Two Pitt Dental Medicine students, Nathan Lam (DMD Class of 2028) and Sangmin Park (DMD Class of 2029), were awarded AADOCR Student Research Fellowships during the 2026 IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session, which took place from March 25-28, 2026 in San Diego, Ca.
Sangmin Park works with his mentor, assistant professor Dr. Daniel Clark, in the Clark Lab where he studies periodontal disease and connections to Alzheimer’s disease in mice. “It was really an honor to represent Pitt Dental Medicine as a finalist of the prestigious Hatton competition at this year's conference. This fellowship will help advance my translational research interests and expand my academic network through engagement at collaborative conferences and events. Also, it will lay the groundwork for specialty certification, PhD training, and ultimately a career in academia.” said Park.
Nathan Lam works in the Napierala Lab with mentor, Dr. Dobrawa Napierala, associate professor, studying the role of dietary phosphate in periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone homeostasis. Lam said, “I am grateful for this fellowship opportunity as it will enhance my training in experimental design, scientific writing, and critical thinking. Additionally, it will further my goal of becoming a clinician-scientist dedicated to integrating research with clinical practice to provide the best evidence-based patient care.”