ECU dental school hosts annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship

The East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine held its seventh annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship (CORAS) on Feb. 9, honoring student exploration and discovery through oral health focused and interprofessional projects.

Students from the dental school as well as from the Brody School of Medicine, the College of Allied Health Sciences and the College of Engineering and Technology presented posters highlighting their research in the Ross Hall rotunda. The event culminated with an awards ceremony and a keynote address from North Carolina native Dr. Amy Martin, professor and chair in the Department of Stomatology in the College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.

First-year dental student and summer research scholar I. J. Okons presents her research to classmates during the dental school’s ninth annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship Feb. 9. (Photo by Spaine Stephens)

The dental school’s 2021 Summer Research Scholars — first-year students Sara Feggeler, Kyu Lee, I. J. Okons, Kaisi Peele and Jackson Russell — presented the research they began last summer under faculty mentors and had a chance to vie for awards including a chance to present their research in other arenas. Lee, Peele and Russell earned those opportunities.

Peele will present her research this fall at the Hinman Student Research Symposium in Memphis.

“I would like to continue my research on hypertension as well as possibly do some in other areas that also correlate with dentistry,” Peele said. “Research is an important foundation for me during dental school and can carry into dentistry by causing me to want to find out more, and then sparking ideas on how I can make the world of dentistry better.”

Other students found the CORAS experience just as rewarding.

“Having an opportunity like CORAS to share our research is wonderful because we get to showcase collaboration, creativity and critical thinking,” said third-year dental student Cody Phen. “Not only do we get to share what we researched, but we also get to learn all the new concepts and exciting ideas being explored within the dental school. CORAS is an event where research that is showcased can be translated to real-life clinical applications that can in turn have significant results in patients.”

Okons was new to research when she began as a summer research scholar; she wanted to come away from the experience with a strong foundation in research.

“I feel like this research experience has really widened my perspective of what research is and what it entails within dentistry,” she said. “So far, I have only scratched the surface of my research journey within the dental field, and I am very excited for what the future holds for me in this realm.”

Joey Hampton, a chemistry master’s student in the College of Engineering and Technology, conducted research around optimizing gelatins and materials that can be used in dentistry. Hampton, who also graduated from ECU, wants to eventually attend dental school; his research was done under the mentorship of dental faculty member Dr. Saolo Geraldeli.

First-year dental student and summer research scholar Jackson Russell presents his research to classmates during the dental school’s ninth annual Celebration of Research and Scholarship Feb. 9. (Photo by Jon Jones)

“I’m very lucky to have been able to do this,” Hampton said, “and to work with the amazing faculty.”

Dr. Rachel Roper, of the Brody School of Medicine and the dental school, has been a national expert in the media for her research of COVID and its class of viruses. She gave a brief overview of the current situation in the country regarding the pandemic, and then introduced Martin.

Martin opened her address by asking all the dental students to raise their hands.

“You all are in a very special place of privilege,” she said of ECU’s dental school. “I have always considered this place to be extraordinary because of the mission here. You are being prepared for a very special service.”

Martin went on to detail her experience and expertise in public health, health services and policy, piecing together the importance of research in ultimately paving the way toward better patient experiences, taking the work to “make sense of it in a policy perspective.”

She urged researchers to stay aware of federal grant funding priorities and the trends that can fuel success in grant funding and research support.

“Always ask questions,” she said. “Always think about the impact of translation,” how research can be used in real-world patient cases.

Martin also highlighted the benefits of public and private partnerships, voicing a hope that the Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Dental Medicine can team up with ECU’s dental school in future research, especially since oral health is a growing topic in research and funding arenas.

Teledentistry, Martin added, holds the key to much of the future in oral health care, because the pandemic has revealed its value in reaching patients through technology.

Martin also urged researchers to remember that while COVID-19 forced research to switch gears, that their roots in research are vital as well.

“Don’t forget the things that are important to you,” she said.

Finally, Martin bridged the relationship between research and patient care.

“You have to be patient with science,” she said, “if you want to be an excellent clinician.”