher level, and providing our patients with the best treatment possible under an effective cost with the highest quality.
**It is the primary objective of NESO’s Mission Statement to “encourage and sponsor research.” The NESO Resident Research Sponsorship Program serves to enhance and encourage a collaborative relationship between NESO and the NESO Orthodontic Training Programs. The program is open to residents at Orthodontic Training Programs within the NESO Region. Residents are required to submit an application and a one-page research proposal. The proposals are reviewed by a NESO Resident Research Award Committee that consists of faculty members from three different orthodontic programs with the NESO boundaries along with the appointed NESO President. Winners receive a $4,000 monetary award, which is to be used for research purposes.