University of California San Francisco
Dental Student Research Fellowship Program
The Dental Student Research Fellowship Program gives UCSF dental students early, mentored experience in research during their first two years.
Working alongside leading scientists in basic, translational, and clinical fields, fellows learn the methods and language of scientific discovery—preparing many for future careers in academia and research.
With a long, distinguished history, the program remains one of UCSF School of Dentistry’s most enriching educational experiences and a launchpad for the next generation of research leaders.
Advance your research journey
The Dental Student Research Fellowship Program is an internal opportunity for current UCSF dental students to pursue mentored research that complements their studies and interests.
- Eligibility: Open to accepted UCSF DDS students, including IDP.
- Tracks: Pre-D1 applications open in February; D2 and IDP information sessions occur each winter.
- Preparation: A February webinar and John C. Greene Society workshop help students develop strong proposals and understand program expectations.
- Admissions: Staggered application cycles align with each track, and deadlines are announced annually.
Advancing oral health through student research
Each year, fellows pursue innovative projects that address pressing challenges in oral health, biomedical science, dental practice, and population health. Below are a few examples of recent research conducted by UCSF dental students.
Sung-me Lee, D1
“Mapping the Landscape: Geographic Analysis of Intimate Partner Violence Resources in California to Support Dental Professionals”
Mentor: Sepideh Banava, DDS, MBA, MPH
Erica Julian, D1
“Innovative Pathways to Addressing the Dental Assistant Shortage in California”
Mentor: Elizabeth Mertz, PhD
Danial Pirooz, D1
“SP140 Regulates Macrophage Transcriptomics and Oral Mucosal Homeostasis”
Mentor: Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, DDS, PhD, MPH
Alyssa Kong, D2
“An Exploration of Genes that Promote Wound Healing in the Oral Mucosa”
Mentors: Sarah Knox, PhD, and Ophir Klein, PhD, MD
This Year's Scholars
Current Dental Student Research Fellows
View the complete roster of D1 and D2 fellows contributing to innovative research across oral health and biomedical science.
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Joshua Chen (Mentor: Christine Hong, DMD)
Garam Hong (Mentors: Guo Hao Lin, DDS, and Yan Zhang, MD, PhD)
Anahita Karimi (Mentor: Daniel Bikle, MD, PhD)
Khoa Le (Mentor: Christopher Hernandez, PhD)
Helen Lee (Mentor: Edward Hsiao, MD, PhD)
Soo Lee (Mentor: Jing Cheng, MD, PhD)
Siyoon Lee (Mentor: Yukiko Nakano, DDS, PhD)
Charles Met (Mentors: Pamela Den Besten, DDS, and Yan Zhang, MD, PhD)
Hannah Mora (Mentor: Stefan Habelitz, PhD)
Kiera Nguyen (Mentor: Licia Selleri, MD, PhD)
Olakunle Ogunbayo (Mentor: Joel Palefsky, MD)
Erica Okine (Mentors: Elizabeth Mertz, PhD, and Rebecca Renelus, DDS)
Supratik Pasupuleti (Mentor: Mona Bajestan, DDS)
Madalyn Phan (Mentor: Sepideh Banava, DDS, MBA, MPH)
Yilin Piao (Mentor: Rich Schneider, PhD)
Judy Qin (Mentor: Chelsea Bahney, PhD)
Elena Sacchetti (Mentors: Rumpa Ganguly, DMD, BDS, and Sneha Oberoi, BDS, DDS, MDS)
Devansh Sapovadia (Mentor: Sara Knox, PhD)
Mansi Shah (Mentor: Kelsey Collins, PhD)
Kathy Tran (Mentor: Stuart Gansky, DrPH)
Lingyi Xu (Mentor: Yin Shen, PhD)
Madelyn Yeh (Mentor: Yu-Ting Yeh, DDS, MSD)
Kathy Zheng (Mentor: Enihomo Obadon-Udoh, DDS, MPH, DSc)
Wendy Zhou (Mentor: Mark Ansel, PhD) -
Maulik Ahuja (Mentor: Christine Hong, DMD)
Ethan Huang (Mentor: Jing Cheng, MD, PhD)
Erica Julian (Mentor: Elizabeth Mertz, PhD)
Jung-me Lee (Mentor: Elizabeth Eve, DDS, and Christine Hong, DMD)
Sung-me Lee (Mentor: Sepideh Banava, DDS, MBA, MPH)
Adiamna Herrera Miret (Mentor: Jeffrey Bush, PhD)
Danial Pirooz (Mentor: Fatemeh Momen-Heravi, DDS, MPH, PhD)