
Dentsply Sirona and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) have recently announced and congratulated the recent winners of the 2022 Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application Awards (SCADA) programme.
Initiated in 1959, SCADA is a dental student research competition that has traditionally been co-sponsored by Dentsply Sirona and AADOCR. The programme aims to strengthen the field of dental research by supporting young professionals in early stages of their research careers.
It also offers an opportunity for students to network with clinicians and scientists from all over the world as they develop their skills and advance their careers.
All US dental schools were invited to nominate a student to participate in the research competition among one of two categories – Clinical Science and Public Health Research, and Basic and Translational Science.
Forty-nine student clinicians have submitted their research projects, and six award winners were selected by an international panel of judges.
The winners for the category of Clinical Science and Public Health Research are: in first place, Jack Harris from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine; second place, Noah Barnes from A.T. Still University – Missouri; and third place, Taylor Jackson from Meharry Medical College.
The winners for the category of Basic and Translational Science are: in first place, Sofia Park from University of Minnesota; second place, Emma Warren from University of Connecticut; and third place, Erin Britt from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Seeing the impressive line-up of winners in this year’s SCADA brings an immense pride in today’s generation of dental students,” said Dr Rainer Seemann, vice-president of global clinical research with Dentsply Sirona. “The SCADA programme and our collaboration with the AADOCR align with Dentsply Sirona’s commitment to innovation and education. Through this partnership, we aim to support the ingenuity of young professionals who are eager to embark on a career in academia or in their own practices.”
Dentsply Sirona sponsored 12 student research competitions in 12 countries, and seven of these student winners were honoured during the awards programme. These students represented Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
The SCADA Board of Directors also announced two fellowship recipients, providing fellowship funding to promote continued scholarship and help support graduate education. Two post-doctoral students were awarded Henry M. Thornton SCADA Fellowships: Fadi Titinchi, University of Portsmouth, in the UK, and Dr Tanner Godfrey, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry.
Additionally, the board of directors has recognised leaders for their commitment to the advancement of dentistry with two additional awards.
Dr Kimon Divaris from the Adams School of Dentistry received the Burton C. Borgelt / SCADA Faculty Advisor Award, and Dr Laurie McCauley, the current dean of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, received the Alan J. Davis / SCADA Achievement Award for her outstanding service to the dental profession.