Muizz Wahid, second-year dental student, placed first in the Junior Category in the Canadian Association for Dental Research (CADR) and the Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) Student Research Award competition for 2014-2015.

Muizz Wahid

His research, titled “Dosimetry Analysis of Panoramic-Imaging Devices in Different-Sized Phantoms,” was undertaken as an undergraduate summer student of Dr. Nancy Ford who is director of the Centre for High-Throughput Phenogenomics and assistant professor in the Department of Oral Biological and Medical Sciences.

The project spanned seven weeks from June to August 2015.

Muizz measured the X-ray dose in adult-, adolescent- and pediatric-sized head phantoms for the Planmeca panoramic imaging system and the panoramic option on the CS9300 cone beam computed tomography machine, both in UBC’s Nobel Biocare Oral Health Centre.

He demonstrated the reduction of dose possible for pediatric patients by using child and adolescent acquisition protocols.

The top placement also includes a travel award for Muizz to present his research at the American Association of Dental Research (AADR)/Canadian Association of Dental Research (CADR) meeting in Los Angeles, California, in March 2016.

Dr. Nancy Ford and Muizz Wahid at the American Association of Dental Research (AADR)/Canadian Association of Dental Research (CADR) meeting in Los Angeles, California, in March 2016.

The CADR/NCOHR student research competition requires a five-page manuscript and an abstract for assessment. A panel of 13 dental researchers from across Canada judged the entries using the criteria applied by the International Association of Dental Researchers Hatton judging committee.

Those undertaking a Bachelor of Science degree or a degree in dentistry who have not completed a Master of Science or a doctorate-level degree may compete in the Junior Category.

Previous UBC Dentistry students who have won an award in CADR/NCOHR student research competitions in either junior, senior basic science or senior clinical categories since 2007 are:

• Hai-Sle Moon, MSc candidate (Don Brunette supervisor) in 2015;
• Sara Hosseini-Farahabadi, PhD 2014 (Joy Richman supervisor) in 2013;
• Leila Mohazab, DMD 2014 (Hannu Larjava supervisor) in 2011;
• Darlene Tam, BDSc 2008, MSc 2014 (Catherine Poh supervisor) in 2010;
• Angela Wong, MSc/Dip Pros 2013 (Chris Wyatt supervisor) in 2010;
• Heather Szabo-Rogers, PhD 2007 (Joy Richman supervisor) in 2008;
• Maryam Sharifzadeh-Amin, MSc 2002, PhD 2007 (Rosamund Harrison supervisor) in 2007;
• and Mario Brondani PhD 2008, MPH 2012 (Michael MacEntee supervisor) in 2007.