Ask Me Anything — Shaun Abrams

For the UCSF School of Dentistry's inaugural Ask Me Anything post, Dr. Shaun Abrams — DDS/PhD class of 2020 and the first Black graduate of the program — answered questions on the theme "The Power and Challenges of Being 'The First '."

Dr. Abrams, a Brooklyn native and valedictorian of CUNY Medgar Evers College, brings an inspiring combination of academic excellence, research achievement, and leadership. After conducting postbac research at NIH/NIDCR and earning numerous scholarships and honors at UCSF, Dr. Abrams is now returning to NIH/NIDCR as a Dental Clinical Research Fellow. He continues to explore craniofacial development while working with patient cohorts through Johns Hopkins.

Below is a transcript of the AMA session held June 10.

Julie Sneddon:

Could you share a few key ways that mentors supported, inspired, or advocated for you?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks Julie! My supportive mentors have played a huge role in my trajectory and successes up to this point. I had no idea I would pursue a DDS/PhD when I was in college and it was the foresight and encouragement of numerous mentors who introduced me to the career path and gave me the confidence and scientific preparation to excel in the program. The Dean of my undergrad college (Dr. Moshin Patwary) and my Cell Biology Professor (Dr. Margaret Carroll) both encouraged me to explore research based on my inquisitive nature in their courses. This led me to the Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at Johns Hopkins; my first foray into biomedical research. It was incredibly challenging at first, but another exceptional mentor emerged; a brilliant Harvard-trained infectious diseases fellow (Dr. Rahul Kohli) who took me under his wing and guided me in learning how to do high-quality, rigorous science. I went from being really timid and unsure of myself to being more independent and confident in my abilities.

When I transitioned to NIH/NIDCR as a postbac, my mentor (Dr. Matthew Hoffman) was very instrumental in supporting both my scientific development but also my career trajectory. In my opinion, he exemplifies what an exceptional sponsor and advocate is. He didn''t just talk about his support for DEI initiatives, you saw it when you looked at the rich diversity of his lab and the way that he advocated for the career advancement of his trainees. He made critical introductions to successful DDS/PhD scientists and pushed me to present at National Dental research conferences where he made sure I met the Deans of numerous dental schools when I was preparing for the application cycle. He checked in to see how I was doing at numerous points in the program and was tremendously helpful in navigating my next career step after completing the DDS/PhD program. I have been so incredibly fortunate to have these exceptional mentors, without whom I would not be where I am today!

Kenny Cho:

Why did you choose a DDS-PhD program, and what careers are possible in this field?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for the question Kenny. I was your typical pre-dental student in undergrad...laser focused on completing my dental school prereqs with the highest GPA and getting a solid DAT score so I could be a competitive applicant. I hadn''t done any research in undergrad and a mentor suggested I try research by doing a postbac research fellowship before applying to dental school to see if I had an interest in it. I fell in love with research during my 1st postbac research fellowship program (PREP scholars program at Johns Hopkins) and was so glad I listened to this mentor. Actually, I loved it so much I decided to do a 2nd postbac research fellowship at NIH/NIDCR so I could see what dental research was all about. It was during this experience that I cemented the desire to do the DDS/PhD program as I had great role models and mentors that supported me and gave the confidence that I could complete the rigorous program. I did a lot of self-reflection during the application cycle and realized I would always regret it if I didn''t go for the dual program. I knew that I wanted to go for a career in Academic Dentistry and I knew having the clinical and basic science training would really set me apart and make available to me a wide range of clinical and basic science research questions I could not answer without both degrees.

I was also aware of the average dental school graduate debt burden and how this could make a career in Academic Dentistry and Research challenging from a financial perspective. Through a combination of institutional grant support (UCSF IMSD Fellowship program), individual grants (NIH F30 Individual Grant to support DDS/PhD trainees), and UCSF School of Dentistry Scholarship support, I am fortunate to have the freedom to pursue this path without the debt burden. I can focus on doing amazing, cutting-edge, innovative research and build the clinical skills that will enable me to be a successful clinician-scientist in both Academic and Industry settings.

Gretchen Ford:

How did you overcome Imposter Syndrome and Stereotype Threats during your PhD?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for this great question Gretchen. Two great resources that I used at UCSF were utilizing counseling services through Student Health & Counseling Office included in UC-SHIP as well as free individual consultations through the Learning Resource Services as part of the Student Success Center. Using these resources I was able to acquire great tools at combating negative self-talk and have a safe space to discuss my unique challenges and concerns. Another incredible resource I found was a book recommended to me by my Graduate Advisor early on in my training, "Whistling Vivaldi" by Claude Steele which is a GREAT resource to gain insight into how common Stereotype Threat is and valuable tools to help combat it. I didn''t get around to reading this until after I completed the program but it was SO insightful and I wish I had read it earlier. I hope that it can help you as much as it has helped me!

Burin Thanasuwat:

How did your PhD research affect your clinical practice?

Shaun Abrams: Hey Burin, great question and it is awesome that you have been able to manage multiple research projects while in dental school! I would say that my PhD research helped shape and guide the type of clinical research questions I hope to investigate as a clinician-scientist. It has helped me become an expert in a class of human disorders (ciliopathies) where treatment is currently limited to surgery and our basic mechanistic understanding of the molecular underpinnings of the craniofacial defects present in these patients remains incomplete. I am excited that I can use my clinical knowledge and basic science expertise to see rare cohorts of these patients at the NIH Clinical Center and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to develop innovative tools to pin down molecular mechanisms and potential treatments that I would not be able to do without both degrees and skill sets.

Tony Qu:

How did you manage to finish both degrees in eight years?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for your question Tony. I think it comes down to great planning and having systems in place to help you be productive while in your DDS-training. Having regular meetings with your PhD advisor especially when you are getting ready to transition from PhD-training to DDS-training is critical to determine what experiments need to be done, if there is someone in lab who can move things along while you are in course-load heavy phase of dental school (1st year) and to setup meetings early on with your PhD advisor, DDS/PhD program directors and Clinical Director/Clinical Coach to setup a plan to navigate your clinical requirements in a way that will allow you protected research time to maintain research productivity and finish the program in 8 years.

Francesca Aloisio:

How did you balance DEI work with academic progress during your training?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for this question Dr. Aloisio (and congrats on your recent PhD-defense!). I think a couple of aspects of PhD programs make it inherently more challenging to get involved and balance your time when getting involved in activism. Often times you can feel isolated from other PhD students, siloed working in your lab independently, and lack the built in structure and community that comes with being in a larger professional school program. You can also feel that your PI expects a lot from your lab productivity and feel guilty when spending time advancing DEI work. I think establishing clear expectations and good communication with your PI and making sure when choosing a lab that your PI values the DEI work that you are passionate about can go a long way balancing student activism and academic progress during PhD training. I hope this response is helpful and kudos on the amazing DEI work you have done while at UCSF!

Cambria Chou-Freed:

What do you wish someone had told you at the start of your training?

Shaun Abrams: Hello Cambria! I wish I was able to understand and realize how many of my peers were also struggling with transitioning to graduate/dental school and finding a sense of belonging at UCSF. Remembering all of the accomplishments and hard work that got me to UCSF and being more vulnerable in finding a supportive community of my peers early on would have helped reassure me sooner that I belonged and had a lot to offer to the UCSF community.

Jessi Cook:

What advice would you give to students considering both degrees?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for your question Jessi! I think one has to do a bit of soul-searching to decide that the dual degree program is right for you. You should have significant exposure to both clinical dentistry and a strong research background so that you are well prepared and know the challenges of both degree paths. I was very fortunate to grow up around a dental office as I watched my mom build her practice from scratch and to have years of experience working in biomedical research at NIDCR to see all of the amazing avenues I could take in dental research but also the immense challenges and stresses of the career path. I would also advise students interested to look at the DDS/PhD cohort size of programs they are interested in since it can be isolating and more challenging if you are the only one or one of very few students in the program. It was great to be in a program that has one of the largest DDS/PhD cohorts in the country! Finally, I would advise students to be strategic in picking a PhD project and thesis lab for a dual-program based off the time constraints built into the program structure. If you can find a project with preliminary data and models already setup that can form a solid thesis project, this can be VERY advantageous!

Stephen Floor:

How do you build community when relocating to a new academic environment?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for this great question Stephen! I think you have to be really proactive and intentional when trying to find your community in a new city. I think as scientists we often get super focused on our science and don't realize how investing equal energy in finding your community can pay dividends especially when you run into setbacks and hurdles in your research. If you can find a group of individuals at a similar career stage to form writing groups and a network of peers to bounce ideas off of this can help come up with innovative ideas and help move your science forward. These groups can also help you stay motivated and help you realize that you are not alone in your struggles. If you are unsure of how to find these groups I would contact grad student, postdoc or faculty support offices at the institution as they should be a great resource to help you get connected with these groups. At UCSF, Scientists 4 Diversity (S4D), SACNAS, and WiLS are doing great work building community among URM graduate students. There are also amazing student-led organizations in the School of Dentistry (SNDA, FDSC, AAWD, HSDA, SJ-ARC) that are doing incredible work in making the SoD climate more inclusive and supportive for URM students.

Diane Barber:

As a URM student, did you face distinct challenges in each of your programs?

Shaun Abrams: Thanks for your question Diane. Starting with my PhD training, a challenge I faced early on was feeling a sense of community and belonging among PhD students at UCSF. This was also exacerbated by the ambitious structure of the program with the goal of finishing a PhD project in 4 years when the average for basic science students at UCSF is 6 years. I remember at the new student retreat hearing about Imposter Syndrome and Stereotype Threat for the first time and did not realize how much I would have to fight against these lingering negative thoughts early on. It did not help that I was the only Black student in the program at the time. It was awesome to have 3 Black students in the DDS/PhD program by the time I was a senior student. I really believe achieving a critical mass can lessen the burden of feeling like you need to prove yourself or that all of your actions (both good and bad) are under a microscope.

My transition to dental school faced unique challenges in adapting to the style of instruction/evaluation and in attempting to remain engaged in research during my clinical training. At the end of my PhD phase I felt incredibly autonomous, independent and capable of driving my research with minimal help from my advisor. Since it was 10 years since graduating undergrad to starting dental school, I was nervous about course load and exam schedules. Once I not only survived, but also excelled academically in my DDS coursework I was able to settle into my capabilities and not second-guess if I was good enough or belonged. The DDS class has a built in sense of community and I always felt that my classmates were always willing to support each other to get through the rigorous program. What I found challenging during my clinical training was finding the time to re-engage with research. If I could go back, I would setup meetings with my PhD advisor, program directors and clinical coach soon after entering clinic to find ways to get protected research time once clinic requirements were met.