Potential Faculty Mentors
Potential Faculty Mentors have listed their research projects in order to seek possible research collaboration with one or more Dental Hygiene or Dentistry Students.
To list projects for possible student collaboration, complete the Application for Listing as a Potential Research Mentor.
Faculty Name: Do-Gyoon Kim
Potential Projects: Research interests include biomechanics of oral bone and bone-implant interface, X-ray (cone-beam and micro-computed tomography) based 3D image analysis, and mechanobiology. Projects are directed toward transferring research based knowledge to clinical practice.
Student Skills: MS Office skill (Excel, Word, Powerpoint etc.). Engineering background is preferred but not required.
Faculty Name: Peter Reiser, MS, PhD
Potential Projects: CRANIOFACIAL MUSCLE SPECIALIZATIONS. The lab has a focus on the analysis of craniofacial muscles, at the molecular and cellular levels. Jaw-closing, extraocular and laryngeal muscles constitute a group of muscles that have highly specialized motor function. These muscles are recognized to also have complex patterns of sarcomeric protein isoform expression, which are much more elaborate that the patterns that exist in limb muscles. The challenge is to understand how specific sarcomeric proteins, and their individual isoforms, drive the broad repertoire of motor functions that are executed daily by craniofacial muscles. The approach is to study individual isolated muscle fibers by analyzing their contractile properties and the protein composition of the same fibers. The results are used to understand how sarcomeric proteins drive specific contractile properties and motor functions in vertebrate craniofacial muscles.
Student Skills: Students working in the laboratory must have the ability to isolate individual muscle fibers, by fine dissection, and be able to conduct analyses of single fiber protein composition. Extensive training is provided to promote the student's ability to successfully contribute to ongoing projects.
Student Restrictions: There are currently no restrictions in this laboratory on students for participation in the SRP.
Faculty Name: Janice A. Townsend, DDS, MS
Potential Projects: Research interests include examining communication between dentists and medical professionals to determine areas that could be improved by educational or interprofessional practice experiences.
Student Skills: Studies would require IRB and the student will need to complete Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training prior to completing project. Review of charts will take place at Nationwide Children's Hospital. Students will review notes in an electronic data record, classify communication, and record this information electronically. Knowledge of Excel, EPIC, and Redcap programs would be helpful but training is available. Students must be able to adhere to privacy and compliance rules regarding patient records. Student is expected to contribute to literature review and manuscript preparation with the assistance of the primary investigator.
Student Restrictions: Students will need to dedicate time to this project in the summer and fall.