NYUCD student places 1st in ADA/Dentsply competition

Mr. Sam Bae, a fourth-year student at New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD), has been awarded first place in the basic science category of the 2011 American Dental Association/Dentsply Student Clinician Research Program at the ADA annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nev. All U.S. dental schools participate in this program, which was founded to encourage original clinical and basic science research, promote student membership in the ADA, and introduce students to dental society activities. Mr. Bae received the award for his work on sensory neurons involved in cancer pain and carcinogenesis that is outlined in his poster titled “Local Effect of IB4+ Neurons in Carcinogenesis and Pain.” Mr. Bae conducted his research under Dr. Brian Schmidt, director of the Bluestone Center for Clinical Research and professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the NYU College of Dentistry. Dr. Schmidt is an expert in cancer genomics and cancer pain. The award marks the second time that Mr. Bae has been recognized for his investigation of cancer pain. In April 2011, he received a Dentsply Award at the NYU College of Dentistry’s annual Student Research Day competition, which allowed him to enter the national ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician Research Program and to present his work at the Las Vegas competition.Mr. Bae has conducted research since his first year as an NYU dental student. In 2009, he coauthored a presentation on staining characteristics of sports drinks on dentin and enamel with Dr. Calogero Dimaggio, Class of 2011. Mr. Bae and Dr. Dimaggio were mentored by Dr. Mark Wolff, associate dean for predoctoral clinical education and professor and chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care, and by Dr. Timothy Bromage, adjunct professor of biomaterials and biomimetics and of basic science and craniofacial biology.New York University College of Dentistry is the third oldest and the largest dental school in the United States, educating more than 8% of all dentists. NYUCD has a significant global reach and provides a level of national and international diversity among its students that is unmatched by any other dental school.