Three DMD students from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry have been selected to present at the 2018 American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Annual Meeting. This year’s meeting, which is being held in conjunction with the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) Annual Meeting, will take place March 21-24 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The AADR/CADR Annual Meeting brings together dental researchers, practitioners, student and industry representatives from across the United States and Canada. The conference features a variety of activities including poster presentations, hands-on workshops, lunch and learn session, faculty development workshops and a series of keynote lectures.

Second-year student Jacob Gribb will present his research on postoperative satisfaction and sensory recovery in nerve allograft patients. His co-collaborators were Drs. Larry Cunningham, Marwa Ragaey and Melvyn Yeoh, all from UKCD's Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dave Jensen, a third-year student, worked alongside Dr. Octavio Gonzalez of UK Dentistry's Center for Oral Health Research. Together they focused on periodontal disease and the detection of neuropeptides — small protein-like molecules that influence the brain and body in specific ways. The results, Jensen says, aid in understanding the complex role that the innate and adaptive immune systems play in response to chronic disease.

Nash Laungani, also a third-year DMD student, will present his research on HDAC inhibitors in relation to orofacial neuropathic pain. Laungani completed this research with the assistance from UKCD Drs. Robert Danaher, Craig Miller and Liping Zhang, along with Dr. Karin High. According to Laungani, the data gathered from this study will provide the basis for further investigation on whether HDAC inhibitors could serve as potential therapeutic interventions for millions of patients worldwide who suffer from chronic pain.

Gribb, Jensen and Laungani all expressed excitement for their upcoming presentations. The three also shared gratitude towards their co-collaborators, professors and the College of Dentistry for giving them the opportunity to become involved in groundbreaking research that supplements their DMD curriculum, strengthening their abilities as future clinicians and patient educators.