About the AAOF Awards Program

Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Onur Kadioglu

My name is Onur Kadioglu. I am currently an Assistant Professor of Orthodontics and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Oklahoma. (OU)

I completed my Orthodontic Certificate and Master of Science degree here at the University of Oklahoma and joined the Department in September 2008 as full time faculty along with the assistance from the three year Faculty Teaching Fellowship Award from the AAO.

Since 2008, I have had the privilege to interact, teach and do research with our graduate and pre-doctoral dental students. My activities include serving on our graduate students' thesis committees and I have recently chaired one. The studies we have been conducting here at OU, have been recognized and awarded at various regional and national arenas, as well as either published or are in the process of peer review and have been presented at various local, regional and national meetings.

I am now serving as the course director for four of our graduate orthodontics courses as well as teaching various pre-doctoral courses. In July 2012, I was appointed as the Graduate Orthodontic Program Director. I have obtained my orthodontic specialty license in the State of Oklahoma in 2010 and the Diplomate Status with the American Board of Orthodontics in 2011. During my four years as an orthodontic educator, I have had tremendous opportunities and my experience have far exceeded my expectations.

Our nation is facing economical challenges. Rising tuition, increasing student indebtedness, increasing number of programs, and lack of proper funding are becoming a detriment to orthodontic education. Since 1994, the AAOF has been the forerunner in protecting our esteemed profession through its prestigious awards by providing the necessary funding for various stages of an educator's career, for which we are most grateful. 

I am honored to be the recipient of the 2013 Robert E. Gaylord Teaching Fellowship Award. It will to serve me as an invaluable source while preparing for the next stage of my career as an educator and as a new Graduate Program Director.

This funding opportunity is planned in use for the continuation of my faculty development. The new and expanded computer software and hardware, new books, travel to other professional meetings, including the travel for the two-year McLaughlin continuing education course, will be the main areas of expense. These will present an excellent opportunity to broaden my knowledge and help me strengthen the clinical and didactic courses for our graduate students.

There are multiple ongoing research projects related to the longitudinal assessment of current orthodontic treatment modalities with the expanded use of new technology. The use of the CBCT, the 3D scanner and the camera are aspects we have been focusing on for the last four years. Comparisons to our longitudinal data set from the Denver Growth Study are underway along with the digitization of all components of this legacy collection. Funds will be allocated to these projects as well. 

Sincerely yours,

Onur Kadioglu

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Ahmed Ghoneima

I received my BDS and MSc degrees from Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt in 1997. Later, I joined the Orthodontics and Oral Facial Genetics Department at Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) where I received my PhD degree in 2010 and was then appointed as an assistant professor in the department with both research and teaching commitment.  My research areas of interest include 3D imaging, virtual dental models, rapid maxillary expansion, and airway analysis. I am a member of the Egyptian Orthodontics Association, World Federation of Orthodontics and the American Association of Orthodontics. I am committed to becoming a successful faculty member, researcher, and clinical orthodontist. The financial support from the AAOF is critical to me and will allow me to start an independently funded project that will serve later on as preliminary data required for success in obtaining NIH and other external funding.

The AAOF has kindly supported me for the project titled “Cone Beam Computed Tomography and Airway Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea”. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common medical condition that is associated with serious adverse health consequences. OSA affects about 2% to 4% of middle-aged adults and up to 28% of population older than 65. Children may also be affected by OSA. It is estimated that OSA and other sleep disorders cost an annual national health care bill of more than $ 16 billion. Early identification of at-risk individuals and optimal diagnosis improves chances for proper treatment and reduces mortality. Currently, the confirmatory diagnosis of sleep apnea by a polysomnogram is difficult to perform and analyze, requires an overnight study, and is very expensive. CBCT being simple, readily available, and reproducible presents an ideal method to identify patients at risk for sleep apnea and to define the obstructions and other anatomic airway characteristics that may contribute to OSA. Because it uses x-rays rather than magnetic fields, CBCT conceivably could be used during an electrically recorded sleep study. This project proposes the use of 3D CBCT to evaluate the airway and selected regional anatomic variables that may be associated with OSA. It is well known that optimal treatment outcomes begin with a complete and accurate diagnosis.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Zongyang Sun The Ohio State University

Biography

Dr. Zongyang Sun is an assistant professor in the College of Dentistry Division of Orthodontics at the Ohio State University. He received his dental degree and an MS in Oral Anatomy and Physiology from West China University of Medical Sciences in 1996 and 1999, respectively. He then obtained his MSD in Orthodontics and PhD in Oral Biology from the University of Washington in 2007. Dr. Sun's career goal is to become an independent investigator and an excellent educator in orthodontics.

Research project

Large skeletal defects or deficiency (e.g. severe mandibular retrognathia) in the craniofacial region are extremely detrimental to patient's vital functions (mastication, speech and breathing) and esthetics. The current gold standard treatment for these problems is orthognathic surgery with autografting of bone harvested from the iliac crests or ribs, which has several major limitations. In pursuit of a better alternative, researchers and practitioners have begun restoring craniofacial bone defects by stimulating local bone regeneration, and two major approaches have been developed so far. One employs mechanical means via distraction osteogenesis (DO), and the other uses bioengineering and entails implantation of osteogenic cell- or cytokine-based scaffolds to the defect. Distraction osteogenesis (DO), viewed as a form of endogenous tissue engineering, is an approach built upon the principle that mechanical tensile stress stimulates bone formation. Cell or cytokine-based bioengineering, on the other hand, is an interdisciplinary approach that combines bone biology with material and engineering sciences. A clinical strategy that combines these two approaches has not been investigated. Such combined strategy may overcome the challenges these two approaches individually face. Specifically, scaffolds loaded with osteoprogenitor cells can optimize and expedite the onset of osteogenesis inside the defect, while distraction osteogenesis can facilitate bone osteoinduction and osteoconduction inside the scaffold materials.

Dr. Sun's research project for this fellowship is aimed at conducting a pilot study using this combined strategy in a pig model, a large animal model with strong similarity to the human in craniofacial size, anatomy and function. Using support from the previous AAOF grants and other sources, Dr. Sun's lab has recently established methodology to aspirate pig bone marrow, culture and expand bone marrow stromal cells. During this fellowship period, they will use these techniques to obtain autologous bone marrow stromal cells, expand them into large quantities ex vivo and incorporate them with scaffold materials, then transplant the scaffolds to mandibular distraction osteogenesis sites, followed by distraction and consolidation treatment. Bone regeneration results of autologous bone marrow stromal cell transplantation and distraction will be evaluated by radiographic, histochemical and biomechanical methods. The results from this pilot study will be used to apply for funds from the NIH to launch a comprehensive study on this topic.

Significance of AAOF award

The AAOF Faculty Development Award will be used to support Dr Sun's lab personnel and experimental materials needed for this pilot study. This support will also provide tremendous help for Dr. Sun academic career development. He is very grateful for AAOF's continuous support.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Hao Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, China

Dr. Hao received his DDS, MS and PhD in 1991, 1994 and 1997 from the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, China and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Shanghai Institute of Cell Biology and Shanghai 9th People's Hospital from 1997 to 1999. He worked as a research assistant professor in the Department of Oral Biology at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) after he moved to the United States in 1999. He became an orthodontic resident at UIC in 2008. Currently he is a full-time clinical assistant professor at University of Connecticut Health Center. His career goal is to become a researcher, educator and clinician in Orthodontics

Research Project

The hereditary dentin disorders are broadly classified into two major types: dentinogenesis imperfectas (DIs, types I-III) and dentin dysplasias (DDs, types I and II). Clinically, the teeth are discolored and show structural defects such as bulbous crowns and small pulp chambers radiographically. All forms of DIs and DDs, except DI type I and DD type I, appear to result from mutations in the gene coding for dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP). The hypotheses are that DSPP gene mutations cause defective protein misfolding and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in odontoblasts. The treatment with pharmacological chaperones can prevent misfolding of these mutant DSPP proteins and enhance their transport out of the cell, ameliorating the detrimental effects of ER stress. It is proposed that pharmacological chaperone therapy may provide a novel treatment intervention strategy to prevent the defective dentin formation that underlies DSPP-associated dentin defects.

How orthodontic education will benefit from the award

Successful completion of these studies will provide new targets for preventive and therapeutic interventions for some forms of hereditary dentin disorders and craniofacial anomalies caused by ER stress. In addition, it is expected that the results will fundamentally advance the fields of cell biology and hereditary disorders.

Why the Foundation is important to the project

Dr. Hao is enormously appreciative to the AAOF for Alber P. Westfall Memorial Teaching Fellowship award. The award will allow him to focus on conducting his research and becoming an independent investigator.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Ki Beom Kim Saint Louis University

I received my D.D.S. from Dankook University, Korea in 1992, and an Oral Medicine certificate and M.S.D. from Dankook University in 1995, and a PhD in Orofacial Pain from Dankook University in 2002. In 2000, I became a Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain. Further I received my orthodontic training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I have been teaching as an Assistant Professor at Saint Louis University, Center for Advanced Dental Education since July 2005.

Proposed Research Plan

Numerical simulation of pharyngeal airways of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients following maxillomandibular advancement (MMA) surgery using computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

A recent study showed that there was a significant increase in the lateral and anteroposterior airway dimensions and volume following MMA surgery. Airflow in OSA patients following MMA surgery will be evaluated using CFD.

The relationship between three dimensional geometrical changes and computational fluid dynamics will be examined. The relative pressure, eddy viscosity coefficient, and total area-averaged pressure drops will also be evaluated. The results of this project will give us a better understanding of pathophysiology of OSA.

Benefit to Orthodontic Education and Significance

My professional goal is to develop into an excellent clinical orthodontist and scientific investigator. Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award supports the development of clinical knowledge and research skills that are necessary to reach my professional goal. The financial support from the award will help to finish the proposed project and provide valuable information about the obstructive sleep apnea.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Sean Shih-Yao Liu Indiana University

My name is Sean Shih-Yao Liu. I earned my DDS and MS in Orthodontics in 1999 and 2003, respectively, from Taipei Medical University. Following my PhD education in Biomedical Sciences at Baylor College of Dentistry, Texas A&M Health Science Center in 2008, I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the

Department of Orthodontics and Oral Facial Genetics at Indiana University School of Dentistry. I also serve as the Director of the Mineralized Tissue and Histology Research Laboratory. The objective of my awarded project titled "A novel 3D superimposing technology to evaluate mandibular growth" is to establish a valid method of evaluating condylar growth, and based on this new technology to collect clinical preliminary data comparing the traditional Herbst appliance and the new mandibular anterior reposition appliance (MARA). The central hypothesis of the application is that the MARA guides greater mandibular advancement and condylar growth with lesser dental movement, compared to the Herbst appliance. The rationale for the proposed research is that, if mandibular deficiency is not corrected in the growing stage, patients will face greater difficulty in treatment with limited treatment options, such as surgery or camouflaged orthodontic treatment with tooth extraction, in their late adolescence or adulthood. Such options lead to higher invasiveness and medical expense. Based on our supportive preliminary data, this hypothesis will be tested by pursuing two specific aims: 1) Establish a means to measuring 3D morphological changes of the condyle; 2) Obtain pilot data for developing a larger study comparing treatment effectiveness of the traditional Herbst appliance and MARA.

Under the first aim, a previously established 3D cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) superimposition technology in an adult case will be further developed to superimpose 3D digital models on natural stable structures of the anterior cranial base and the mandible in 3 growing patients, respectively. Under the second aim, 16 patients will be recruited, randomly allocated into two groups, and treated using the Herbst and MARA, respectively. Dental and skeletal landmark movement and condylar growth under both aims will be evaluated using newly developed 3D superimposition system and represented in 3D coordinate and color mapping systems. This study is innovative because it creates a new approach to understand craniofacial growth and evaluates effects of orthopedic growth modification while also investigating new treatment approaches for correcting mandibular deficiency. The proposed research is significant because it provides a new evidenced-based approach to assess growth and treatment outcomes in a 3D manner while also benefiting orthodontic education by virtually understanding the relationships between orthopedic treatment and craniofacial growth. The funding granted for this project will help our research team purchase necessary equipment and cover research personnel. The American Association of Orthodontists Foundation plays an essential and important role not only in developing novel technology but also to bring our field, Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, a big step forward.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Padma Mukherjee University of Connecticut

Candidate: After receiving my dental degree from the University of Pune, India in 2002; I came to the United States to pursue my interests in craniofacial research and orthodontics. I received my clinical certificate in Orthodontics and Ph.D. in Craniofacial Biology at the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut in 2008. The focus of my doctoral dissertation was to assess bone changes in two craniofacial anomalies: Cherubism and Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia. During my training, I utilized 3D imaging to visualize and analyze qualitative and quantitative changes in bone. I was awarded the Young Investigator Award by ASBMR and Thomas Graber Award of Special Merit, by AAO. Soon after graduation, I became a full-time Assistant Professor in the Division of Orthodontics at the University of Connecticut Health Center, my Alma mater. My long-term goal is to become a successful orthodontic educator and researcher.

Project:The purpose of this research study is to use Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images to quantitatively evaluate the effects of orthodontically retracted maxillary incisors on the palatal bone and the incidence of incisor root resorption. The results from this study would add a new dimension to the current orthodontic literature on the effects of orthodontic retraction of incisors and the publications would also be crucial in the development of my academic career.

Significance of the AAOF Award: I feel fortunate to have received the AAOF Faculty Development Award. This research award will provide me the necessary funds to pursue my research interests in three-dimensional imaging of bone. I also feel that this award is extremely encouraging to a junior faculty such as myself who is dedicated to an academic career.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Tung T. Nguyen University of North Carolina

Biography

I received my DMD from Tufts University in 2005 and completed my Masters in Orthodontics from the University of North Carolina in 2008. I completed the William R Proffit Teaching Fellowship before joining the faculty at UNC as a Clinical Professor. I serve as the Clinical Director for Pre-doctoral orthodontics but also share my time teaching in the Graduate Program.

Project

The primary focus of my research is 3-D assessment of hard and soft tissue changes associated with Bone Anchored Maxillary Protraction (BAMP) in the treatment of young Class III patients. Recent publications show the effectiveness of BAMP in producing orthopedic results without dentoalveolar compensations that are often accompany alternative treatment modalities such as reverse-pull face mask or chin cup therapy. In a joint collaboration between UNC and Hugo DeClerck of Belgium, we have accumulated a database consisting of 40+ patients with cone-beam CT (CBCT) images (T1- initial CBCT image before treatment and T2- 1 year after the start of treatment). We are currently building 3D models and superimposing the images on the anterior cranial base to analyze the skeletal and soft tissue changes. I plan finish the data analysis and submit the findings for publication in 2010.

As with any new treatment modality, the question of long-term stability is paramount. We plan to obtain 2-year CBCT records for these patients to evaluate the effectiveness and stability of BAMP. This follow-up data can also be used to enhance our understanding of 3-D longitudinal skeletal changes in Class III patients as well as 3D airway and soft tissue changes associated with BAMP.

How orthodontic education will benefit from AAOF Award

The data obtained from our research offer a promising alternative to conventional treatment of skeletal Class III malocclusion. Long-term data is still needed to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of this methology and the AAOF award will help to supplement the funding needed to accomplish this.

Why the Foundation is important to the Project

I am extremely grateful to the AAOF for their support. Finding the necessary time to split between developing teaching materials, conducting independent research and continuing to advance my clinical skills can be logistically difficult. The AAOF award allows me to hire support staff for data collection with my research and gives me the protected time to focus on developing new teaching materials as well as learn new clinical techniques.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Hee Soo Oh Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry University of the Pacific

I have been working as a full-time faculty since I graduated the Orthodontic residency program at University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in September, 2005.

I have been actively involved in a number of investigations. Currently, I am conducting a study to investigate the usual course and outcome of mixed dentition treatment when three experienced clinicians treat each patient with his or her preferred therapeutic modality for each patient. I am also working on the development of a computer-assisted 2D superimposition method for the collection of longitudinal information from the AAOF Legacy collection. Valid records of normal craniofacial growth are a necessary prerequisite for the study of the effects of treatment through time. Without empirical studies of untreated subjects, it is impossible to fully and accurately assess the impact of treatment. These invaluable untreated, longitudinal records are only available as digital forms of 2D radiographs and study casts. Our lab, Craniofacial Research Instrumentation Laboratory (CRIL), has developed a new computer-assisted 2D superimposition method. The purpose of this project is to investigate the reliability and validity of our new method compared to hand tracing superimposition on acetate, the current academic standard.

My long term professional goal is to be an excellent clinical researcher and educator. This third award by AAOF has given me great encouragement in the pursuit of excellence in research and teaching, as well as help in my pursuit for extramural grant support.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Maria Orelanna University of California at San Francisco

In 2002, I completed a PhD in Oral Biology and Maxillofacial Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia. My thesis focused on mechanotransduction in orthodontic tooth movement in a rodent model. This very successful experience examining orthodontic tooth movement at the molecular level ignited my desire to gain a deeper understanding of the clinical aspect of orthodontics. After working one year as a teaching.

University of Alberta, I entered a residency in orthodontics in 2004.

Having completed an orthodontic residency and an MSc in Biomedical Sciences, I accepted a faculty position at the University of California San Francisco in July 2007. Recognizing the complexities of clinical research and my need for further instruction, I began a 1 year Advanced Training in Clinical Research (ATCR) certificate program offered by UCSF. I was very fortunate to receive the 2008 AAOF award that provided the means to gain additional training in the planning and implementation of clinical studies.

In the US, disparities exist with regard to orthodontic treatment to correct malocclusion with few Latino adolescents receiving this care compared to their white counterparts. Latino adolescents are a crucial underserved population; however, no one has examined their orthodontic treatment need and access to care. Given that the Latino population is rapidly growing, comprising 34% of the population younger than 18 years of age, this represents a fundamental gap in our knowledge. This project will address a series of basic questions. For example, although disparities in access to orthodontic care have been shown, the extent and underlying reasons for these disparities is not known. Furthermore, while malocclusion and access to orthodontic care are recognized as the product of numerous factors, they have never been analyzed in light of a multidimensional, multilevel conceptual model. Identifying barriers and developing solutions to reduce these disparities and improve the oral health of Latino adolescents is a long-term desired outcome from this initial line of research

Aim 1: To conduct a cross-sectional, epidemiologic study to examine Latino and non-Hispanic White high school students to assess their orthodontic need, and receipt of orthodontic treatment and to assess perceptions and demand for orthodontic treatment among those students who have not received treatment comparing those who do and do not need treatment according to ICON.

Aim 2: To administer a questionnaire to parents/guardians of high school students who have not received orthodontic treatment to assess their perceived need for their child's orthodontic treatment and compare it to their child's perceived need.

Aim 3: To empirically apply a multilevel, multidimensional conceptual model to understand access to, and treatment of, adolescent malocclusion. I am very thankful to the AAOF for the 2008 and 2010 and 2011 awards. I am very grateful to the Foundation for this opportunity. Their financial support is making a significant difference in individuals like myself who are commencing their academic careers.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Eugene E. West Memorial Fellowship Award Sundaralingam Premaraj, BDS, MS, PhD University of Nebraska

Dr. Sundaralingam Premaraj is the Graduate program director and an Assistant Professor in the Orthodontic Section, Dept. of Growth and Development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College Of Dentistry, Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr. Premaraj received his dental training from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He then completed his initial orthodontic training at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He subsequently received a Ph.D. in Oral Biology and Orthodontic Certificate from The Ohio State University.

As a full-time faculty in orthodontics at UNMC, Dr. Premaraj is currently course director for one pre-doctoral orthodontic course and 3 graduate orthodontic courses. In addition, he is an instructor on other six graduate level orthodontic courses and seminars. Dr. Premaraj is a graduate faculty member on the Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area graduate program at UNMC. He currently serves as a major advisor for three MS degree students. He also is the advisor for two pre-doctoral students' research projects.

Dr. Premaraj maintains an active research laboratory at the UNMC and his research program seeks to understand the Beta-catenin signaling pathways in periodontal ligament and alveolar bone in response to orthodontic loading. His other research interests include the role of cytokines in cranial suture fusion and Tgf-beta cell signaling in osteoblasts. Dr. Premaraj is the current President of the Nebraska Society of Orthodontists. He also maintains a part-time intra-mural private practice in Lincoln, NE.

The goal of Dr. Premaraj's current research is to understand the molecular pathways associated with orthodontic mechanotransduction. This research will help to identify molecular targets that can be manipulated to accelerate or impede tooth movement. These studies are of an important and under-investigated area of orthodontics and will identify the precise molecular mechanisms of how tooth movement occurs when an orthodontic force is applied to a tooth. This research has relevance to orthodontic therapy, because understanding of these mechanisms may lead to more efficient and predictable of tooth movement.

Dr. Premaraj is very grateful to AAOF for the continued support for his academic development. This fellowship will be used to supplement his salary. Financial support from the AAOF is very important for Dr. Premaraj to achieve his academic career goals. This award will allow him to dedicate most of his time for teaching and research.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Ling Ye University of Missouri at Kansas City

Dr. Ling Ye received his dental and orthodontic training in China. Currently he is holding jointly appointment in Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City. To deliver the optimal force is an important topic in the orthodontic field. However, the speed of tooth movement is highly variable between individuals for the same applied force/area (stress) and may be related to other factors, such as stage of development, bone quality, and genetics of the individual. Until now, no study has focused on the relationship between strain and alveolar bone remodeling. And no study has focused on the relationship between osteocyte apoptosis and strain in alveolar bone. If alveolar bone remodeling is correlated with certain levels of strain, and strain can be calculated based on loading and bone properties, future orthodontists may customize optimal orthodontic forces for each patient. The hypotheses of the current application are that: different levels of strain may lead to different biological responses in alveolar bone, and high strain in alveolar bone leads to increased osteocyte apoptosis. We will develop the device to deliver loads through mandibular molars in vivo to an anesthetized mouse. Specifically we will study the following biological responses to mechanical loading. Data from this project is expected to provide useful information for future customization of the optimal orthodontic force for clinical patients. The support from American Association of Orthodontists Foundation will be used to generate preliminary data to apply for future funding from NIH.

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?December 15, 2008

Dear PARC and AAOF Boards:

Attached please find the progress report for our Center Award Planning Grant entitled, "The AAOF Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection: Pilot and Planning Application". We are pleased with the progress we have been able to make with 6 months of funding, and hope that the AAOF recognizes our achievements.

The original award letter stipulated that I or another member of the steering committee attend both the AAOF PARC board meeting in February, 2009 and the AAOF BOD meeting in March 2009 to give a presentation regarding our progress. Please let us know if this is still desired. One possible alternative would be to have a videoconference amongst the AAOF BOD, personnel in charge of modifying the platform at the University of the Pacific, and one or more members of the steering committee. We will be happy to comply with whatever is decided.

Thank you for the opportunity to demonstrate the collaboration between these 10 collections. We hope that this will form the foundation for a valuable "Legacy? collection available on the website for researchers.

Sincerely,

Leslie A. Will, DMD, MSD

For the Steering Committee (Drs. Baumrind, McNamara, and Baumrind) and the remaining curators (Drs. Covell, Currier, Hans, Richardson, Sherwood, and Tompson)

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Manuel Oscar Lagravere Vich University of Alberta

Biography

I am originally from Lima, Peru. I completed my Degree in Dental Sciences (2000) and Master’s in Science (2003) at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Afterward, I came to Edmonton to start my PhD Orthodontic Residency which was completed in July 2009. I was hired as a Research Associate of the Orthodontic Graduate Program on August 2008 and in January 2010, became a Clinical Assistant Professor. I am currently teaching in the undergraduate and post-graduate orthodontic programs at the University of Alberta. I am continuously involved in academia – teaching and research in orthodontics, supervising projects from undergraduate and post-graduate students while I focus on my main area of expertise (Maxillary Expansion and Three-Dimensional Analysis). I won several awards, the most important being the Harry Sicher Research Award in 2010, and a student of mine won the IADR Diagnostics Scientific Group Award. I have published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and have traveled to several places in the world to give lectures and to improve my own academic background.

Project

My project was traditional treatment of narrow maxillary arches with posterior crossbite, involving a Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) with separation of the midpalatal suture. The most common approach uses a Hyrax appliance attached to the first premolar and first permanent molar teeth. In recent years, a new generation of “passive” self-ligation orthodontic brackets (Damon®) have been introduced. These brackets are reported to produce less friction than traditional orthodontic brackets, which theoretically allows tooth movement to occur with lower forces, and in most cases, eliminates the need for RME expanders and their negative effects. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different maxillary expansion treatments currently being used in orthodontic treatment. It will determine the dental, skeletal and nasal airway volume effects of using the Damon® system (self-ligating brackets) and Hyrax appliance followed by non self-ligating brackets.

Benefits for Orthodontic Education

Although the Damon® System for correction of posterior crossbite is widely used around the world, not much literature is published comparing Damon® and traditional RME treatments. One study, Yu et al. {Yu 2008}, treated a total of 19 patients (9 with RME and 10 with the Damon® System) and concluded that both treatment methods could increase the arch width. The Damon® group had more protrusion of the upper and lower incisors. Transverse expansion of the arch occurred through buccal tipping of the posterior teeth. RME treatment expanded the maxillary base and upper dental arch, and no protrusion of the incisors was noticed.

Expansion treatments are commonly used in orthodontic practices bringing results that vary depending on which protocol of treatment is being applied. Three-dimensional imaging will help clinicians find the real changes present and avoid the disadvantages present from traditional imaging when trying to interpret them. With these results, clinicians will be able to decide which treatment modality is the best based on sound scientific evidence.

Importance of AAOF

The AAOF is important in my plan because having just started my academic career, the AAOF will provide me with funds to supplement my current salary. Teaching orthodontics is a passion of mine, especially when I see the education and research development in undergraduate and post-graduate students. This award will help me relieve the economical stress associated with an early academic career and be able to focus on becoming a better professional and family man.

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AAOF 2013 Biomedical Research Award

Guoqiang Guan, DDS, PhD
Department of Orthodontics
State University of New York at Buffalo

Dr. Guan received his first DDS degree from Peking University and his second DDS degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo). After completing the postgraduate orthodontic residency trainings in Japan at Okayama University and in the USA at SUNY Buffalo, Dr. Guan is board certified by the American Board of Orthodontics and currently serving as the Clinic Director for the Postgraduate Program at SUNY Buffalo.

As a Clinician/Scientist with a PhD degree in Craniofacial Biology, Dr. Guan also completed postdoctoral training in Craniofacial Growth and Development at Baylor College of Dentistry and in Pharmaceutical Therapy at Louisiana State University. Dr. Guan is actively conducting research projects in craniofacial tissue regeneration, tooth development, and clinical orthodontics. His long term goal is to contribute substantially to the research program in craniofacial biology and clinical teaching.

Brief description of the project

Tooth agenesis is one of the most common developmental anomalies encountered in dental practice. It imposes a tough challenge on dental professionals in making effective treatment plans and in treatment to obtain the most functional and cosmetic results. In the case of tooth agenesis, orthodontists are faced with the decision of either creating enough spaces for a restorative replacement of the congenitally missing tooth/teeth, or to close space(s) and to achieve the relatively ideal occlusion. We now have the evidence that orthodontic patients present higher rates-prevalence of tooth agenesis due to the correlation with malocclusion. However, up to date, there is no clear elucidation to address the mechanism of tooth agenesis. The goal of this study is to acquire further data on the tooth agenesis and to prepare for an advanced potential project to interpret the developmental mechanism of tooth agenesis.

Benefit to the orthodontic education and the importance of the AAOF Award

Improved understanding of the developmental mechanism of tooth agenesis will provide the new scientific knowledge to the orthodontic education and the professionals. Eventually, the interpretation of the etiology will yield the strategy for prevention and treatment of these patients. Subsequently, these results will help improving the quality of life by reducing or even eliminating the potential of tooth agenesis. The AAOF award is important to the success in achieving this goal. It will also generate the motivation to develop the new research and interdisciplinary projects for further funding from various sources.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award

Dr. Jose A. Bosio, BDS, MS Marquette University

Looking upon the orthodontics educator giants, recipients of an AAOF endorsement and trust, I am extremely honored to be part of this select group of academicians.

After completing my dental education at the Pontifical Catholic University of Parana - Brazil - in 1987, I had the opportunity to continue my studies at Eastman Dental Center, learning TMJ Disorders from Dr. Ross Tallents, who enthusiastically suggested I should Continue my studies in this country. The Ohio State University Orthodontic Program, under the guidance from Dr. Dale Wade and then Dr. Kate Vig, reassured my pursue for academics. Upon returning to my homeland, the only available opportunity was private practice, which I was engaged for 11 years. But the desire to teach and the importance of students and peers interactions were always present. Thus, I decide to return to the US in 2008 and started my academic tenure track career as Assistant Professor at MUSoD. My mid-term (5 years) professional goals are obtaining tenure and promotion to Associate Professor. My long-term goal (10+ years) is to be a Full Professor at an US Dental School which is internationally recognized for making original contributions to the specialty of Orthodontics.

To learn the steps from an Assistant Professor to a Full Professor, as well as the nuances of administrative and teaching abilities require time and intense dedication, and it is significantly different from private practice. But with time and the strong support I have received from Drs. T. Gerard Bradley and Arthur Hefti, my mentors, Dean W. Lobb, the staff, and the students I am confident I will achieve my goals. My job is fantastic and I wish I had made my mind to return to academics sooner.

I have started collecting a longitudinal database for most patients undergoing orthodontic treatment at MUSoD. Using clearly defined, robust facial measurement points, we will investigate 3-dimensional soft tissue changes of the lips, the nose and the mouth as a function of orthodontic treatment. The data, to be collected over many years, will permit testing the hypothesis that length of the lips, the shape of the mouth, and the shapes of columella and philtrum around the nose base remain constant after orthodontic treatment. The support I have had from AAO receiving the two-year Full-time Faculty Teaching (FTI) Fellowship Program Award, and now a continued support from AAOF being awarded the OFDFA T.M. Graber (a great icon of our profession) Teaching Fellowship Award, will allow me to travel and present my findings, and it will also be a significant complement to my salary, reducing the disparities between private practice and academics. I will be grateful to the AAOF for the rest of my life for believing in my potential to influence the future orthodontic generations.

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AAOF Award

Dr. Robert E Gaylord Tufts University

Biography

I received my DMD from Tufts University in 2005 and completed my Masters in Orthodontics from the University of North Carolina in 2008. I completed the William R Proffit Teaching Fellowship and joined the faculty at UNC as an Assistant Professor. I am a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics and serve as the Clinic Director for Pre-doctoral Orthodontics but also teach in the Graduate Program at UNC.

Project

The focus of my research is 3-D assessment of skeletal and soft tissue changes associated with Bone Anchored Maxillary Protraction (BAMP) in the treatment of young Class III patients. Funding from the 2010 AAOF Fellowship allowed me analyze the data from our Class III patient treated with BAMP. It showed that the BAMP protocol produced significant orthopedic changes in the maxilla, zygomas and the circum-maxillary sutures without dentoalveolar compensation and counter-clockwise rotation of the maxilla. In addition, we found skeletal changes in mandible including restraint of sagittal growth of the chin, distalization of the posterior ramus and condyles, closure of the gonial angle and adaptive remodeling of the glenoid fossa.

3-D evaluation of the skeletal changes typically involves the use of closest point (CP). This approach is used by most commercial and academic software to assess displacement of structures over time at specific locations. However, it does not measure the distance between the corresponding points/ shapes, especially in cases of bone remodeling and growth, and therefore does not accurately report true skeletal displacement. Shape correspondence analysis (SPHARM-PDM) has been used to accurately measure morphological deviations in the brain and was recently validated by Cevidanes et al to measure skeletal changes in orthognathic surgery patients. I plan continue our studies by incorporating shape correspondence analysis to our BAMP sample to determine: 1) the direction of change of maxillary and mandibular structures including the condyles in three planes of space 2) changes in the shape and volume of the condyles and 3) airway volume changes.

The development of shape correspondence analysis/tools has applications beyond this study and can be used in longitudinal studies to enhance our understanding of growth patterns or evaluate skeletal changes associated with Class II appliances such as Herbst.

How orthodontic education will benefit from AAOF Award

Our research has shown that BAMP is promising approach for the early treatment of Class III malocclusion. This treatment modality produced orthopedic changes in young growing patient with minimal dentoalveolar compensations associated with facemask therapy. In addition, superimposition software designed for this project can applied to other orthodontic treatment methods to measure 3-D hard and soft tissue changes and evaluate growth.

Why the Foundation is important to the Project

Without the support of the AAOF, the progression of my research would not have been possible. It allowed me to hire assistant for data collection and protected my time for manuscript preparation and development of new teaching materials. I am extremely grateful to the AAOF for their continued support.

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AAOF Award

Bo Hou Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine

Biography

Dr. Bo Hou is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She received her dental degree from Beijing Medical University in 1999 and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine from Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 2008. Following her graduation, Dr. Hou continued her education at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, earning a certificate in Orthodontics in 2010. Dr. Hou's career goal is to advance translational research in the specialty of orthodontics and make contributions to orthodontic education.

Project

It is well known that adult patients can benefit from orthodontic treatment in conjunction with other dental therapies. However, many are unable to undergo proper oral rehabilitation due to various dental and medical conditions including severe periodontal disease, osteoporosis and the use of medications, such as bisphosphonates. On the other hand, even when older patients can tolerate extensive orthodontic treatment, it often leads to root resorption and bone loss. Therefore, more efficient and controllable tooth movement is critical for improving orthodontic treatment outcomes. Understanding the cellular and molecular control mechanisms of orthodontic tooth movement will provide insights into designing novel strategies to facilitate orthodontic tooth movement.

During the process of orthodontic tooth movement, periodontal ligament (PDL) cells play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis and regeneration in response to orthodontic loading, i.e. mechanical stress. It has been shown that the genes involved in osteogenesis are upregulated in PDL cells upon application of stretching or fluid flow in vitro; however, how PDL cells sense and respond to mechanical stress remains largely unknown. The goal of this study is to establish a 3D in vitro model of PDL and investigate the changes of PDL cells in response to mechanical stress on cellular and molecular levels.

Why the Foundation is important to the Project

The AAOF award is critical in the early stage of my academic career. It will provide funds to supplement my lab and allow me to collect preliminary data for other funding opportunities including NIH grants. The award will also help me improve my teaching skills. I am very grateful for the generous support of AAOF.

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AAOF 2013 Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award

Joorok Park, DMD, MSD
Assistant Professor
Department of Orthodontics
University of the Pacific
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

Biography
I studied dental medicine at University of Pennsylvania and completed my orthodontic residency at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 2008.  Upon graduation, I have been working as a full-time faculty at the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry.  I am involved in teaching didactic and clinical courses for pre-doctoral students and orthodontic residents.  At the same time, I actively participate in numerous research projects with my mentors and teachers, Drs. Robert Boyd, Sheldon Baumrind, and Hee Soo Oh.  I am excited to be part of a leading institution that promotes excellence in clinical care and research.

Project
I am currently evaluating potential anatomical landmarks which have been proposed for 3D analysis of orthodontic treatment outcome.  First, we are interested in the reliability of locating various skeletal and dental landmarks on volumetric images.  Then, three-dimensional outcome of orthodontic treatment will be determined by measuring the changes of dental and skeletal landmark positions between initial and final iCAT images.
Utilization of CBCT opened an opportunity to locate individual tooth's 3D position.  As a result, we can study the orthodontic treatment effect on 3D position of individual tooth.  We are interested in measuring the 3D changes of the dentition after Class II malocclusion correction, especially the rotational changes and transverse positional changes, such as bucco-lingual inclination changes of molars.  Furthermore, with CBCT we now can construct references planes and evaluate any changes of the reference planes after growth or orthodontic treatment.

We identified initial and final iCAT images of Class II malocclusion cases treated by a faculty of our orthodontics department.  Skeletal and dental landmarks were digitized by four judges.  The 3D coordinate values were exported and these coordinate values are compared to test the reliability of landmark location and to measure the 3D positional changes of dentition after orthodontic treatment.

Benefit to the orthodontic education
In transition from 2D to 3D cephalometric analysis, it is important to understand how 3D imaging can be utilized to diagnose a case and analyze treatment outcomes.  We believe that the findings of this study will be important in aiding diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment outcome evaluation of orthodontic treatment using 3D volumetric images.

Importance of the Foundation
The fund from the AAOF OFDFA will support my goal to become a proficient educator and researcher.  As I start my academic career, this award will be a motivation for me to continue to educate future orthodontists and conduct clinical researches that will benefit the orthodontic education.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award

Shiva Khatami, DDS, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Orthodontics Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine

Biography

Dr. Khatami has a DDS degree from the University of Shahid Beheshti in Iran and a PhD in Craniofacial Science from the University of British Columbia in Canada. She completed her orthodontic residency at University of Rochester, Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Since July 2010, she has been working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Orthodontics at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

Project

Her PhD research led to development of a conceptual framework for clinical reasoning in dentistry and orthodontics. She is currently conducting research on the approach to uncertainty in clinical reasoning by dental and orthodontic educators in practice and teaching. One of her prospective research areas involves developing a virtual patient program for improving clinical reasoning skills of dental students and clinicians.

Importance of the Foundation

The fellowship from the AAOF will support her efforts in pursuing the scholarship of teaching and learning through continuing research and professional development.

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Robert E. Binder Teaching Fellowship Award

Benjamin Pliska DDS MS FRCD(C), Assistant Professor, Division of OrthodonticsUniversity of British Columbia

Biography

I attended the University of Western Ontario for Dental School and was honored to serve as Class President and to graduate at the top of my class as the Gold Medalist in Dentistry. Immediately following dental school, I pursued specialty training in Orthodontics at the University of Minnesota, where I was granted a Certificate in Orthodontics and Master's Degree in Dentistry. Following graduation, I joined the faculty in the Graduate Orthodontic Program at the University of Minnesota and taught full-time as Assistant Clinical Professor for three years. This past year, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to return home to Canada to join the Faculty of Dentistry to teach full-time in the newly formed Graduate Orthodontic Program at the University of British Columbia.

The award funds will be used directly to help pay down the principle on my educational loans. This will prove helpful both in the short and long term, as it will also lower the burden of the monthly interest assessed on my educational debt. The opportunity to lessen the financial stresses associated with being a relatively new graduate starting an academic career, with a young family is greatly appreciated. Through this award the AAOF will be providing vital support to me as I embark on my academic and research career, by allowing me to focus on my development as opposed to the financial strains often associated with teaching full-time.

Project

Over the course of the next year, one research project I am particularly interested in pursuing involves examining the relationship between palatal expansion and sleep disordered breathing in adolescents and children. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a serious medical condition where breathing is characterized by recurrent, partial or complete episodes of upper airway obstruction. The consequences of OSAS in children include failure to thrive as well as behavioral and learning disturbances. OSAS has been associated with transverse maxillary deficiency in children and there is some evidence in the literature to support rapid palatal expansion as an alternative treatment to tonsil and adenoid surgery. However the exact patient population in which RPE may improve nighttime breathing is not well understood at this time.

The protocol for my pilot research project will involve the recruitment of patients of UBC's Graduate Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontic programs who present with a restricted maxilla along with a similar number of skeletal Class I controls. In addition to routine orthodontic records, an overnight level III sleep study, evaluation of tonsils, palate and tongue and a sleep disturbance questionnaire will be performed both at baseline and following palatal expansion in the treatment group. The control group will have the same data collected at baseline and 4 months into orthodontic treatment. The changes and differences in several sleep breathing parameters, including snoring and oxygen saturation, between groups will be examined and compared. By better understanding the types of patients most likely to benefit from orthopedic, rather than surgical intervention, the inherent risks and costs associated with tonsilloadenoidectomy for OSAS may be avoided.

Benefit to the orthodontic education

This award will benefit orthodontic education by allowing me to focus on the development of my research career, which is vital to securing tenure in an academic institution. The support of the AAOF will prove instrumental in laying the foundation of what I intend to be a long successful career in orthodontic education and research.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award

Dr. Upadhyay is an assistant clinical professor at the Division of Orthodontics, Department of Craniofacial Sciences, University of Connecticut, Health Center

Biography

. He obtained his dental degree from Manipal University, India in 2002, and a master’s degree in orthodontics from KLE University, India in 2006. He worked as a senior lecturer in the same school for a year before moving to the United States of America as a craniofacial fellow at the University of Connecticut. In the next couple of years he obtained a master’s degree and a certificate in orthodontics and has been a fulltime faculty at the university of Connecticut since July 2010. His academic responsibilities include teaching both undergraduate and graduate students (orthodontic residents) and overseeing the orthodontic clinic. Presently he is also the program director of the one-year orthodontic fellowship program.

Over the years Dr. Upadhyay has published numerous articles & abstracts in both national and international journals. He has also made numerous scientific presentations at various meeting all around the world. His research interests include skeletal anchorage, fixed retention and biomechanics of tooth movement. Currently he is working on the biomechanical aspects of space closure with sliding mechanics using mini-imlants and other conventional methods of space closure, like: elastic chains, NiTi coil springs etc. One of his primary objectives as a researcher and clinician is too translate the research from the lab to the patients and become an 'independent' researcher.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Manuel Oscar Lagravere Vich University of Alberta

Biography

I am original from Lima, Peru.  I completed my Degree in Dental Sciences (2000) and Masters in Science (2003) at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. After this I came to Edmonton to start my PhD Orthodontic Residency which was completed in July 2009. I was hired as a Research Associate of the Orthodontic Graduate Program on August 2008 and in January 2010 became a Clinical Assistant Professor and am currently teaching in the Undergrad and Postgrad Orthodontic Programs, at the University of Alberta. I am continuously involved in academia teaching and research in orthodontics supervising projects from undergrad and postgrad students while I focus on my main area of expertise (Maxillary Expansion and Three-Dimensional Analysis). I won several awards, the most important being the Harry Sicher Research Award in 2010 and a student of mine winning the IADR Diagnostics Scientific Group award. I have published more than 30 peer-reviewed papers and have been in several places in the world giving lectures and improving my academic background.

Project

Traditional treatment of narrow maxillary arches with posterior crossbite involves Rapid Maxillary Expansion (RME) with separation of the midpalatal suture. The most common approach uses a Hyrax appliance attached to the first premolar and first permanent molar teeth. In recent years, a new generation of “passive” self-ligation orthodontic brackets (Damon) have been introduced. These brackets are reported to produce less friction than traditional orthodontic brackets, which theoretically allows tooth movement to occur with lower forces and in most cases eliminating the need for RME expanders and their negative effects. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of two different maxillary expansion treatments currently being used in orthodontic treatment. It will determine the dental, skeletal and nasal airway volume effects of using the Damon system (self-ligating brackets) and Hyrax appliance followed by non self- ligating brackets.

Benefits for orthodontic education

Although the Damon system for correction of posterior crossbite is widely used around the world, not much literature is published comparing Damon and traditional RME treatments. One study, Yu et al. {Yu 2008}, treated a total of 19 patients (9 with RME and 10 with Damon system) and concluded that both treatment methods could i0ncrease the arch width. The Damon group had more protrusion of the upper and lower incisors. Transverse expansion of the arch occurred through buccal tipping of the posterior teeth RME treatment expanded the maxillary base and upper dental arch and no protrusion of the incisors was noticed.Expansion treatments are commonly used in orthodontic practices bringing results that vary depending on which protocol of treatment is being applied. Three-dimensional imaging will help clinicians find the real changes present and avoid the disadvantages present from traditional imaging when trying to interpret them. With these results, clinicians will be able to decide which treatment modality is the best based on sound scientific evidence.

Importance of AAOF

The AAOF is important in my plan because having just started my academic career, it will provide me with funds to supplement my current salary. Teaching orthodontics is a passion of mine especially when I see the education and research development in undergrad and postgrad students. This award will help me relieve the economical stress associated with an early academic career and being able to focus on becoming a better professional and family man.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Rodrigo Viecilli

Short bio:

Rodrigo Viecilli, DDS, PhD is an ABO certified Orthodontist, and Assistant Professor at the New York University Department of Orthodontics where he directs the Biomechanics Laboratory at the Center of Translational Orthodontic Research (CTOR). He was the winner of the 2009 Milo Hellman Award. Dr. Viecilli focuses his research on biological and mechanical factors important for tooth  movement and root resorption.

Synopsis:

The project will examine simultaneously the influence of stress and time on PDL necrosis (hyalinization) and root resorption. To accomplish this, finite element models of Fischer inbred rat molars, PDL and bone will be constructed after incremental time periods of load application on 150 rats. The results from each time increment will be utilized to model the next. Histology and microCT analysis will be utilized to measure hyalinization and root resorption. The ultimate goal to find out if initial stresses in the PDL correlate well with long term hyalinization and root resorption, or if overall root resorption depends heavily on the mechanical environment at specific time points.

How orthodontic education will benefit from the award/ how the foundation is important:

Awards such as this one provided by the AAOF are a great starting point for junior Faculty. It is very helpful to obtain funding for small studies that will generate preliminary data to later apply for an NIH grant. This is necessary to fund a more ambitious project, such as a clinical study. In my case, the AAOF is seeding the ground for my ultimate clinical research goal, which is to find optimum orthodontic loads for orthodontic tooth movements taking into consideration the individual morphological and inflammatory profile of each patient. In addition, the AAOF awards play a role to support the decision of talented individuals to dedicate themselves to Academics by offering a mechanism to support their salary.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Jose A. Bosio

I am, once again, extremely honored to receive this prestigious award by the AAOF and to be trusted with the belief that I can positively influence future generations of orthodontists.

Four years ago, when I decided to move back to the "US Academic Arena", after working in my solo private practice for 11 years, some colleagues asked me if I had gone crazy. After all, I had built a respected reputation in the "Brazilian Orthodontic Arena". Yes, I was very successful. But two things that would ultimately fulfill my desire to be a complete professional were missing: to teach other colleagues what I had learned from my professional experience and to have the opportunity to leave a positive legacy to our profession.

Many professionals helped me to be in the position I am today: Drs. Ross Tallents and Daniel Subtelny from Eastman Dental Center, Drs. Dale Wade, Jim Burch, Henry Fields and Kate Vig from The Ohio State University, and, more recently, Drs. William Lobb, Gerry Bradley, Russ Kittleson, Scott Jamieson and Arthur Hefti from Marquette University—to name just a few. Under these memorable mentors' influence and guidance, I have been reassured about my decision to pursue and continue in the academic field. And I cannot forget to thank my wife, Maria, for always standing by my side.

Regarding my research project, I have continued to collect a facial soft tissue longitudinal database from patients undergoing orthodontic treatment at MUSoD. Using clearly defined facial measurement points, we are investigating 3-dimensional soft tissue changes of the lips, the nose and the mouth as a function of orthodontic treatment. The first manuscript entitled "Intra and Inter-examiner reliability of clinical anthropometry" has been submitted for publication. And another study entitled "Systematic review of facial soft tissue measurements in orthodontics" will soon be submitted for publication.

AAO and AAOF have supported me with the two-year Full-time Faculty Teaching Fellowship Program Award and with the Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award, respectively. This support was determinant to allow me to travel to present my findings and to complement my salary as faculty, reducing the disparities between private practice and academics. Without AAOF support, it would be extremely hard to conduct my research, remain as a full-time faculty, and support my family. This program should definitely continue and grow even more, if possible. Thank you AAOF for believing in my potential to influence future orthodontic generations.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Greg King

Dr. Greg King is the PI on this planning grant. He has been in orthodontic academics for 37 years. He is a graduate of Brown University and Tufts Dental School. He received his orthodontic training at Harvard, where he also obtained a doctorate in Oral Biology. Dr. King has received numerous awards, including the Milo Hellman from the AAO, and Distinguished Craniofacial Scientist from the IADR. He served as a department chair for 23 years: first at the University of Florida and later at the University of Washington. His research interests have involved translational research on tooth movement, root resorption and osteodistraction using animal models. In addition, he has conducted several clinical studies, most notably: two clinical trials, one on early treatment of Class II and the other on access to care for low-income children.

This educational initiative award is aimed at planning for a nationwide mentoring network that would match junior orthodontic faculty with seasoned orthodontic educators. This planning grant will establish infrastructure designed to identify promising young orthodontic educators and to provide them with effective mentoring that is specific to their career goals with the object of increasing the likelihood they will succeed in their careers and hence, remain in academics. Orthodontic education will benefit directly from this initiative because severe shortages of qualified orthodontic educators exist today. We can ill-afford to loose any of them. In the past, efforts –mainly by the AAOF – to address this crisis have primarily focused on faculty development grants and postdoctoral fellowships, but other more innovative approaches need to be tried. Methods to guide junior orthodontic faculty through the multiple challenges they face in developing their careers have not been explored in any systematic way. In the absence of such timely mentoring, talented and motivated young orthodontists often leave promising academic careers. This planning grant brings together 11 co-investigators from all areas of the country, with extensive experience in orthodontic education and considerable success in developing junior faculty. During the year, this group will identify issues related to career success in orthodontic education; write a document that would serve as a manual of procedures articulating process for a mentoring network, and establish leadership for the network.

AAOF funding is important for this project because it provides the resources necessary to obtain "proof of principle" pilot data that can subsequently be used to seek wider funding for implementation of the network. Although the primary focus of the AAOF has been to support orthodontic education, faculty shortages exist widely in dental education today and trends are definitely not encouraging. Therefore, we anticipate that the success of this planning grant would have broad appeal to other potential funders.

As a department chair, I have had the opportunity to encourage many young orthodontists in their career development. The AAOF has always been there for us not only providing direct financial support, but also funds for the scholarly activities that are necessary for academic success today.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Manuel Oscar Lagravere Vich

Biography

I am original from Lima, Peru. I completed my Degree in Dental Sciences (2000) and Masters in Science (2003) at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. After this I came to Edmonton to start my PhD Orthodontic Residency which was completed in July 2009. I was hired as a Research Associate of the Orthodontic Graduate Program on August 2008 and in January 2010 became a Clinical Assistant Professor. In July 2011 I was hired as Assistant Professor increasing my roles in education and research in the university. I am currently teaching in the Undergrad and Postgrad Orthodontic Programs, at the University of Alberta. I am continuously involved in academia teaching and research in orthodontics supervising projects from undergrad and postgrad students while I focus on my main area of expertise (Maxillary Expansion and Three-Dimensional Analysis). I won several awards, the most important being the Harry Sicher Research Award in 2010 and a student of mine winning the IADR Diagnostics Scientific Group award. This year I will be sponsored by the American Academy of Leadership to take the professional development program to improve my teaching skills. I have published more than 35 peer-reviewed papers and have been in several places in the world giving lectures and improving my academic background.

Benefits for orthodontic education

Although the Damon system for correction of posterior crossbite is widely used around the world, not much literature is published comparing Damon and traditional RME treatments. One study, Yu et al. {Yu 2008}, treated a total of 19 patients (9 with RME and 10 with Damon system) and concluded that both treatment methods could increase the arch width. The Damon group had more protrusion of the upper and lower incisors. Transverse expansion of the arch occurred through buccal tipping of the posterior teeth RME treatment expanded the maxillary base and upper dental arch and no protrusion of the incisors was noticed.

Expansion treatments are commonly used in orthodontic practices bringing results that vary depending on which protocol of treatment is being applied. Three-dimensional imaging will help clinicians find the real changes present and avoid the disadvantages present from traditional imaging when trying to interpret them. With these results, clinicians will be able to decide which treatment modality is the best based on sound scientific evidence.

Importance of AAOF

The AAOF is important in my professional development because thanks to their help I am able to concentrate in improving my teaching and research skills without worrying on the economic burden. Teaching orthodontics is a passion of mine especially when I see the education and research development in undergrad and postgrad students. This award will help me focus on my research and get more educational training to improve my knowledge translation to my students and the community.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Nan Hatch

I received my DMD from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 1999, an orthodontic certificate from the University of Washington in 2002, a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Washington in 2005. After post-doctoral research training, I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the University of Michigan's Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. I currently have 70% of my time committed to research. As indicated by my 2012 AAOF BRA proposal, a primary focus of my research is in understanding molecular mechanisms of craniofacial development, with the goal of developing biologic therapeutics for the treatment of patients with craniofacial abnormalities. I am also engaged in studies to develop the use of biologic reagents for enhancement of orthodontic tooth movement, anchorage and retention. The remainder of my time is utilized for patient care, mentorship and teaching.

My AAOF supported project investigates the pathogenesis of craniosynostosis. Craniosynostosis is a pediatric condition in which cranial bones prematurely fuse together. For over a decade, scientists have known that craniosynostosis occurs in association with mutations in the genes for fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR's), yet the biologic process by which these mutations lead to craniosynostosis remains unknown. One mechanism by which mutations in FGF receptors may lead to abnormal cranial tissue mineralization and craniosynostosis involves tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), an enzyme whose activity is essential for the deposition and growth of hydroxyapatite crystals (the mineral component of bone). Evidence in support of this mechanism is provided by studies from our laboratory and others showing that (1) FGFR activity inhibits TNAP enzyme expression; (2) TNAP controls tissue mineralization, and (3) craniosynostosis also occurs at high rates in children with inactivating mutations in the gene for TNAP. Together these findings suggest a model in which activating mutations in FGF receptors inhibit TNAP enzyme expression, leading to diminished cranial bone mineralization with increased calcification of normally non-mineralized tissues, including the cranial sutures. Accordingly, here we propose to determine if enhanced TNAP expression will rescue the abnormal craniofacial phenotype of Crouzon FGFR2C342Y mice by crossing these mice with mice that over-express TNAP enzyme in osteoblastic cells.

If successful, results from these studies will lead to the development of pharmaceutics for the treatment of patients with craniosynostosis. Pertinent to the practice of orthodontics, results will also provide data to support future studies investigating the influence of FGF receptor activity on bone remodeling activities. As orthodontic tooth movement is dependent upon bone remodeling, this will provide important data for the future development of pharmaceutics to inhibit or enhance orthodontic tooth movement and/or relapse.

I am committed to becoming a successful academic orthodontist and independently funded biomedical researcher whose major emphasis will be in exploring questions of importance to our field. As competition for funding from NIH is extremely high, financial support from the AAOF has been and continues to be essential for generating the preliminary data required for success in obtaining R01 funding for this line of research and becoming an R01 funded investigator.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Won Moon

Since his years as an undergraduate mathematics major at UC Irvine, Dr. Won Moon has been interested in novel approaches to imaging analysis. He then moved on to earn a DMD degree from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine before pursuing specialty training in orthodontics at UCLA School of Dentistry. During his residency at UCLA, he focused first on using elliptical Fourier descriptors to describe the mandible and analyze the effects of functional appliances on mandibular growth as his Master's degree thesis. Now, as Program Director at the UCLA Section of Orthodontics, he is involved in several research projects: novel micro-implant design, finite element model (FEM), accelerated tooth movement (ATM), and 3-dimensional imaging analysis. The current project aims to establish a novel approach to analyzing the craniofacial complex using true 3D surface and border mapping technologies. Over the past several years, Dr. Moon's lab has established close ties with the Laboratory of Neuroimaging (LONI) at UCLA, which stands at the forefront of research on surface mapping and its utility in analysis of brain morphology and pathology. The generous support from the AAOF Biomedical Research Award will allow Dr. Moon's team to advance their work in craniofacial surface mapping, with the ultimate goal of creating population-specific 3D normative models of the skull. This research will enhance orthodontic education and the orthodontic profession as a whole by allowing residents and clinicians to fully utilize the complex and detailed information contained within 3-dimensional images, rather than simplifying these images into 2-dimensional linear and angular measures. This technology will be particularly useful as clinicians continue to analyze complex asymmetrical surgical and craniofacial cases. As Dr. Moon begins his term as Program Director at UCLA, this award will allow him to work closely with residents and colleagues from departments across the University in an effort to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and the transfer of technology developed for other medical fields to advance orthodontic education and practice.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Wellington Rody

Wellington Rody Jr. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He completed his D.D.S and residency in Orthodontics in Brazil and also pursued a Master's degree in the USA. In 1999, he was selected as a Magnuson scholar at the University of Washington due to his research project on osteoclast recruitment after appliance activation. Dr. Rody used to be a private practitioner and part-time professor in Brazil for eight years before starting his full-time academic career in Orthodontics at the University of Manitoba, Canada. In 2009, he was granted a 3-year full-time faculty teaching fellowship by the American Association of Orthodontists and his peer-reviewed evaluations were highly positive. He has mentored a number of undergraduate and graduate students' research and has published papers in well recognized dental journals. Wellington was recruited to the University of Florida in 2012 and is motivated with the opportunity to consolidate his academic career in the USA. His research career has been dedicated to clinical orthodontics and translational projects. In the past three years he has secured grant support to study protein expression in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) during orthodontic treatment. Although proteins are fragile molecules that need sophisticated techniques to be characterized, proteomic platforms developed over the past few years have given clinicians the ability to identify protein markers in various human clinical samples. The application of proteomic techniques and strategies to the field of medicine is known as clinical proteomics which, in turn, is devoted largely to one main idea: biomarker discovery in body fluids. The main goal is to develop "biomarker profiles" to manage clinical interventions based on individual tissue responses in order to avoid side effects. Proteomic research may be helpful to the field of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics because at present, patients are treatment planned without measurement of current phenotypic conditions at the biological or molecular levels. Indeed, potentially measurable conditions that reflect biological and molecular variations, in the future, may explain the frequently observed differences in the outcomes of treatment between patients with similar malocclusions. The AAOF award will give him personal financial support to focus on his goals as well as additional funds to improve his training in proteomic methods, with an emphasis on protein identification tools.

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Biomedical Research Award Synopsis

Dr. Jeanne Nervina and Dr. Petros Papagerakis

This project is proposed by Drs. Nervina and Papagerakis who are full time faculty members of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Michigan. Dr. Nervina received her DMD-PhD from the University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine and her Orthodontics Certificate at the UCLA School of Dentistry. Dr. Papagerakis received his DDS degree from the Aristotle University in Greece and his specialty and PhD degree from the 7th University of Paris, France. Drs. Papagerakis and Nervina have complementary expertise and are both working as a team in the area of pathological root resoption in orthodontic patients. Dr. Papagerakis has extensive experience in tooth development and related pathologies including root resorption as well as in the characterization of dental proteins expression. Dr. Papagerakis is also working in the salivary glands physiology and saliva biomarkers field. Dr. Nervina's training in clinical orthodontics and molecular bone biology match well with the goals of this project and complements Dr. Papagerakis' expertise.

The aim of this project is to develop an accurate and non-invasive assay to detect and measure External Apical Root Resorption (EARR) prior to the onset of significant root loss in orthodontic patients. EARR is the most common sequelae of orthodontic treatment and may result in severe tooth mobility or tooth loss if not diagnosed early. Radiographs are the only means of detecting EARR, but this exposes patients to ionizing radiation and no information on the rate of EARR is generated. Recent studies have shown that dentin protein biomarkers are significantly increased in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from orthodontic patients exhibiting ≥ 2mm EARR. However, it is not known if these biomarkers are significantly elevated prior to the radiographic detection of EARR. Nor is it not known if cementum proteins appear in the GCF of these patients. In addition, the specificity and sensitivity of potential saliva biomarkers for diagnosing root resorption has not been demonstrated to date. Since GCF collection is more technique sensitive than whole saliva (WS) collection, and GCF is a component of WS, we propose to determine the feasibility of assaying in dentin and cementum biomarkers in both oral fluids. Moreover, we propose to collect GCF and WS at multiple time points of orthodontic treatment to determine if the biomarkers appear in oral fluids before EARR is detected radiographically. If successful, our study will allow us to develop an accurate and non-invasive assay to predict, detect, and measure EARR prior to the onset of significant root loss in orthodontic patients. This project involves active participation of two MS in Orthodontics residents and directly contributes to orthodontics education. This award will provide the necessary support for Drs. Nervina and Papagerakis to generate preliminary data, write a scientific paper, and apply for NIH funding. If extended in a larger number of patients this project has the potential to transform the treatment modalities of orthodontics patients.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Lucia Cevidanes

Dr. Lucia Cevidanes is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Michigan, School of Dentistry. She was previously Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the UNC School of Dentistry. Dr. Cevidanes completed specialty training in 1994 and received PhD in 2003. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Her research interests include 3D imaging to solve difficult clinical problems in orthodontics, studying current and new treatment approaches and technical procedures, and understanding treatment outcomes for craniofacial anomalies and dentofacial deformities. Dr. Cevidanes has published over 60 scientific papers on 3D imaging since 2003 and the American Association of Orthodontics Foundation has played an essential role in her faculty development with previous awards. Her work has been recognized by the American Association of Orthodontics Graber Award in 2005, the Dewel Award in 2006 for the best clinical papers in the AJODO, the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Wuhermann Award in 2011. Her current work has now been funded by a Biomedical Research award from the American Association of Orthodontics Foundation.

The purpose of this project is to initiate the formation of a comprehensive model of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) utilizing the integration of data obtained from molecular biomarker analysis with 3D imaging provided by cone beam CT (CBCT). Specifically, we aim to develop an average 3D model of a healthy TMJ and a TMJ afflicted with OA that will help clinicians identify diseased joints, and to identify local and systemic biomarkers that help identify individuals with TMJ OA using TMJ synovial fluid and venous blood samples. Ultimately, it will be the goal of this study to identify potential correlations between biomarkers and 3D morphology and thereby provide the first steps towards an inclusive model of TMJ OA. Subjects (n= 15) meeting the given inclusion and exclusion criteria will be identified through the UNC Orofacial Pain and OMFS Clinics. Age and gender-matched controls (n= 15) will be selected through public advertisement. On all subjects and controls a complete exam will be completed by an Orofacial pain specialist, TMJ synovial fluid and blood drawn by an experienced OMF surgeon, and CBCT acquired using the NewTom 3G CBCT machine. All CBCTs will be evaluated by a qualified OMF Radiologist. Protein microarray technology will be used to analyze both biologic samples for a specified set of 75 biomarkers. The funding from American Association of Orthodontics Foundation the Foundation will help advance her career, establishing new standards for research in TMJ dysmorphologies.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Flavio Uribe

Dr. Flavio Uribe completed his dental school in the Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud in Medellin, Colombia. He then completed a residency and fellowship program in Advanced Education in General Dentistry at the University of Connecticut followed by a clinical certificate and Master in Dental Science Degree at the same institution where he is currently an associate professor and director of the residency program. Dr. Uribe's research interests are in the basic biology of tooth movement including mechanisms of enhancing the rate of tooth movement and translational research evaluating the effects of surgical procedures in the rate of tooth movement. Other research interests are in the area of biomechanics and new approaches to orthognathic surgery.

This project is aimed to evaluate corticision, a minimally invasive surgical approach that perforates the cortical plate through a small gingival incision made with a reinforced scalpel. Preliminary data using this model in rats showed that the rate of tooth movement was enhanced when this procedure was performed twice, with a week interval, compared to orthodontic tooth movement alone. More specifically, the goal of this study is to evaluate the relationship of two distinct force magnitudes (high vs low) when superposed to a corticision procedure. Immunohistochemical methods will be used to evaluate osteoclast activity. The long term objectives are to evaluate the cellular mechanisms that may contribute to the enhancement of the rate of tooth movement.

Orthodontic education will benefit from this project, as it will help to elucidate the combined role of force magnitude and surgical bone perturbation on the rate of tooth movement. As ancillary surgical procedures to enhance the rate of tooth movement gain popularity, it is necessary to understand what type of force levels may be needed to achieve increased efficiency in orthodontic treatment. The effects of these two stimuli at a cellular level will help understand how the system can be modulated to achieve increased tooth movement rates.

The AAOF is crucial in funding this type of projects as the results of this research pertains specifically to orthodontics. The specialty needs to explore new mechanisms able to modulate tooth movement and funds for this type of research are only made available through the AAOF. The data obtained from this project may serve as a basis to implement a clinical trial where canine retraction could be evaluated applying this same animal model.

These seed grants provided by the AAOF allow young clinician scientists to develop projects that yield preliminary data necessary to apply for larger grants funded by the government. We are deeply grateful to the AAOF for the support given to academicians seeking to advance the field through research.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Joorok Park

Assistant Professor
Department of Orthodontics
University of the Pacific
Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry

Biography

I studied dental medicine at University of Pennsylvania and completed my orthodontic residency at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in 2008. Upon graduation, I have been working as a full-time faculty at the Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry. I am involved in teaching didactic and clinical courses for pre-doctoral students and orthodontic residents. At the same time, I actively participate in numerous research projects with my mentors and teachers, Drs. Robert Boyd, Sheldon Baumrind, and Hee Soo Oh. I am excited to be part of a leading institution that promotes excellence in clinical care and research.

Project

When evaluating any skeletal asymmetry, an orientation of the head based in a specific frame of reference is needed before the 3D analysis of the craniofacial structures is performed. Recent studies on 3D imaging have proposed various frames of reference which can be used to reorient the volumetric image of the head. Orientation of the head using different frames of reference will result in varying measurement of skeletal asymmetry. I plan to study the effect of variation in the orientation of the head when different frames of reference are used. Specifically, I will quantify the amount of change in the orientation of the head by measuring the perceived displacement of anatomical points in the mandible. We believe that the findings of this study will be important in improving diagnosis and treatment planning of orthognathic surgeries and craniofacial anomalies cases.

Benefit to the orthodontic education

At present clinicians and researchers benefit from widely available CBCT units and their improving technologies. In transition from 2D to 3D cephalometric analysis, it is important to understand how 3D imaging works to accurately describe the craniofacial structure. Although a few three-dimensional analyses has been developed and suggested, their frames of reference have not been investigated for reliability and validity. It is important to understand the effect of using different frames of reference upon 3D analysis of the head, especially for the patients who may receive orthognathic surgeries. My project will serve to help establish the basis for any future 3D cephalometric analysis.

Importance of the Foundation

The fund from the AAOF OFDFA will support my goal to become a proficient educator and researcher. As I start my academic career, this award will be a motivation for me to continue to educate future orthodontists and conduct clinical researches that will benefit the orthodontic education.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Phimon Atsawasuwan

Dr. Phimon Atsawasuwan received his DDS in 1993 and MSc in Periodontics in 1996 from Mahidol University, Thailand, MSc in Periodontology from University College London, UK in 1997, a PhD in Oral Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2008 and MS in Oral Science and a certificate in Orthodontics from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2011. He was also a recipient of Thomas M Graber award of Special Merit from AAO. He is currently an Assistant Professor in the University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Orthodontics. The primary focus of his research is to understand molecular mechanisms of cranial suture development leading to the goal of the treatment of patients with craniofacial abnormalities. His research is also involved in the tooth formation mechanism.

AAOF support will help his research to gain an insight of cranial suture formation and fusion. Craniosynostosis is a condition in which cranial bones prematurely fuse together. It affects every 1 in 2,500 birth around the world. Children born with craniosynostosis will be subjected to numerous surgeries and faced with complications and never fully heal. Msx2 has been reported as one of the causative gene identified in nonsyndromic craniosynostosis. Dr. Atsawasuwan discovered a novel function of ameloblastin protein in the cranial suture formation. The overexpression of ameloblastin in cranial bone led to the delayed fusion of cranial sutures in animals. In addition, ameloblastin suppressed the expression of Msx2 in both animals and osteoblasts. The overexpression of ameloblastin delayed osteogenic differentiation in calvarial osteoblast cultures. Taken together, ameloblastin plays a role in cranial suture formation through Msx2 expression yet the molecular pathway is unclear. With AAOF support, Dr. Atsawasuwan will be able to pursue the experiments for better understanding of how ameloblastin regulates Msx2 expression.

Dr. Atsawasuwan commits himself to become a successful academic orthodontist and independently funded biomedical researcher. AAOF financial support will be important for him to generate preliminary data for NIH grant submission and also allocate time in the orthodontic education.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Christine Hong

Dr. Christine Hong is an Assistant Professor and serves as the Director of the Pre-doctoral Orthodontics Program and the Co-director of Research in the Section of Orthodontics at UCLA School of Dentistry.  She joined UCLA Section of Orthodontics as a full-time faculty member immediately after the completion of her orthodontic residency at UCLA, where she also received her M.S. in Oral Biology.  Her master's thesis was focused on assessing the stability of different miniimplant design variables currently available to orthodontic treatment and inventing a novel design to minimize root damage during insertion.  Dr. Hong obtained her dental education from Harvard School of Dental Medicine.  Prior to attending dental school she completed a 2-year research fellowship at the J. David Gladstone Institutes.  Since her undergraduate years at Cornell University, she has researched various topics ranging from molecular biology, neuroscience and biomedical engineering to psychosocial and clinical medicine.  To further enrich her professional development as an orthodontic educator, she participated in AAO's Academy of Academic Leadership Sponsorship Program, which was designed to refine skills for teaching and academic leadership.

The Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award from the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation will greatly support Dr. Hong's academic development in teaching and research.  Dr. Hong maintains her own laboratory involved in numerous research projects ranging from clinical and translational to basic science research.  Her current translational research involves in elucidating the failure of bone graft procedure and the relapse of palatal expansion, significant clinical problems in craniofacial orthodontics, using animal models for the stability of expansion and secondary bone graft in alveolar defect.  With the AAOF Award, Dr. Hong will be able to advance her ongoing translational research projects to answer important orthodontic clinical questions leveraging accumulated basic scientific and biomedical engineering knowledge.

The Orthodontic Faculty Development Award will provide Dr. Hong the opportunity to continue to develop her academic career as a full-time tenure-track faculty member at the UCLA School of Dentistry.  It will significantly further Dr. Hong's potential to strengthen orthodontic education for both pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students at UCLA.  She plans to establish herself as a scientist in clinical orthodontics and translational research, as a mentor to dental students and orthodontic residents, and as a practicing orthodontist.  Dr. Hong will be mentored by renowned molecular bone biologists, Dr. Kang Ting, the Chair of the Section of Orthodontics, and Dr. Cun-Yu Wang, the Chair of Oral Biology and Medicine and an Associate Dean for Graduate Studies at the UCLA School of Dentistry.  Under the faculty mentorship, Dr. Hong will follow a well-structured plan of research, teaching and clinical practice designed to nurture her academic career in orthodontics.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Sarandeep Huja

Dr. Sarandeep Huja is Professor and Division Chief of Orthodontics at the University of Kentucky. He is a member of the Angle Society and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Huja maintains an intramural faculty practice.

Current AAOF Award:

Failure rate of miniscrew devices remains relatively high. It is generally accepted that the biologic adaptation of miniscrew implants is similar to rigid endosseous implants. Our preliminary data suggest that small diameter mini-implants are not rigid. The purpose of the study would be to understand the role of device diameter on biologic response of bone in an environment with and without loading. Our central hypothesis is wider implant diameter osseointegrate while smaller diameter implants while biocompatible do not achieve complete osseointegration and rigid fixation as defined by histology and clinical evaluation. Our specific aims are: Aim 1: To determine the effect of device diameter on implant rigidity and osseointegration as measured by histomorphometric measurements. Aim 2: To determine the effect of diameter on clinical rigidity of the implants. We select a canine animal model to analyze and compare static and dynamic histomorphometric measurements to measure bone turnover adjacent to the implant, pattern of bone formation/resorption and bone contact. We anticipate that while the greater diameter implants will be rigid, smaller diameter loaded implants will demonstrate histological evidence suggesting lack of rigidity.

Early in Dr. Huja's career as an Assistant Professor, he received two teaching fellowship (2002 and 2004) were critical in helping with him with student loan. He has also seen how greatly AAOF awards have benefitted so many of his dedicated colleagues and friends, which make the impact of the AAOF even so much greater. It is with immense humility that he thanks his mentors for their support over the various AAOF applications.

Two (2006 and 2008) of the AAOF biomedical awards that he has received investigated the role of bone remodeling in jaws of mice and in a larger animal models to study the effect of bisphosphonates on bone healing around implants and extraction sites. The AAOF funding was the nidus for additional successful grant applications. The support allowed him to develop new research ideas, engage dental students, residents and a postdoctoral researcher. In addition, it has given him the opportunity to present at various AAO meeting, other invited lectures, prepare and publish manuscripts. The AAOF has generated a large body of knowledge through the support of various investigators. The knowledge generated fuels further discoveries and ideas by funding organizations unrelated to the AAOF.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Tung T Nguyen

Biography

I received my DMD from Tufts University in 2005 and completed my Masters in Orthodontics from the University of North Carolina in 2008. After completing the William R Proffit Teaching Fellowship, I joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina as an Assistant Professor where I serve as the Clinic Director for Pre-doctoral Orthodontics. I currently teach in the graduate orthodontics clinic and manage the skeletal anchorage clinic. I am a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics.

Project

The focus of my research is 3-D assessment of skeletal and soft tissue changes associated with Bone Anchored Maxillary Protraction (BAMP) for the treatment of young Class III patients. Funding from the 2010 and 2011 AAOF Fellowship was instrumental in getting my research started and helpful in dissemination of our data at national meetings/ publications. We found that BAMP treatment produced significant orthopedic changes in the maxilla, zygomas and the circum-maxillary sutures without dentoalveolar compensation and counter-clockwise rotation of the maxilla. Furthermore, BAMP produced skeletal changes in mandible including restraint of sagittal growth of the chin. This was achieved through a combination of distalization of the posterior ramus and condyles and closure of the gonial angle with adaptive remodeling of the glenoid fossa. The funding also used to develop new software tools to evaluate treatment changes/ growth. Shape correspondence analysis and 3-D regional superimposition tools.

One concern of a treatment modality that retrains mandibular growth is whether or not it will also affect the development of airway. Our project for this coming year will involve measuring the pharyngeal airway volumes in these Class III patients to determine what effects BAMP treatment has on airway growth. A major limitation of any airway study is that the volume captured in CBCT can be influenced by head posture, inspiration or exhalation during scanning, among multiple other factors. We will try to standardized image capture to minimize the effects of these confounding variables.

How orthodontic education will benefit from AAOF Award

Our research has shown that BAMP is promising approach for the early treatment of Class III malocclusion. This treatment modality produced orthopedic changes in young growing patient with minimal dentoalveolar compensations associated with facemask therapy. In addition, superimposition software designed for this project can applied to other orthodontic treatment methods to measure 3-D hard and soft tissue changes and evaluate growth. Lastly, we hope to gain more insight regarding the growth of the airway and determine whether or not orthodontic treatment can affect this in a positive or negative manner.

Why the Foundation is important to the Project

Without the support of the AAOF, the progression of my research would not have been possible. It allowed me to hire assistant for data collection and protected my time for manuscript preparation and development of new teaching materials. I am extremely grateful to the AAOF for their continued support.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Sundaralingam Premaraj

Dr. Sundaralingam Premaraj is the Graduate program director and an Assistant Professor in the Orthodontic Section, Dept. of Growth and Development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Dentistry, Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr. Premaraj received his dental training from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. He then completed his initial orthodontic training at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. He subsequently received a Ph.D. in Oral Biology and Orthodontic Certificate from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Premaraj is very grateful to AAOF for the continued support for his academic development. This biomedical research award will be used to fund a project designed to investigate the role of Parathyroid-Hormone related Protein (PTHrP) in orthodontic tooth movement. Characterization of molecular mechanisms that direct bone formation to the tension side and bone resorption to the compression sides of therapeutically loaded teeth are currently incomplete. Knowledge of these mechanisms is necessary to develop more efficient and predictable orthodontic treatment procedures. The long-term goal of my research is to understand the molecular pathways associated with orthodontic mechanotransduction, in order to identify molecular targets that can be manipulated to accelerate or impede tooth movement. This should result in more efficient orthodontic treatment with less risk of negative sequelae such as root resorption relapse.

The objective in this AAOF supported study is to determine the relative contribution of PTHrP to orthodontic loading-induced alveolar bone modeling. My working hypothesis is that compressive strain upregulates the PTHrP expression in PDL cells which leads to upregulation of RANKL production. The released RANKL functions in an autocrine and paracrine manner to modulate the osteoclastogenesis and ultimately control bone resorption. Relationship between orthodontic loading and PTHrP in PDL cells will be characterized by utilizing quantitative PCR, in-situ hybridization, ELISA, Western immunoblotting and RNA interference, in both in vitro and in vivo experimental approach. The proposed research is significant because it is expected to advance and expand understanding of molecular mechanisms of mechanotransductive events associated with orthodontic loading of PDL cells.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. James Chen

Bigraphy

I was born in Beijing, China, but I have spent almost all of my life here in the United States. I completed my undergraduate training at the University of California at Davis, with a major in Biochemistry. As for my dental training, I was a DDS/PhD combined student at the University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry (UCSF). I was extremely fortunate to have been accepted into the Orthodontic post-graduate residency program at UCSF, where after completion, I became a full time assistant professor in the Division of Orthodontics at UCSF. More recently, I became a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics. Usually when I have time in between teaching, conducting clinical research, and treating patients, I am out on the golf course.

My Research

The disproportion between those who have access to orthodontic care and those who do not is steadily increasing in the United States. The financial burden of orthodontic treatment and the lack of trained orthodontists in low socioeconomic communities are two major factors contributing to this crisis regarding access to orthodontic care. Government subsidized orthodontic treatment only covers about 1% of children who are eligible for state funded dental treatment. Phase I, early interceptive treatment, effectiveness is widely debated among orthodontic professionals. However, many of the appliances and techniques do effectively work and reduce the overall level of malocclusion. My research is centered on a specific early interceptive treatment protocol that UCSF has implemented at a local community clinic, which is aimed at improving the existing malocclusion and making later phase II orthodontic treatment elective rather than necessary for patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The goal of my research is to show that early interceptive care using a standardized removable appliance protocol is just as effective as fixed appliance early treatment, and offers a cost-efficient means of reducing later orthodontic need for patients from low socioeconomic backgrounds.

How orthodontic education will benefit from this research.

Early interceptive treatment is a hot topic in our field. Several studies can be found to support its importance or refute it. There is a current lack of knowledge on how early interceptive treatment can provide a great orthodontic outcome while minimizing the financial burden to families of low socioeconomic backgrounds. The broad goal of this research is to develop evidence based data so that other community clinics can implement similar programs, and thereby increasing access to care for all children.

Why the Foundation is important.

As a junior faculty just starting his academic career, financial resources are difficult to obtain. Many federal based avenues of financial support require extensive preliminary study data, which often times can be expensive. Having the support from the AAOF gives junior faculty, like myself, the necessary start up support to begin our research studies. The support given by the AAOF will greatly help me in starting my clinical research program and will be the springboard to other avenues of research support.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Scott Conley

Grant Type: 2012 Education Innovation Award

Title: Educational Innovation in Orthodontics: Novel Multicenter Faculty Career Enrichments in Orthodontics (FACEs in Orthodontics) Consortium

Principal Investigator Bio:

Dr. R. Scott Conley is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the University Of Michigan School Of Dentistry. He received his dental degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his orthodontic degree from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Division of Orthodontics. He is a past recipient of the Robert M. Ricketts AAOF Faculty Development Award, the 2005 and 2007 Edward H. Angle Research Awards and the 2007 CDABO Case Report of the Year Award. He is also a member of multiple professional societies including the Edward H. Angle Society and American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.

Brief Description of the Project:

Our team will organize and implement a pilot 15 month FACEs in Orthodontics program whose tentative proposed framework includes (a) developing collaborative curricula to provide core and customized offerings in teaching and research methodologies, and craniofacial anomalies to faculty at different levels of seniority within clinical and tenure track paths; (b) catalog and make available pre-existing resources for faculty developed by other organizations to enable individuals to select, utilize or participate in such activities; and (c) foster career development by creating online and digital media on academic careers, and by facilitating networking with senior mentors.

To successfully accomplish this task, we will undertake appropriate planning and focus group meetings of all investigators and an external Program Advisory Board of experts to: (a) refine preliminary programs, activities and outcomes outlined in Aim 2; (b) survey stakeholders on optimal delivery of activities and desired outcomes; and (c) utilize these findings to finalize, plan and deliver optimal enrichment experiences to interested faculty modified appropriately from those proposed below.

Finally, following the inaugural FACEs in Orthodontics program, we will receive input from participants (faculty, facilitators, mentees, and their chairs) through appropriate survey tools on the outcomes, strengths and weaknesses of the program. We will then utilize this information to refine and enhance the program for subsequent year(s), and future grant funding applications.

How Orthodontic Education will benefit:

We expect that the FACEs in Orthodontics Consortium could result in a long lasting and effective mechanism to improve the quality of faculty instruction and research that would enhance the education of future orthodontists. Other key advantages of the programs and approaches to be used include:

• Efficient and cost-effective delivery of courses and workshops to a critical mass of junior and mid-career faculty utilizing a small number of workshops that are supplemented by webinars, web conferences and digital materials. The pooling of intellectual resources and combining of efforts will result in cost-efficient mentorship of the participants.
• Because each department and investigator brings different strengths and diversity to the consortium and programs, it is possible that the outcome may be greater than the sum of the parts. Investigators or mentors from other programs that choose to join this effort will further enhance this effect and outcome.
• Over the long-term, the programs offered will likely create a multiplier effect by developing mentors and successful academics, who in turn can nurture a larger pool of individuals either through this mechanism or within their respective institutions.
• The incorporation of core foundational principles, customized instruction and reinforcements through follow up will help cater to a broad spectrum of individuals and ensure continued development and individualization of offerings for seniority and track as well as for the individual.

Why the Foundation is important:

The AAOF Foundation will provide a key portion of the financial resources necessary to initiate the FACEs in Orthodontics program. By attracting junior and midcareer faculty participants, the costs of the program will be divided amongst a relatively large number of individuals as opposed to each institution attempting to provide this faculty development on a one-on-one basis to very few faculty within each individual orthodontic program.

How Foundation funding might help advance career/specialty and how it has already helped if past recipient:

As a past recipient of an AAOF Faculty Development Award, I was able to undertake some of the FACEs Program development activities at my own institution which provided me with a foundation to be more successful in my personal academic career. The FACEs Program will make key development activities available to a broad group of junior and mid-career faculty enhancing their skills and the orthodontic education they provide. The ultimate result will be attracting more people to education and perpetuate the continued improvement of orthodontic education.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Sundaralingam Premaraj

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at New York University and Associate Director of Research and Development at NYU Bluestone Center for Clinical Research. I conduct both clinical and preclinical studies including work on TMD and orofacial pain. My career goal is to establish an independently funded translational research program that investigates mechanisms of orofacial pain. Over the course of my career I hope to train investigators who will advance our understanding of TMD and other painful pathologies of the head and neck.

Despite advances in orofacial pain research, our efforts are limited by inadequate models and measures of temporomandibular joint disorders. TMD models do not reflect the temporal and behavioral component of disease progression. A mouse model of TMD generated by voluntary orofacial function is not currently available. A mouse model is preferable because genetic models of disease are reproducible in these rodents. I seek to validate a device that generates function induced TMD in mice. The device (an automated feeder with prerequisite gnawing task) elicits voluntary, routine, masticatory-like function (gnawing) in the animal to produce joint and muscle overuse. Gnawing activity of the mouse can be titrated with my device. By creating a model of TMD that incorporates a more relevant natural history of orofacial pathologies, I hope to answer questions concerning the mechanical and molecular mechanisms that promote TMD. I recently received a national invention award for the instrument and assay that I will use to quantify orofacial function in the animal model.

I wish to express my gratitude to the AAOF for the Faculty Development Fellowship. Like most orthodontic departments, NYU relies on faculty for didactic and clinical education as well as for scientific progress. Support from AAOF affords more time for research. This award, in the form of a stipend, will facilitate research that greatly interests me and that will ultimately benefit patients. NYU dental students and residents will benefit as well because they are integrally involved in my research program.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Haitao Li

Biography

I received my dental degree from Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing, China in 1999. After a short period of practicing in general dentistry, I pursued my Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Science from University of Connecticut Health Center, where I studied bone biology using transgenic animal models. I received my Orthodontics specialty certificate and master degree in Oral Science from University of Illinois at Chicago in 2011. I become a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics soon after graduation. Currently I'm an assistant professor at Nova Southeastern University.

Proposed Research Project

I propose to study the function of the NUMB gene in enamel formation and tooth development. NUMB has been implicated to play roles in lineage commitment by both gain- and loss- of functions approaches. Its function has been attributed to the asymmetric distribution in daughter cells. My previous research identified a new NUMB mRNA sequence and possible new NUMB isoforms differentially expressed in dental tissues. We also discovered the specific expression pattern of NUMB in dental pulp cells, ameloblasts and odontoblats during early tooth development in mice. I propose to continue this research project by investigating the regulatory effects of NUMB, NOTCH1 and SHH during ameloblast differentiation, and to obtain the mRNA sequence of the NUMB isoforms expressed in different dental tissues.

How orthodontic will benefit from my award

Orthodontic will benefit from my award in several areas. The award supports my academic position so that I can focus on the education of the future orthodontists. These students will have the opportunities to participate in my research project. They will be able to appreciate the connections between research and clinical work. More importantly they will be able to contribute to the research studies that have great clinical implications. The research results from my project will provide information in understanding the stem cell self-renewal in amelogenesis, which has been one of the most important research goals in dental field.

Why the Foundation is important to the project

I pursue excellency in research, teaching and patient care through professional development, in order to serve as a leader in advanced dental and orthodontic education. The funding from Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award supports me in gaining such clinical knowledge and research skills that are necessary to reach my professional goal.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Lina Moreno Uribe

Moreno BRA Synopsis:

I received my DDS from the Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud (CES) University in 1991 in Medellin, Colombia-South America and my first orthodontic certificate in 1995 from University of Antioquia also in Colombia. I came to the U.S. in 1998 to study a PhD in Oral Sciences with concentration in Human Genetics and obtained my doctorate degree in 2005 from the University of Iowa. Subsequently, I completed a Post-Doctoral training working in the identification of genes causal for cleft lip and palate from2005-2006 and started my 2nd Orthodontic residency training in 2006, obtaining my certificate in 2008 also at the University of Iowa. Since the summer of 2008 I have been appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics-Dows Institute at the University of Iowa.

My research focuses on the understanding of the genetic factors underlying the abnormal dento-facial phenotypic variation present in patients with craniofacial anomalies such as nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate, moderate to severe malocclusion and Ectodermal dysplasia conditions. With support from the AAOF by means of an orthodontic faculty development award (AAOF-OFDA 2008-2012) and additional funds from the University of Iowa, I have been working on the implementation of methods for deriving complex multivariate dento-facial phenotypes via shape analyses such as geometric morphometrics and data reduction methods applied to both 2D and 3D facial hard and soft tissue records such as lateral cephs, CBCTs, dental models and facial surface images of patients with moderate to severe malocclusion. Once generated, these multivariate phenotypes will be correlated with genetic and environmental information that has been collected on these individuals. My AAOF-OFDA provided important seed funds for the initial phenotypic, genetic and environmental data collection which at this moment consists of 698 untreated adults with moderate to severe malocclusion. Results of this phenotypic characterization will be submitted for publication during the summer and fall of 2012. In addition, we have DNA and environmental data collected on 232 of these individuals and recruitment procedures are currently ongoing at a rate of 5 individuals per week.

Recently with the current 2012 BRA proposal I plan to perform a large candidate gene study of 250 individuals with moderate to severe malocclusion. For this analysis I plan to use all the extensive phenotypic data that I have analyzed so far in combination with genotypic data that will be generated in my lab for 147 candidate genes for craniofacial development and malocclusion. This work will serve as preliminary and as proof of principal for future R01 level funding applications tailored to perform whole genome genotyping and sequencing projects in the future to continue the search for genetic factors responsible for moderate to severe malocclusion. To this end, the continued financial support from the AAOF has been essential for establishing the necessary infrastructure to perform large genetic and environmental studies of malocclusion. Results of these studies will contribute to a better understanding of these conditions which will likely result in improved treatments and ultimately prevention of these disorders.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Pradip R. Shetye

Dr. Pradip R. Shetye is an Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery (Craniofacial Orthodontics) at NYU Langone Medical Center and Assistant Director of Craniofacial Orthodontics Fellowship. Dr. Shetye received his DDS from the New York University College of Dentistry, and his post-graduate Certificate in Orthodontics from St. Barnabas Hospital. He completed an Advanced Craniofacial Orthodontics Clinical Fellowship from the University of Illinois at Chicago and Craniofacial Orthodontics Research fellowship from the NYU Institute of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery. Dr. Shetye is Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Shetye also has earned his BDS and MDS in Orthodontics from India and MOrthRCS from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Dr. Shetye has received several awards for clinical excellence including the Henry Kawamoto Award from the American Society of Craniofacial Surgeons, Joseph E. Johnson Award and Charley Schultz Award both from the American Association of Orthodontics and T. C. White Award from the Royal College of Physician and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is a member of International Society of Craniofacial Surgery, American Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Association, American Association of Orthodontics and American Dental Association. Dr. Shetye's clinical and research interest primarily focuses on orthodontic treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate and craniofacial differences. He has published several papers and presented at international meetings in the field of cleft lip and palate and craniofacial surgery.

AAO Foundation Faculty Development Program

The proposed plan for this American Association of Orthodontists Foundation Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award is for one year at NYU Langone Medical Center. The specific goals to be achieved through the AAOF Faculty Development Award are to enhance my knowledge in clinical research and teaching in the area of this newly established subspecialty "Craniofacial Orthodontics" . I am actively involved in teaching and mentoring the craniofacial orthodontic fellows in our program. As an Assistant Director of the Craniofacial Fellowship Program, I am closely involved in the development of the curriculum and will work to further develop the craniofacial fellowship program. I have the privilege of having Barry H. Grayson, DDS and Joseph G. McCarthy, MD, as my mentors who are considered as the pioneers in the field of craniofacial orthodontic and craniofacial surgery.

Longitudinal growth analysis of mandibular asymmetry in untreated patients with unilateral craniofacial microsomia.

Background

The facial asymmetry associated with craniofacial microsomia is considered by some to be progressive in nature with growth (Kearns G. J. 2000). Early correction of the mandibular hypoplasia is advocated by those who believe in the progressive nature of the deformity and the need to reduce the development of secondary deformity (McCarthy J. G 1992 and Kaban L. B., 1988). Contrary to the above, other authors (Polley J. W.1997, Rune B., 1981, and Kusnoto B, 1999) feel that unilateral craniofacial microsomia is not a progressive skeletal deformity and the mandibular asymmetry remains constant throughout life. Most of the work previously published is either cross sectional study or have a small sample size and therefore presently substantial conclusions cannot be made.

Objective of the Study

To examine the longitudinal change in facial asymmetry in untreated growing children with unilateral craniofacial microsomia and to determine the difference in the growth rate in ramus height of the affected vs. the unaffected side of the mandible

Research Design and Methods

This is a longitudinal retrospective, posteroanterior and lateral cephalometric study to evaluate mandibular growth changes in untreated patients with unilateral craniofacial microsomia. Patients born between 1960 and 2005 with age range from 6 years to 12 years will be included in the study. All radiographic records gathered before any surgical intervention will be examined. Radiographs must be available at 2 time point with minimum of 2 years of interval to be included in the study. Patients sample will be grouped in 4 subgroups based on the Pruzansky classification Type I, Type IIa, Type IIb and Type III. Unaffected side will serve as a control. Seventeen variables will be studied on PA and Lateral cephalograms to assess the growth changes in mandibular ramus, body and total mandibular length on affected and unaffected side.

Significance

We have already published our research on the long-term growth in patients with unilateral craniofacial microsomia following unilateral mandibular distraction. This research is innovative because it will shed light in understanding the course of growth in unoperated patients with craniofacial microsomia. The data from this study will help the craniofacial surgeons and the orthodontist in determining the best timing for surgical intervention. The outcome of this study will also establish the group of patients that would best benefit from surgery based on Pruzansky classification.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Bo Hou

Biography

Dr. Bo Hou is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics at Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She received her dental degree from Beijing Medical University in 1999 and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine from Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 2008. Following her graduation, Dr. Hou continued her education at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, earning a certificate in Orthodontics in 2010. Dr. Hou's career goal is to advance translational research in the specialty of orthodontics and make contributions to orthodontic education.

Project

It is well known that adult patients can benefit from orthodontic treatment in conjunction with other dental therapies. However, many are unable to undergo proper oral rehabilitation due to various dental and medical conditions including severe periodontal disease, osteoporosis and the use of medications, such as bisphosphonates. On the other hand, even when older patients can tolerate extensive orthodontic treatment, it often leads to root resorption and bone loss. Therefore, more efficient and controllable tooth movement is critical for improving orthodontic treatment outcomes. Understanding the cellular and molecular control mechanisms of orthodontic tooth movement will provide insights into designing novel strategies to facilitate orthodontic tooth movement.

During the process of orthodontic tooth movement, periodontal ligament (PDL) cells play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis and regeneration in response to orthodontic loading, i.e. mechanical stress. It has been shown that the genes involved in osteogenesis are upregulated in PDL cells upon application of stretching or fluid flow in vitro; however, how PDL cells sense and respond to mechanical stress remains largely unknown. The goal of this study is to establish a 3D in vitro model of PDL and investigate the changes of PDL cells in response to mechanical stress on cellular and molecular levels.

Importance of AAOF award

I am honored for the continuous support from AAOF. The AAOF award is essential in the early stage of my academic career. It will provide funds to supplement my lab and allow me to collect preliminary data for other funding opportunities including NIH grants. The award will also help me improve my teaching skills. I am very grateful for the generous support of AAOF.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Benjamin Pliska

To the AAOF Board of Directors,

It is with sincere gratitude that I thank you for your continued support of my career in academics in the form of the 2012 Robert E Gaylord Teaching Fellowship Award. I am happy to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a faculty member so far and look forward to continue to teach and mentor students, carry out clinical research, and practice orthodontics.

My background includes being born and raised in Canada, where I grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. I attended the University of Western Ontario for Dental School, where I was honored to be Class President and to graduate at the top of my class in 2005. Immediately following my DDS, I pursued specialty training in Orthodontics at the University of Minnesota, and in 2007 was granted a certificate in Orthodontics and MS degree in Dentistry. My further qualifications include being a fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, and a diplomat of the American Board of Orthodontics. Since my graduation in 2007, I have worked in full-time academics, first at the University of Minnesota and now currently here at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The field of sleep disordered breathing is a relatively new area of study, and one in which orthodontists should play an instrumental role in developing. Orthodontics is the sole discipline where residents are trained specifically in the growth and development of the craniofacial structures and the management of any discrepancies through the use of dentofacial orthopedics. As evidence continues to emerge on the positive effects of maxillary expansion and mandibular advancement in the area of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), collaborative research with our medical colleagues is key to achieving a better understanding of the role an orthodontist can play in OSA treatment. My focus for the coming year is the development of a multi-disciplinary clinic for the treatment of children with obstructive sleep apnea within the context of prospective research protocols. Modeled after the more familiar team approach seen in Cleft LiplPalate clinics, this project will be in collaboration with the ENT division at BC Children's Hospital. Our initial planned investigation is to compare the effects of intranasal steroids to orthopedic maxillary expansion for children diagnosed with mild-moderate OSA. The aim of this controlled randomized crossover study is to identify the characteristics of patients successfully treated without tonsil and adenoid surgery, with the long-term goal of generating validated protocols for the non-surgical treatment of OSAS in select patients.

Through this research it is my objective to further develop the role of orthodontists in the treatment of sleep disordered breathing, particular in children and adolescents. The support of the AAOF has allowed me to focus on this goal in the development of my research career and I look forward to helping expand the presence of our profession into this growing medical field.

Again thank you for your continued support of my career in orthodontic education and the future of our great profession.

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Dr. Steven J Lindauer joined the faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University after graduating from the orthodontic program at the University of Connecticut in 1989.  He received Biomedical Research Awards from the AAOF in 1996, 2000, and 2002.  From 2006-2012, he served on the Planning and Awards Review Committee of the AAOF.  Dr. Lindauer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and a past-President of the North Atlantic Component of the Edward H Angle Society of Orthodontists.  Currently, he is the Norborne Muir Professor and Chair of the VCU Department of Orthodontics.  He is Editor of The Angle Orthodontist.  Dr. Lindauer has published more than 70 scientific research articles and book chapters and has lectured throughout the United States and around the world.

The Angle Orthodontist is the only major scientific orthodontic journal with an open access policy to allow free, convenient, and unencumbered use of its current and historical archives for readers throughout the world.  During the time that this policy has been in place, submission of new manuscripts for publication has increased exponentially.  The website housing the journal’s pages is visited >40,000 times by >25,000 unique visitors each month.  Today, the journal publishes contemporary papers of scientific and clinical value to researchers and practitioners.  It is indisputable that its archives are rich with articles of great historical and scientific value to the specialty.  The purpose of this project is to support the maintenance and continuation of the journal as a valuable, open access, digital resource for the future.

The objectives of this project are to maintain The Angle Orthodontist as an open access resource and to continue to improve the scientific level of the articles being published in the journal.  Specifically, the 3 Aims are to:

1. Obtain financial support from the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation to help maintain free, unencumbered, open access of The Angle Orthodontist online.
2. Implement a program of scientific review for submitted research manuscripts by orthodontic resident group discussions conducted under the supervision of experienced faculty members at participating schools.
3. Enroll The Angle Orthodontist as a participating member of the Cross Check Initiative to prevent plagiarism in the orthodontic literature.

To continue to improve the quality of articles published in the journal, The Angle Orthodontist is initiating a program involving orthodontic educational programs directly in the review process for submitted manuscripts.  Evidence suggests that a discussion group setting, such as that experienced by orthodontic residents in literature review seminars or “journal clubs”, leads to more in-depth analysis of submitted papers than evaluation by individuals as is currently the norm.  It is expected that this will benefit the journal as well as be helpful for orthodontic residents acquiring skills to interpret the literature and become life-long learners.  Residents will experience the process by which research gets published in their specialty and the importance of participating to shape the literature in orthodontics.

Support from the AAOF will be used directly to preserve online open access to The Angle Orthodontist.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Improving Orthodontic Patient Compliance with Gamified Digital Awards
Dr. Snehlata Oberoi

Biography
Dr. Oberoi is a practicing orthodontist with the Center for Craniofacial Anomalies at UCSF.  She is an Associate Clinical Professor at the UCSF School of Dentistry and provides teaching supervision to orthodontic and pediatric dentistry residents and students.  Her research focuses on developing new methods to assess treatment outcomes for craniofacial anomalies.  She has published in over 35 peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as written four book chapters.  She is the PI of this project, and will lead the team as well as provide patient, parent, and orthodontist perspectives in developing the mobile app and web application.  She will guide how information will be presented in the web application, and provide expert opinion on app usability, as well as the type and frequency of incentives that should be offered.

Project Description
Ideal orthodontic treatment outcome is partly determined by patient compliance.  This study is designed to address the problems of patient compliance through the development of a sensor and mobile app that will work in tandem to objectively collect removable orthodontic appliance wear-time, and use the wear-time data in the mobile app to reward patients when they adhere to treatment.  The long-term goal of this project is to bring to the market our innovative model of patient compliance, so all orthodontists will have the ability to evaluate patient compliance in real time.  The funds would be used for supplies, equipment, and software, as well as to support non-student personnel and cover travel expenses.

Patient compliance is critical for ideal orthodontic treatment results and for long-term occlusal stability through retainer wear. Due to the importance of patient compliance, many methods have been developed to improve compliance, mostly through practice management techniques. We propose to explore if cloud-based technologies can be used to improve patient compliance. The current level of technology can allow for sophisticated temperature sensors to work in conjunction with Bluetooth devices to transmit information. The long-term goal of this project is to implement our innovated technologies into a large human clinical trial to evaluate the improvement in patient compliance. The central hypothesis is that development and implementation of a novel Bluetooth 4.0-enabled temperature sensor working in conjunction with a novel patient-facing mobile application is judged as a positive adjunct to patient compliance by patients, parents, and orthodontists. To address this hypothesis, we propose the following Specific Aims:
1) Develop Removable Orthodontic Appliance with Wireless Temperature Sensor
2) Develop Patient-facing Mobile App and Clinician-facing Web Application
3) Acceptability Testing & Preliminary Hardware/Software Testing

Applications to Orthodontic Education
Ideal orthodontic treatment largely depends on patient compliance, and the current standard of tracking progress remains to be subjective clinical observation. This study will benefit orthodontic education by providing insight to improving compliance in a way that is applicable to modern society, while providing objective patient wear-time information to patients and providers.  From the data we will gather from this and our projected larger clinical study, we will plan further miniaturization of the technology and adapt it to other types of orthodontic appliances, such as headgear or functional appliances.

In summary, the AAOF has afforded me the opportunity to develop my research project and in acquiring skills in teaching, clinical research and expertise in providing orthodontic treatment for all patients, including those with craniofacial anomalies in an academic environment. This will enhance my teaching and research abilities and thereby increase my contributions to the orthodontic pre and postdoctoral students at UCSF.

Importance of AAOF
It is an honor to be the recipient of the AAOF 2013 Biomedical Research Award. The AAO Foundation is an excellent resource for junior faculty and investigators to develop their career plans and provides invaluable support for professional and academic career development.

The AAO Foundation is instrumental for this project by supporting research in novel approaches to increase patient compliance in orthodontics. The AAO Foundation award has provided necessary funds for me to start an independent research project, hopefully yielding pilot data as basis for future NIDCR funding.

Career goals
AAOF has been an integral part of advancing my career in the past, especially for the 2007 Robert E. Binder Teaching Fellowship Award and the 2006 Albert P. Westfall Memorial Teaching Fellowship Award. These awards had afforded me the opportunity to develop my research project and acquire skills in teaching, clinical research, and expertise in orthodontic treatment for patients with craniofacial anomalies.  In the same way, this year's Biomedical Research Award will allow me to pursue an independent research project on novel approaches to increase patient compliance.  With this award, I would have the means of furthering my interest in patient compliance research, and provide invaluable support for professional and career development.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Dina Stappert

Biography
I received my BA at the University of California Irvine in 2001. I completed my dental training and PhD at the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Germany.  The actual research took place at New York University in the Department of Biomaterials. I subsequently completed my advanced education in orthodontics at New York University in 2009.  I joined the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Maryland in April 2012 and hold a full time position as an Assistant Professor. I feel privileged to be part of a leading institution that strives for excellence in clinical care, education and research. I am now serving as the course director for various pre-doctoral courses as well as teaching our graduate orthodontics courses. I am honored to be supporting master students and mentoring their research projects for their master thesis.

Project
The impact of nonautogenous bone graft on orthodontic tooth movement is not well understood. In recent years, the use of xenografts and alloplasts has gained a critical role in surgical dentistry. This demands the question of whether, and to what degree, orthodontic tooth movement is possible in regenerated areas of the alveolar bone and identify the intermediate and long term sequelae. An extensive literature review and meta analysis indicates a lack of clinical data on this topic. The goal of my clinical study is to move, by orthodontic means, a tooth into an area of the alveolar bone which has been augmented and morphed with allograft. The aim is to alter the periodontal architecture to enhance function, stability and esthetics for orthodontic patients. Furthermore, the investigation seeks to understand to which extent the osseous topography can be favorably influenced by orthodontic tooth movement after bone grafting. The question at hand is whether local bone mass and bone topography can be redefined when implementing allograft bone augmentation for orthodontic tooth movement.

Benefit to Orthodontic Education
The education of orthodontics is ever changing with continuous incorporation of new science and technologies. Bone graft material may have useful applications in situations where loss of alveolar bone may compromise orthodontic tooth movement (dentofacial deformities, alveolar clefts, periodontal disease, osseous lesions, cystic lesions, odontogenic tumor lesions, severe malocclusions). Achieve fewer side effects (i.e. fenestrations, dehiscences, root resorption, recessions, gingival invaginations and buccal bone deficiencies after premolar extraction) and gain accelerated rates of tooth movement. It could provide a helpful option to reduce surgical expenses in grafting procedures of clefts, to avoid adverse effects such as gingival invaginations, recessions and may give rise to broader orthodontic treatment scope and scale.

Importance of the Foundation
I am very grateful to have received the T. M. Graber Teaching Fellowship Award for the support for my academic development. This fund will not only support my goal to become a proficient educator and researcher, it will also be a motivation for me to continue to educate future orthodontists and conduct relevant clinical research that will benefit orthodontic education.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Robert E. Binder Teaching Fellowship Teaching Award

Thyagaseely Sheela Premaraj, BDS, PhD

Dr. Thyagaseely Sheela Premaraj is an Assistant Professor in the Orthodontic Section, Dept. of Growth and Development at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College Of Dentistry, Lincoln, Nebraska. Dr. Premaraj received his dental training from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. She obtained her PhD in Anaerobic Bacteriology from Osaka University in Japan. She also completed a Diploma degree in Medical Microbiology at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.  She subsequently received her Orthodontic Certificate from University of Nebraska Medical Center.

As a full-time faculty in orthodontics at UNMC from March of 2011, Dr. Premaraj is currently a course director for three pre-doctoral orthodontic courses and an instructor to six graduate orthodontic courses. In addition, she is the director of research for the section of orthodontics.

Dr. Premaraj maintains a research laboratory at the UNMC and her research program seeks to understand the supra gingival bacterial plaque contribution to enamel decalcification during orthodontic therapy. As the first step in understanding the bacterial pathophysiology of development of white lesions during fixed appliance therapy, we intended to use DNA based molecular approaches to investigate the species compositional changes which occur with the introduction of new environment with braces. Once this complex community changes are identified the second part of the research would focus on understanding how the bacteria communicate with one another within this biofilm to build a successful community.  This basic information is necessary to target disruption of the biofilm to prevent initiation/ progression of enamel decalcification and tooth decay.  On the other hand she is also interested in looking into other aspects of preventing enamel decalcification as the etiology of this process is multifactorial in nature involving bacteria, diet , a suitable individual and an enamel surface. In this particular research a possibility of mechanically prevent the enamel surface from bacterial acid attack would be looked into; Which implies investigating into orthodontic primer/s which would have properties such as micro hardness, wear resistance and color stability in addition to their ability to withstand acid attack to protect enamel surface for a long duration of time.  

Dr. Premaraj is very grateful to AAOF for the support for her academic development. Financial support from the AAOF is very important for Dr. Premaraj to achieve her academic career goals.

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AAOF 2013 Biomedical Research Award

Dr. Do-Gyoon Kim

Dr. Kim's undergraduate training was in biology at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.  He received his Ph.D degree of mechanical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY. His Ph.D dissertation focused intensively on biomechanics of bone-implant interfaces from the microscopic point-of-view. Dr. Kim's training was extended to the macroscopic aspect of bone-implant biomechanics focusing primarily on an interfacial failure of total joint replacements in SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY. When he joined the Bone and Joint Center at Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, his research topics focused on assessment of tissue stress variability and strength in vertebral bone including a large scale finite element analysis based on micro-CT images. Currently, as a faculty at the Orthodontic division of The Ohio State University, Dr. Kim is expanding his research career to orthodontic applications. He has published over 30 peer-reviewed journal papers and managed several projects sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH), corporate and foundation.

The objective of this project is to examine the role of degree of bone mineralization (DBM) parameters in controlling dynamic masticatory loading demand and its applicability to the diagnosis of the mechanical stability of oral bone regions with complications. Three specific aims will be addressed.

Specific Aim 1: Determine correlations of nanoindentation elastic modulus with viscoelastic and plastic mechanical parameters at the tissue level of trabecular and cortical bone in human cadaver mandibles.

Specific Aim 2: Determine correlations of micro-CT and clinical cone beam CT (CBCT) based DBM parameters with elastic, viscoelastic, and fracture mechanical parameters at the macro level of trabecular and cortical bone in human cadaver mandibles.

Specific Aim 3: Assess the bone mineral distribution at oral complication sites using clinical CBCT images obtained from a patient database.

Outcomes from this project will be translated to help accomplish our long-term goal of developing an innovative strategy for early diagnosis to reduce the potential risk of progressive deterioration of the mechanical stability of oral bone with complications under dynamic masticatory loading. In particular, for the orthodontic education, this project will reveal how clinical CBCT based analysis of oral bone mineral distribution can provide baseline information to help improve orthodontic treatment.

While funding sources for orthodontic researches are very limited, the AAOF continuously supports basic scientific projects through biomedical research awards. Thus, this award program plays a central role in providing innovative knowledge and evidence based treatments for orthodontics.

This biomedical award mechanism is more important for pure scientists and engineers who develop their academic career in orthodontic fields. I received this AAOF biomedical research award in 2008. It was the first extramural funding when I started my career as a mechanical engineer who works in orthodontic division. This first success motivated the consecutive funding from other sources including NIH and corporates. I anticipate that this second award will help advance the current knowledge of oral bone mechanics to be more applicable in early diagnosis of oral complications.  

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AAOF 2013 Biomedical Research Award

Dr. Sercan Akyalcin

Sercan Akyalcin, D.D.S., Ph.D., is an assistant professor on tenure track in the Department of Orthodontics at The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston (UTSD). Upon the completion of his orthodontics specialty training and PhD dissertation, he began his teaching career at the University of Manitoba in Canada. In 2009, he received the American Association of Orthodontists Full-time Faculty Fellowship, and University of Manitoba Excellence in Classroom Teaching Awards. In the beginning of 2011, he moved to Houston and began his current position at the UTSD. He received the American Association of Orthodontists Academy of Academic Leadership Award in 2011 and successfully finished the Institute for Teaching and Learning program in affiliation with American Dental Education Association. In 2012, his faculty development plan brought him one of the prestigious fellowship awards distributed by the American Association of Orthodontists Foundation (AAOF), the 'Eugene E. West Memorial Fellowship Award'. His areas of interest include orthodontic treatment mechanics, imaging, digital diagnosis and treatment planning, facial and smile esthetics, and materials science. His laboratory investigates the use and application of various technological advancements in orthodontics and craniofacial imaging. His current motive in academics is to strive for excellence in both research supervision and clinical training of graduate orthodontic residents. He actively serves on the editorial review boards of many journals including American Journal of Orthodontics, Angle Orthodontist, and Journal of World Federation of Orthodontists.

In his awarded research project, Dr. Akyalcin will be using three-dimensional registration techniques performed on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) generated images to examine the consequent changes following heavy interrupted force application and accordingly examine the degree and pattern of root resorption. His study will contribute to the orthodontic literature and education by demonstrating the pattern and nature of this clinical complication with both quantitative and visual methods. In the long-term this method may be developed into a sensitive tool for detection of root resorption using limited field of view CBCT scans. In the last year, through the faculty development fellowship award, AAOF has generously supported Dr. Akyalcin's faculty development plan that provide a solid foundation on which to build a successful and long-term career in dental education. AAOF's 2013 Biomedical Research Award is of tremendous importance to young clinicians like Dr. Akyalcin who also has the appropriate training to potentially develop into independent investigators. The funds will be used to purchase essential equipment, software and to supplement the institutional support in the establishment of the proposed research protocol. Dr. Akyalcin is thankful to his mentors along with the AAOF in support of his strong desire to become a successful and impactful academician that will lead to a leadership position in the field of Orthodontics.

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Biomedical Research Award Synopsis

Dr. Sumit Yadav

Dr. Yadav is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Orthodontics at University of Connecticut Health Center. He has published over 35 peer reviewed journal papers. Currently, working with Dr. David Rowe, he is expanding his research arena and has been redefining the cellular anatomy of the mandibular condylar cartilage and is approaching this problem from a systems biological perspective.

Project Synopsis:
The objective of this research is to provide a cellular, molecular and mechanistic understanding of the condylar cartilage, both during the normal function and degenerative states. Our central hypothesis is that the health of the condylar cartilage is dependent on a lineage capable of self-regeneration from a resident progenitor population that progresses to mature cells, which determines the ability of the cartilage to resist compressive forces and to exclude osteogenic cells.

The aims of this research are
SA 1: To validate that the GFP reporters are lineage markers for different cell types in the condylar cartilage
SA 2: To assess the chondrogenic lineage response to mechanical loading

Benefit to Orthodontic Education:
Tile NIDCR/NIH has reported that temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease is the second most common musculoskeletal disease in United States. Lack of knowledge of condylar cartilage biology, has limited us in translating regenerative therapies to treat joint condition. The research proposed, in the application is innovative, as it provides greater understanding of the heterogeneity of the cells that populate condylar cartilage. We believe that once the cellular heterogeneity of the condylar cartilage is characterized, it will lead to new regenerative treatment modalities and the ability to examine diseases of the joint in a cell type specific manner.

Importance of AAOF Funding:
The AAOF biomedical grant will provide me the opportunity to publish preliminary data, which will be essential to launch my career as a funded NIH clinical orthodontist scientist with a focus on basic science questions related to clinical issues in orthodontics.

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Biomedical Research Award Synopsis

Dr. Monica Schneider

Biography

Dr.  Monica Schneider is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Maryland, School of Dentistry.  Dr. Schneider received her dental training from the Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru.  She completed her orthodontic training at the University of Minnesota where she received a Certificate in Orthodontics and Masters of Science degree.
Dr. Schneider serves as Director of Pre-doctoral Orthodontics and is currently course director of 3 pre-doctoral orthodontic courses.  She is also actively involved, in the Graduate Program in Orthodontics through clinical and didactic teaching activities.

Description of the Project

The long term goal of this project is to identify a minimally invasive approach to accelerate the rate of tooth movement during space closure in adult patients. Orthodontic treatment in adult patients frequently takes longer time than in adolescent patients.  While technological developments provide materials and appliances that can produce more efficient treatment, the speed of treatment is still controlled by the biological response of bone and periodontal tissues. 

Limited shallow perforations of the buccal cortical plate appear to be sufficient to accelerate bone remodeling and therefore the rate of tooth movement.  Although this minimally invasive technique seems promising, there is a critical need to validate its outcome through controlled clinical studies. 

We plan to address this issue by proposing two specific aims.  Aim 1 will determine whether osteoperforation procedures accelerate tooth movement during space closure. Aim 2 will identify the effects of a second osteoperforation procedure on the rate of tooth movement.

How orthodontic education will benefit from the Award

This study promises to have a great impact in clinical practice.  The proposed technique has shown to have similar clinical outcomes to those obtained by conventional corticotomy.  Despite these similarities, key advantages of the proposed osteoperforation procedure include factors such as:   minimally invasive, very minor trauma and simple to perform.  By demonstrating that this technique accelerates tooth movement in adult patients we envision producing a more efficient orthodontic treatment that is evidence based and satisfy the needs of the adult population.

Why the Foundation is important to the Project and Academic Career

It is an honor to be the recipient of the AAOF 2013 Biomedical Research Award.  The AAOF is critical in funding research projects that are focused on clinical orthodontics.  We anticipate that the results from this study will be of great significance to orthodontic therapy.  The support from the AAOF is instrumental in motivating orthodontic educators and researchers in advancing the scientific aspects of clinical orthodontics.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Synopsis

Dr. Andree Montpetit

After obtaining my dental degree in 2004 at the University of Montreal, I spent two years as a dental resident at the Montreal's Children's Hospital (a residency program affiliated with McGill University). Subsequently, I returned to the University of Montreal to complete my specialty training in Orthodontics in 2010, obtaining a Master's degree. I was honored when the orthodontic program director approached me during my final year to offer me a part-time teaching position. One year later, when a full-time position became available, I didn't hesitate to apply. It was very gratifying to be selected for the position, since that previous teaching experience made me realize how much I enjoyed it, and that my career goal was to be involved in orthodontic specialty education. I am blessed to be surrounded by an exceptional team of experienced professors, some of whom are world-renowned experts in my areas of research interest. It is stimulating, as well, to have motivated residents who are constantly forcing me to stay up to date with all the new information, publications and technologies.

My areas of research interest are in sleep disordered problems; these include obstructive sleep apnea, sleep bruxism and clenching. I'm interested in the effects of different appliances (sagittal myofunctionnal appliances, expansion appliances, clear aligners…) on the temporo-mandibular joints, the orofacial muscular complex and their impact on sleep parameters. These subjects are currently part of different ongoing research projects at the Faculty, and I am presently directing or co-directing five residents on these multiple projects. With respect to the clinical aspect of my teaching involvement, I was given the task of integrating the Invisalign® technique as part of the regular clinical training of the residents. As the demand for esthetic options is growing with more and more adults interested in orthodontic treatment, it is essential that the orthodontic specialist is well-trained to properly select and treat patients with this appliance.

I am honored to be the recipient of the 2013 Subtelny, Baker, Eastman Teaching Fellowship Award for the project titled "Long Term Effect of Continuous Wear of Invisalign® Trays on the Temporo-Mandibular Joints (TMJ) and the Muscles of the Facial Complex". This award will help in acquiring the proper equipment for the project to run smoothly, in hiring the qualified personnel for precise tasks and in allowing the residents and me to present the results at multiple international conferences. Publication of these results will also be a priority.
It is a great honor to receive this award from the AAO Foundation. It is definitely a strong motivator for those pursuing an academic career, and for those who wish to contribute to orthodontic specialty education. It will also hopefully play an important role in the advancement of the profession.

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Biomedical Research Award Synopsis

Dr. Heesoo Oh

Biography

Dr. Heesoo Oh is currently Associate Professor and Program Director of the Department of Orthodontics at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, CA. She received her DDS, MS in Pedodontics, and PhD in Oral Biology from Chonnam National University in Kwangju, Korea. She later earned her MSD in Orthodontics at the University of the Pacific. Upon completing her graduate studies in 2005, she became a full-time faculty member at the University of the Pacific. She has since been actively involved in a number of research projects conducted in the Craniofacial Research Instrumentation Laboratory (CRIL) where she now serves as Associate Director.

Project Description

Stability of the occlusal outcome is one of the most important goals of orthodontic treatment. Investigation of long-term stability after orthodontic treatment has been one of the most challenging subjects of clinical orthodontic research. Compared to untreated subjects, little evidence based on random samples is available on the stability of corrections for malocclusions treated by expert clinicians under standard practice conditions. This project constitutes the basis for an interesting long-term study involving the systematic recall of patients who are ten or more years out of retention. The major questions are whether, and to what extent, the post-treatment skeletal and dental changes in treated patients are different from the normal physiologic process observed in untreated subjects using longitudinal records from the AAOF legacy collection. Moreover, this study will also evaluate the long-term status of teeth that experienced root resorption during active orthodontic treatment and determine whether the resorptive process is associated with stability of incisor alignment. In addition, it will shed some light on the ongoing controversial question of whether long-term occlusal stability of Class II correction varies among patients treated at different times and with different modalities.

Importance of the AAOF Award

My long term professional goal is to develop into an excellent clinical orthodontic research investigator. The previous AAOF Orthodontic faculty development awards that I received helped solidify my interest in pursuing an academic career. The Biomedical Research award by AAOF this year would provide the assistance needed in preparing additional grant support.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank the AAOF for everything that they have done and continue to do for our profession.

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Research Aid Award Synopsis

Dr. Karthikeyan Subramani

In vitro evaluation of osteoblast response and activity on Carbon nanotube-coated Titanium surfaces

Biography:
Dr. Karthikeyan Subramani is a 1st year Orthodontic Resident at the Division of Orthodontics, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA. He was the recipient of the “Andre Schroeder Research Prize” from Straumann in 2006. He has worked in Switzerland, Connecticut (USA) and Netherlands on projects funded by Straumann. He has edited 2 books titled “Emerging Nanotechnologies in Dentistry” and “Nanobiomaterials in Clinical Dentistry” published by Elsevier in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

Brief description of the project:
While Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs) have become increasingly utilized by orthodontic professionals to assist in the process of moving teeth, commercially available TADs exhibit a disappointing 25 to 40% failure rate. Currently TADs are manufactured with smooth titanium surfaces (pure titanium or titanium alloy (Ti–6Al–4V)) because complete osseointegration is a disadvantage which complicates the removal of TADs. On the other hand, lack of osseointegration is also one of the factors for the failure of TADs. The success of TADs also depends on other factors like proper initial mechanical stability, loading quality and quantity. Clinically there are difficulties encountered in the removal of TADs due to increased osseointegration even on the smoother surface of the TADs. Therefore the balance lies in the fabrication of an ideal surface that could stimulate initial osseointegration and facilitate the removal of TADs once after the desired tooth movement is achieved. 

Having a layer of nanoscale structure like carbon nanotubes coated on the titanium surface would stimulate initial osseointegration and it is hypothesized that it can act as an interfacial layer facilitating the removal of TADs. We also hypothesize that TADs which are partially or fully coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs), would exhibit a reduced failure rate over the current TADs without overly enhancing osseointegration that would impede their removal.  To evaluate these hypotheses, we will test the biological responsiveness of rat bone marrow-derived osteoblasts to uncoated titanium surfaces and surfaces coated with functionalized/non-functionalized single or multi-walled CNTs in this in vitro study.  Our objective is to evaluate osteoblast adhesion, proliferation and differentiation on these surfaces in vitro and to determine whether the presence of CNTs positively or negatively influence osteoblast response.  We hope to identify a titanium surface coated with CNTs that will facilitate enhanced osteoblast adhesion and activity without producing adverse effects on osteoblast response.

The specific aim of this in vitro study is to coat single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on titanium surfaces (discs) and to evaluate osteoblast responses (adhesion, proliferation and differentiation) on these CNT-coated titanium substrates. Uncoated titanium surface and a glass substrate will be used as controls. Functionalized and non-functionalized CNTs will be coated on to titanium discs and the surface characteristics will be evaluated using Scanning Electron Microscopy and surface profilometry before cell culture experiments. Rat bone marrow-derived osteoblasts will be cultured on to these substrates and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), confocal, fluorescent and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) will be employed to evaluate osteoblast adhesion, proliferation and differentiation using DNA, alkaline phosphatase, total protein analyses and mineralized matrix formation assays in cell culture.

We hypothesize that carbon nanotube coated titanium surface can stimulate osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, differentiation and mineralized matrix formation in vitro. The effect of functionalized and non-functionalized SWCNT/MWCNT coating on titanium surface will also be evaluated in this study. The results from this in vitro study will be beneficial for the design of an ideal surface for evaluation in a separate animal study in the future. The funding from AAOF will be of immense support for this project and to the orthodontic community to explore further and utilize carbon nanotube-coated titanium surface for its applications in orthodontic mini-implants (TADs).

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Research Aid Award Synopsis

Dr. Wuchen Yang

Biography:
Dr. Yang is a resident in the Division of Orthodontics at University of Connecticut Health Center. She received her dental training at Jiao Tong University School of Medicine at Shanghai, then obtained a Master degree in Oral Biology at University of Missouri at Kansas City, and received a PhD degree in biomedical sciences at University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr Yang's multidisciplinary training in biomedical research extends to areas such as cellular and molecular biology, systems biology, bone biology, stem cell biology, bioinformatics, in vivo animal models, and imaging.

Project Synopsis:
Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 (BMP2) is  a potent factor in periodontium reconstruction. rhBMP2 is suggested to be capable of driving dental follicle cells towards cementoblasts and alveolar bone, and stimulating the secretion of new mineral matrix. However, the fundamental role of endogenous BMP2 action in periodontium development and repair remains largely unknown. We hypothesize that BMP2 is necessary for proper cementum formation by regulating mesenchyme derived cells, and continue to play a crucial signaling role in the process of cellular cementogenesis throughout adult life for self healing. In vivo loss-of-function system is proposed to study the role of endogenous BMP2 action in cementogenesis. The proposed study will advance our understanding of cementogenesis at a molecular level, specifically, with the molecular pathways involved with cementogenesis wherein such pathways are regulated by BMP2, thereby lay a foundation for designing novel and effective therapies for root repair or prevention of root resorption.

Benefit to Orthodontic Education:
Root resorption occurs in more than 90% of orthodontically treated teeth. Moreover, issues relating periodontal compromised conditions warrant more consideration in current orthodontics practice with the emerging increase of adult patients. Thus it is important for us to find solutions to prevent and treat this common problem in orthodontics. Besides the significant relevance in orthodontics, regeneration of the disease-damaged periodontium has been a great interest to other dental specialties, such as tooth regeneration in dental restoration, treating periodontitis in periodontics, and root healing after endodontic root resection surgery in endodontics. This research project will expand our fundamental knowledge of cementogenesis and root formation, thus lay a foundation for designing therapies for root repair or regeneration.

Importance of AAOF Funding:
It is an honor to be the recipient of the AAOF research aid award. This award is instrumental for the prosecution of the proposed research project by providing necessary funding for me to start an independent research investigation. The support from AAOF will provide me the opportunity to publish preliminary data and support me to develop my potential as a clinician scientist.

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Biomedical Research Award Synopsis

Dr. Sunjay Suri

i) Biography

Dr Sunjay Suri has been providing orthodontic treatment to children and adults since 1995 with a lifetime goal of delivering excellent care to individuals with craniofacial anomalies in equal measure to all others. He prepared for this by training in three reputed cleft and craniofacial centers: the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and a certified specialist in orthodontics. He joined the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto in 2006 as an assistant professor and is currently a tenured full-time associate professor of orthodontics, having both didactic and clinical teaching responsibilities in the graduate orthodontic and undergraduate programs.  He is also a staff orthodontist at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto since 2006, where he treats children with craniofacial anomalies, special needs and severe malocclusions. In addition, Dr Suri is assigned as the director of the Centre for Clinical Research and co-director of the Burlington Facial Growth Centre at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto. His clinical research interests are mainly related to cleft lip and palate and craniofacial anomalies, children with special needs, facial growth and development, and clinical orthodontics. He has published 27 papers in the peer reviewed literature and 3 chapters related to these areas.

ii) Brief description of the project

Facial esthetic impairment in individuals with cleft lip and palate forms a major part of their challenge that results from this congenital deformity. Several factors related to tissue deficiency, growth restriction following surgical repair, and impaired longitudinal facial growth of the hard and soft tissues lead to differences in their facial profile. In this study, I along with my collaborators aim to evaluate the differences in the growth of the soft tissue profile between growing children with clefts and their non-cleft controls. The specific questions we seek to answer are: What are the characteristics of longitudinal growth of the soft tissue profile in growing children with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP)? Are there significant differences in growth of their soft tissue profile from that of unaffected children, and if so, where in the facial soft tissue profile are these differences located? Are the differences affected by gender, individual growth patterns or specific reparative surgeries? To what extent does their soft tissue profile reflect the underlying skeletal profile? These questions have not been answered satisfactorily to date. The clinical relevance of these questions is enormous, both to individuals born with UCLP, who grow up with these differences, many of which become profound during the adolescent period, and to clinical treatment providers (orthodontists and surgeons) who need to time and sequence the correct treatment at the most appropriate time.

We will use longitudinal cephalometric radiographs of children with complete UCLP at three time points: 6-7 years, 11-12 years and 18 years, retrieved from the archives of the craniofacial center of The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. These will be compared with those from an equal sized sample with comparable age and gender, of unaffected children with normal Class I skeletal growth, selected from the archives of the Burlington Growth Center.

iii) How orthodontic education will benefit from this award

The study of facial growth and development in individuals with normal growth patterns as well as those with craniofacial anomalies is an integral part of orthodontic education. Our research findings will significantly add to the existing knowledge in this field.

iv) Why the Foundation is important to this project

AAOF support will enable engaging research staff and personnel, purchasing equipment and materials and cover other expenses related to disseminating the knowledge that will be generated by this research through scientific presentations and publications. Clinical research that leads to a better understanding of craniofacial anomalies leads to better treatment possibilities. Thus, the foundation's support to this research project will have far reaching effects in improving craniofacial care. 

v) How Foundation funding is expected to or has benefitted my career

I was a recipient of the AAOF's Eugene E West Memorial Faculty Development Fellowship Award in 2008. During the period of that award, I initiated and completed several research projects, the results of which have subsequently been published in peer reviewed journals. I was also able to participate in and present research findings in scientific meetings and conferences. Similarly, the current award to support the costs associated with this research project is expected to substantively contribute in meeting the aims of the project.

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Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Richard Christian Solem

Dr. Christian Solem will be a fellow in craniofacial orthodontics at the University of Michigan. He plans to continue as full-time orthodontic faculty, focusing on clinical research and pre-doctoral education. His research investigates the etiologies of asymmetric mandibular growth, and the molecular mechanisms of craniosynostosis. Dr. Solem had always aspired to pursue a career in dental education and research, building on his experiences a teacher. Prior to attending dental school, he taught earth and marine science for freshman college students for two years in Southern California. He then went on to study dentistry at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where he was awarded a Presidential Scholarship to support career development in dental academics. He spent an additional year between his second and third year of dental school researching the effects of early mechanical force on mandibular development, resulting in a first author publication. Dr. Solem continued on to pursue orthodontic specialty training at the University of California, San Francisco.

The Eugene E. West Memorial Fellowship Award greatly facilitates the launch of Dr. Solem's career in orthodontic education. The resources from this award will be utilized to initiate a clinical and translational research study investigating the determinants of asymmetric mandibular growth using three-dimensional records. This initial award is vital in establishing this study, which hopes to improve understanding of the development and progression of facial asymmetry. Correction of facial asymmetry frequently requires complex orthodontic and surgical treatment. Accurate early diagnosis and interceptive treatment of asymmetric growth is imperative and can reduce the progression of asymmetry, and prevent or reduce the development of dentoalveolar compensations. This project will incorporate contributions from orthodontic residents and dental students, providing an opportunity to utilize advanced three-dimensional diagnostic techniques to understand facial growth and development. The award thus provides opportunities for the mentorship and education of future orthodontists.

The career progression of new dental educators is not possible without strong mentorship and institutional support. Fortunately, Dr. Solem will be guided on his project by a recognized leader in three-dimensional imaging research, Dr. Lucia Cevidanes. In addition, he will be mentored by Dr. Yuji Mishina in translational research investigating the contribution of elevated BMP signaling in patients exhibiting craniosynostosis. The University of Michigan is a internationally recognized center for orthodontic research and education, providing an ideal environment for the development and mentorship of a new faculty. Dr. Solem aspires to become a leader in the orthodontic treatment of cleft lip and palate and craniofacial syndromes, and will be mentored by Dr. Katherine Kelly in the  development of clinical expertise in this area. Through this training and research, Dr. Solem will advance the development of new treatment modalities and the education of residents in this important area of orthodontics. The support of the AAOF provides vital resources for Dr. Solem to develop the necessary teaching and research skills to become an exceptional orthodontic educator.

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Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Synopsis

Dr. Siddharth R. Vora

Biography
I received my BDS at Nair Hospital Dental College in Mumbai, India, in 2002; my PhD in Oral Biology at Boston University in 2009 and an MSc in Orthodontic at the University of Washington in 2012. I am currently a senior research fellow at the University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital. My primary research interests lie in the identification and study of genes that modulate maxillary growth and exploring genetic and epigenetic causes of midface hypoplasia.

Synopsis of Research Project
Craniosynostosis occurs in ∼1 in 2,500 live births worldwide. A frequently found co-morbidity of craniosynostosis is midface hypoplasia, occurring in about 40% of patients with complex craniosynostosis. Recent findings suggest that the primary cause of midface hypoplasia is altered facial suture activity that may lead to their premature fusion, independent of events occurring in cranial sutures. Identification of a few gene mutations has helped us gain insights into the etiology and pathophysiology of craniosynostosis. However, the pathogenesis of midface hypoplasia remains largely understudied, despite its common occurrence and complex management. The goals of this study are to identify and characterize mutations in new genes that lead to midface hypoplasia and craniosynostosis. The Craniofacial Center at Seattle Children's Hospital is actively enrolling patients diagnosed with midface hypoplasia and craniosynostosis. DNA sample will be obtained from patient-parent trios for exome sequencing. In parallel, mouse strains that display a phenotype reminiscent of midface hypoplasia and craniosynostosis will be phenotyped in detail and whole genome sequencing will be performed to uncover novel mutations in both coding and non-coding regions of their genome. Finally, the identified mutations will be characterized via extensive ex vivo and in vitro analysis to confirm causality and study the mechanism leading to suture fusion. The study will help to enhance our understanding of these dysmorphologie and in the long term, may help to uncover new targets for nonsurgical treatments that may eventually complement or replace surgical intervention.

Importance of the Foundation
It is an honor to be awarded the AAOF Post-doctoral Fellowship Award. In the current environment where obtaining funding for basic science research is difficult, this award is truly encouraging. It will play an instrumental role in supporting my goals for becoming an independent researcher and a competent educator.

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