Two D.M.D. student researchers recently participated in the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) ePoster Competition, held virtually this year.

Julia Pham placed first and Bhumika Patel placed second in the competition.

Pham is a third year dental student whose research journey began with the school’s Pre-DART Program. As an undergraduate at UAB, she also worked in the school’s research office. She shared, “I had a research class for my Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences (BMD) degree and thought it would be a great opportunity to fulfill the class requirements while I am right here at the heart of dental research."

It was then Pham’s mentor, Dr. Hope Amm, introduced her to the research topic of tumors. Pham said that it intrigued her how the ameloblastoma tumor could be related to teeth. “As time went on, I understood it on the cellular and developmental level,” she said. “It made me think about the benefits this research could bring to our community.”

Pham’s AGD presentation was titled "Ameloblastoma Imaging in vivo with Intraoperative Fluorescent Detection."

Patel, a fourth year student, was mentored by Dr. John Burgess and Dr. Nathaniel Lawson. She presented “Shear bond strength to silver diamine fluoride treated dentin.”

“I heard a lot about Dr. Burgess’s research and asked him to give me an opportunity to study silver diamine fluoride under his mentorship,” said Patel. ”My objective was to measure and compare the shear bond strength of composite resin to carious dentin before and after treatment with a silver diamine fluoride and potassium iodide (SDF+KI).”

Patel presented her research at the school’s annual Scholars Symposium in March. She shared, “After I took first place at the symposium, my poster was accepted for presentation at the AGD and International Association of Dental Research (IADR) conferences. I am honored to be among the few to win an AGD student award and I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Burgess for his guidance throughout the research process.”

Pham said she is thankful for the opportunity to present her project in the AGD competition. Having recently become President of the Alabama AGD Student Chapter, she thought it would be a good opportunity to get involved nationally while showcasing her research. She added, “UAB has given me an amazing opportunity to be involved in dental research that has a significant impact in the community. All credit goes towards the guidance of Dr. Amm and the amazing support system I've had over the years.”

The ePoster Competition is part of the annual AGD Scientific Session. Dr. Toni Neumeier of the School of Dentistry serves on the national Scientific Meeting Council.