Every week the OCS Program profiles one of our future leaders in oral and craniofacial sciences, or spotlights one of our stellar alumni. Check back for regular updates.
Current Students
Ameera Haque
Thesis Mentor: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born in Bangladesh then grew up in Canada and the US, and recently completed my BS in Human Biology and MS in Biology at UCSD. Outside of school and lab I enjoy spending time with family and friends and sharing a good meal with great conversation.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: My current project focuses on studying cell behaviors that drive tissue morphogenesis using the developing tooth as a model. As a DDS/PhD student I look forward to becoming a dentist-scientist, continuing my research, teaching, and providing exceptional clinical dental/oral health care to my future patients. I'm excited and extremely honored to be at UCSF during this crucial period in my academic career. It has been a lifelong dream of mine to study and train at what is considered one of the best research universities in the world, and I feel blessed that I am able to learn from such talented and intelligent scientists and peers here at UCSF.
Tony (Tiange) Qu
Thesis Mentor: Licia Selleri, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: I was made in China but exported to America to study in middle school. Then I moved from Indiana to California, where I attended UC Berkeley for undergraduate studies with the focus of molecular and cell biology - neurobiology. Outside of school and work, I enjoy a good pot of tea with friends, speed-dialing Kanye, and brushing my teeth.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: Prior to joining the OCS PhD program, I worked in the Schneider Lab at UCSF, studying the molecular and cellular processes that give rise to mandibular size and shape. My current project investigates the importance of calcium signaling in early facial patterning. I have a keen interest in the mechanisms that govern craniofacial development and its intricate connections with brain development with the goal of finding potential clinical treatments for congenital defects.
Lea Sedghi
Thesis Mentor: Yvonne Kapila, DDS, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in the heart of middle Georgia under both Persian and Southern family influences. I love to cook using lots of healthy ingredients, and enjoy running, hiking, paddle boarding, playing piano, and spending time with my family and friends.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: Inflammation and microbial dysbiosis are well-recognized etiologies in the progression of periodontal disease, however the role of diet on these parameters remains understudied. My project seeks to understand how the western diet, particularly processed grains, contribute to periodontal disease progression via local influences within the oral cavity. My future goal is to be a clinician scientist that studies the role of diet on states of oral health and disease, while integrating these findings into my practice and also searching of new means of anti-biofilm treatments that are widely accessible and affordable. After living my whole life in Georgia, I am excited to be at UCSF not only because of the endless opportunities and collaborations that our school has to offer, but also to experience a new life in a new place and to grow as a scientist and as a person.
Darnell Cuylear
Thesis Mentor: Tejal Desai, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in Southern New Mexico, where the green chile is almost as hot as the weather! I completed my BS in Biology at the University of New Mexico in 2019. Outside of the lab, I enjoy playing basketball, hiking, and finding delicious restaurants in SF.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: My current project focuses on developing a microparticle delivery system for biologic mediators that mitigate relapse after orthodontic treatment. I am excited to be at UCSF because it is recognized as one of the world's greatest research universities that focuses on advancing healthcare through innovative strategies and collaboration. It is an honor to be at an institution that values coincide with mine and to work alongside scientists pushing scientific boundaries. For my future goals, I plan to use my training to become a dentist-scientist whose research will focus on biomaterials and bone tissue engineering.
Kevin Rivera
Thesis Mentor: Tejal Desai, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: I am a first-generation college student, born and raised in the DC area. I attended VCU as an undergrad then moved to NYC to work on projects with labs at NYU.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: The main project I am working on is accelerating bone fracture repair by local and sustained delivery of nerve growth factor (NGF) from injectable polymeric microparticles. The soon-to-be published work explores the mechanism by which NGF drives endochondral fracture repair and demonstrate the system's therapeutic efficacy. My immediate future goal is to share the findings of the project. Thereafter, I hopes to dive deeper into investigating the potential use of microtopographical cues in modulating orthopaedic tissue repair.
Christian Santa Maria, DDS
Thesis Mentor: Wenhan Chang, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: As a native San Franciscan, I enjoy rooting for the 49ers, Warriors, and Giants, and I love spending time with my wife, Janelle, and son, Azrael when I'm not enduring my rigorous training. I'm a huge comic book nerd so you'll usually find me at San Diego Comic Con with my good friend and OCS program admin, Roger Mraz.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: My current project investigates the role of the extracellular Calcium Sensing-Receptor in the bone anabolic effect from activating the PTH receptor. I'm excited to complete my training at UCSF because of it's reputation for contributing renowned healthcare to the community and generating impactful science. At UCSF, I'm surrounded by professors, mentors, administration, and peers that keep me grounded and motivate me to be the best dentist-scientist I can be.
Jessi Cook
Thesis Mentor: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD
Tell us a little about yourself: I grew up all over the South, from Virginia to Tennessee. I have a big family, which makes me outgoing and outspoken. Outside of the lab, I spend my time rock climbing, hiking, camping, reading non-fiction and hanging out with my cat.
Tell us about your current project, future goals and why you're excited to be at UCSF: My current project investigates the role of the mesenchyme in regulating wound healing within the oral cavity. I'm excited to be at UCSF because it's known for putting out some of the best science in the world. I get to learn from some of the brightest innovators of our generation on a daily basis, enriching my training and shaping me into a future leader in the field.
Ramin Farhad
Thesis Mentor: Aaron Tward, MD, PhD
There are endless opportunities to perform high-caliber research and I am fortunate to be here.
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in Iran and immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager. I double-majored in biology and music as an undergraduate student, and I am currently undertaking my graduate studies at UCSF as a third-year DDS/PhD candidate in the Oral and Craniofacial Sciences program.
Tell us about your current project, future goals, and why you're excited to be at UCSF: UCSF is a melting pot in which the scientists and clinicians join each other to conduct cutting-edge research with the ultimate goal of advancing science and improving patient care. There are endless opportunities to perform high-caliber research and I am fortunate to be here for my graduate training. My project is focused on understanding the role of large-scale chromosomal deletions in the advancement of oral cavity cancers. The field of cancer biology has been intensely focused on the mechanistic contribution of small mutations to tumorigenesis, and therefore, our current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying chromosomal aberrations is remarkably limited. By broadening our fundamental understanding of these common abnormalities, we can further advance and expand our arsenal of therapeutic modalities currently in practice. As for my future goals, I intend to become an independent academic dentist-scientist and would like to continue my research interests in the field of cancer biology.
Alumni
Michael Le, DDS, PhD
Thesis Mentor: Pamela Den Besten
Year(s) that you completed your degree(s): 2011 (DDS), 2016 (PhD)
Tell us a little about yourself: I am a Dental Enamel Biologist, Programming Dentist, and Dental/Graduate Student Life Advocate. I seek to use my experiences to encourage the next generation of dentists to go beyond their primary role as a health care provider to become leaders in other fields where dentistry rarely has had a presence, but would be a valuable contributor to.
Tell us about where you are working and about the research you're currently doing: I am an Assistant Clinical Professor at UCSF School of Dentistry. In between seeing patients in the UCSF Faculty Group Dental Practice and teaching dental students within the UCSF Predoctoral (Student) Dental Clinic, I explore the continually evolving challenges that students face in acquiring, and faculty face in disseminating, knowledge, skills, and values needed to be successful dental clinicians now and in the future, with a specific focus on issues of diversity, inclusion, and underserved populations. Students strive to be the best clinician possible for their patients, and faculty want to ensure the dentists that follow them have the capabilities of taking care of the patients they have taken care of for so long. However, there is only so much time for this knowledge to transfer, skills to be developed, and values to be ingrained. By focusing on the mechanism of information acquisition and dissemination, can evidence-based practices be developed to ensure the four-years students spend in becoming a dentist will be made the most optimal and efficient.
What are you most proud of regarding your training here at UCSF? What I am most proud of in my training at UCSF was the numerous opportunities — and support — to explore my interest beyond dentistry, and later, biomedical research. I got to meet and work with so many individuals with unique stories, journeys, and dreams that it transformed my world beyond what is traditionally expected for a dentist, or a biomedical researcher. By wearing more "hats" besides the ones I originally signed up for, I not only enhanced my abilities and perspectives as clinician-scientist I was training to become, but also how my knowledge, skills, values, and experiences have fit into and will contribute to the greater picture of advancing health worldwide.
Kyle Jones, DDS, PhD
Thesis Mentor: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD
Year(s) that you completed your degree(s): 2006-2017
Tell us a little about yourself: I'm a California native from the Central Valley and completed my undergraduate degree at UCLA. I enjoy cooking/baking with my wife and daughter as well as finding new places to explore and hike in the Bay Area.
Tell us about where you are working and about the research you're currently doing: I'm an oral and maxillofacial pathologist and Assistant Professor in the UCSF School of Dentistry. I also direct the new Oral Dysplasia Program, which focuses on the diagnosis, management, and research of oral dysplasias (precancerous lesions that arise in the mouth). My current research focuses on understanding how the immune system is altered during the formation of head and neck cancers and oral dysplasias before and after immunotherapy. I'm also interested in understanding the genetic and molecular events that drive oral dysplasia formation and progression to cancer, with the goal of identifying reliable biomarkers that predict which patients are at higher risk for developing head and neck cancer.
What you are most proud of regarding your training here at UCSF? As a DDS/PhD student, UCSF provided an amazing environment to interact with world-class scientists and clinicians in multiple fields. Through the OCS and DDS programs, my training enabled me to develop the skills and foundation needed to be a successful clinician-scientist as well as pursue research that is clinically meaningful to patients. Last, but not least, my time at UCSF allowed me to develop life-long friendships and collaborations with mentors and colleagues that I look forward to continue building throughout my career.
Chi Viet, DDS, PhD, MD
Tell us a little about yourself: I am a surgeon scientist at Loma Linda University with a goal of improving treatment outcome for head and neck cancer patients. My clinical practice is focused on head and neck cancer surgery and microvascular reconstructive surgery. I perform translational research on treatment strategies to improve head and neck cancer survival and symptoms.
Tell us about where you are working and about the research you're currently doing: The DDS/PhD program at UCSF allowed me the dedicated time, resources and mentorship necessary to hone my skills as an independently funded scientist. It also provided me with clinical expertise, which I continued to develop in OMFS residency training at NYU and head and neck fellowship training in Portland, OR. My research focus and clinical training complement each other, such that my research questions are based on clinical problems that I observe in my patients.
What you are most proud of regarding your training here at UCSF? What can I say...? I left my heart in San Francisco! I feel incredible nostalgia for the experiences I shared with my life-long friends (many of whom are colleagues). I encountered diverse viewpoints and a distinct regional culture which shaped my own personal and professional identities. Completing my training at one of the top health research institutions was paramount in determining how I use the scientific process to understanding natural phenomena. It also instilled a sense of optimism for our collective ability to understand and treat disease.
Joshua J. Emrick, DDS, PhD
Thesis Mentor: David Julius, PhD
Year(s) that you completed your degree(s): 2009-2018
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. In my free time I enjoy hiking with my wife and daughter, and brewing my own beer.
Tell us about where you are working and about the research you're currently doing: I am currently a Dental Clinical Research Fellow at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). I also continue to practice general dentistry part-time at a community dental clinic in Alexandria, Virginia. My research aims to understand the somatosensory biology of the dental pulp and other tissues of the oral cavity. I am particularly interested in how the structures of the mouth give us information about the oral environment and lead us to experience pain or dry mouth.
What you are most proud of regarding your training here at UCSF? What can I say...? I left my heart in San Francisco! I feel incredible nostalgia for the experiences I shared with my life-long friends (many of whom are colleagues). I encountered diverse viewpoints and a distinct regional culture which shaped my own personal and professional identities. Completing my training at one of the top health research institutions was paramount in determining how I use the scientific process to understanding natural phenomena. It also instilled a sense of optimism for our collective ability to understand and treat disease.
Megan K. Pugach-Gordon, PhD
Thesis Mentor: Grayson Marshall, DDS, PhD, MPH
Year(s) that you completed your degree(s): 2007
Tell us a little about yourself: With a background in oral and craniofacial research, I am interested in tooth formation, malformation, disease, oral health disparities and STEM education. After my postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, I moved to Forsyth as assistant faculty in 2013, where I perform research, mentor young scientists and expose the next generation of scientists to laboratory research.
Tell us about where you are working and about the research you're currently doing: I work at the Forsyth Institute and my research is focused on biomimetic tooth repair strategies, the enamel-microbiome-saliva interface and determining the role of the enamel properties in conferring caries susceptibility. My long-term vision is that me and my colleagues can develop treatments to prevent severe early childhood caries in underserved populations, and biologically inspired strategies to effectively repair malfunctioning tooth structures.
I have been Director of the Student Scholars Program, a STEM summer internship program that allows local high school students to work with scientist mentors on independent projects, since 2018. My hands-on experience in directing the Student Scholars Program has led to my passion and commitment to promoting STEM careers to scholars with underserved backgrounds.
What you are most proud of regarding your training here at UCSF? My ability to persevere through the challenging PhD program despite many personal challenges and obstacles, and receive training in an area where I feel I can make an impact in the world and help people.
Erin Ealba Bumann, DDS, PhD, MS
Thesis Mentor: Richard Schneider, PhD
Year(s) that you completed your degree(s): 2008-2013
I regularly talk and connect with so many from UCSF, it keeps my passion for science and learning energetic and growing.
Tell us a little about yourself: I am a pediatric dentist-scientist and committed to increasing diversity in dentistry and research. I am actively involved in the American and International Association for Dental Research (AADR/IADR), and currently serve as the chair of the AADR Edward H. Hatton Awards Committee, member of the AADR Development Committee, and IADR Constitution Committee.
Tell us about where you are working and about the research you're currently doing: I am currently an assistant professor in the Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. My current research is investing the role of bone resorption in the development of craniofacial bone.
What you are most proud of regarding your training here at UCSF? The thing that makes me the most proud of the training I had at UCSF is the scientific family I gained. I cannot be more grateful for the mentors, colleagues, and mentees I made while I was at UCSF. I regularly talk and connect with so many from UCSF, it keeps my passion for science and learning energetic and growing.