News
Experts highlight links between basic science research in microbial biofilms and clinical dentistry: Research Day 2012
January 27, 2012
Research Day 2012 took place in the UBC Student Union
Building Ballroom. All faculty and students
attended the annual event.
On January 24, 2012, during UBC Dentistry’s annual research day forum—now in its fifth year—several members of the faculty including graduate students, and an internationally renowned researcher from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, presented their progressive work in the areas of biofilm dynamics, control, eradication, significance of treatment failures, and community strategies to manage dental caries.
Biofilm, often simply described in the dental field as “plaque”, is an aggregate of microorganisms that preferentially grow in slime-enclosed communities and have an inherent resistance to disinfectives, antibiotics and host defences. These biofilm properties are the basis for dental diseases such as caries, root canal infections and periodontal diseases.
Ali Bozargzad from Sinclair Dental (L)
is seen with Dr. Bill Costerton and
dental hygiene student Michele Moreira.
Michele is the winner of an iPad
presented by Sinclair Dental,
the Presenting Gold Sponsor of
Research Day 2012.
"Biofilm Disease Dynamics: From Understanding to Eradication” titled the day and the program continued the effective approach of using a clinical case to introduce the need to conduct basic research and the translation of research findings into patient care applications. This year’s case, provided by MSc student Dr. Mark Parhar, was endodontic failure which demonstrated the clinical significance of failing to effectively eradicate root canal biofilms.
British Columbia native Dr. Bill Costerton, from the Center for Genomic Sciences, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, provided the keynote address, an outstanding review of the role biofilms play in disease. He is widely credited with having founded the field of biofilm microbiology.
Other highlights of the day include research poster viewing, undergraduate and graduate student research poster awards, and research photo contest awards.
Undergraduate and graduate student research poster award winners
Capture Dentistry Research Photo Contest winners
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Macrophages on smooth and rough surfaces Katrin Barth, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences |
Oral cancer cells—Bridging together to grow Rajan Saini, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences |
Visit the Research Day 2012 page to find the schedule of topics, program booklet and research abstracts.
UBC Dentistry Thanks the Following Research Day Sponsors:
Presenting Gold Sponsor
Silver Breakfast Sponsor
Silver Lunch Sponsor
