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STUDENT RESEARCH GROWING AT USCSD
Most people seeking a respite from the rigors of higher education take refuge at the beach or ski resorts, but Student Research Group (SRG) president Christian Wong has made the beaker filled confines of the Center for Craniofacial and Molecular Biology his own sanctuary.
"Its a good way to get your mind off the clinical aspects of dental school. A lot of times the stress is so high, its nice to leave this area [the dental school] and go to CCMB, which is just a totally different atmosphere," says Wong, Class of 2005.
Wong and his colleagues in the SRG relish the chance to satiate their research desires while pursuing their doctoral dental degrees and appreciate the support of faculty mentors such as Malcolm Snead, David Crowe and Margarita Zeichner-David. He hopes that his fellow students, the incoming class in particular, will take advantage of the abundant research opportunities here at the School of Dentistry. Several members of the Class of 2008 have already done so through the Summer Research Program. In its second year, the program places incoming freshman in USCSD research laboratories prior to matriculation.
Jane Caballero, who worked at CCMB as a USC undergraduate, jumped at the chance to continue her research endeavors. She spent the summer researching the biological processes of tooth formation with Zeichner-David.
"I really enjoy doing research. I believe that research plays an important role in the discovery of new treatments and techniques that will help improve and cure many diseases related to oral health," says Caballero.
Other members of the Class of 2008 have been attracted to research outside the laboratory. Armen Mardirosian found his niche in community health programs. Working with faculty members Jennifer Holtzman and Mina Habibian, Mardirosian is gathering statistics regarding access to care in underserved areas.
His classmate Naomi Ishibashi is also collecting statistics for community health programs. Working alongside research associate Hazem Seirawan, Ishibashi is analyzing biostatistics gathered that will be used to assess the effectiveness of oral health education in neighborhood schools.
"There are many obstacles in prevention and education, and I really want to work in the field. I'd like to help educate everyone regarding oral health," says Ishibashi.
Wong hopes that programs like the summer research program and organizations such as the Student Research Group will begin to communicate and organize events with other researchers both within the School of Dentistry and without. He is currently working to establish ties with research groups organized by residents in the advanced programs.
"I'd like to bring some of the other groups together. We could coordinate lectures and topics so we all know what's going on with the other. We would like to bring everything under one umbrella," says Wong.
SRG lectures are open to the entire dental school community and the group encourages everyone to attend. In coming months, the SRG will present lectures from Malcolm Snead, associate dean for innovation and discovery, Samuel Ogglesby, advanced endodontics faculty member and Dean Slavkin.
For Wong, research provides another dimension to his education, particularly in light of the PBL pedagogy.
"Research really gives you a new perspective on dentistry. With PBL, we are taught to evaluate literature and look at it critically. Research helps a lot in that aspect," says Wong.
For questions regarding the Student Research Group and becoming involved in student research, please contact Christian Wong at wongca@usc.edu.
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