The University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Student Research Group (SRG) has received the 2024 Outstanding Local Chapter Award from the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) National Student Research Group. This award recognizes a SRG chapter that has excelled in promoting awareness of dental research and encouraging student participation in research at their school.
Pitt Dental Medicine SRG President, Leah Zeng (DMD '26); Vice President, Kevin Lu (DMD '26); and Ohio Valley Regional Representative, Yejin Ki (OCS), accepted the award in person at the 2024 IADR/AADOCR conference in New Orleans in March and presented about the chapter's initiatives and events. Yejin Ki also received an Outstanding Regional Representative Award for serving as a vocal liaison between local SRG chapters in her region and the national level.
Additionally, Pitt Dental Medicine is incredibly proud to have had 16 dental and graduate students present their research at the conference. Among these attendees, three students were selected to advance to national competitions. Nadine Robert (OCS PhD candidate) was a finalist for the prestigious AADOCR Hatton Competition - Senior Category. Mat Lipkin (DMD '25) was a finalist for the CTOR Award for Student Excellence in Orthodontics Research. Alison Buckwalter (DMD '26) was chosen as the school's representative for the Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application.
Thank you, Dr. Oakley, Dr. Sfeir, Dr. Syed-Picard (the SRG advisor), and the Pitt Dental Medicine research faculty and mentors for your support in Pitt Dental Medicine SRG!