ADA Foundation Announces Winner of 2017 Dr. Ray Bowen Student Research Award

ADA Foundation Announces Winner of 2017 Dr. Ray Bowen Student Research Award 

Dr. Prajakta Kulkarni, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry Receives Award  

CHICAGO, February 24, 2017 – The ADA Foundation (ADAF), in cooperation with the Academy of Operative Dentistry (AOD), today announced the winner of the 2017. Dr. Ray Bowen Student Research Award. Dr. Prajakta Kulkarni, who earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree in India and is currently a Master of Science in Dentistry (Biomaterials) candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, received the award for her research project “Bioactive Materials: Ion Release, Secondary Caries Depth and Elemental Analysis of Surrounding Tooth.” 

“I am honored to receive this prestigious award,” said Dr. Kulkarni. “It is a privilege to be able to conduct research under accomplished faculty at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. I look forward to this opportunity to further develop my research interests.” 

The biennial Dr. Ray Bowen Student Research Award is open to dental students at all levels, including residents and Masters of Science degree candidates, who wish to undertake research relevant to contemporary operative dentistry. 

The award provides $6,000 to the awardee to perform the proposed research and an additional $1,000 to help defray the costs of presenting a table clinic based on the research proposal at the Academy of Operative Dentistry’s scientific session. The student must have a research mentor who is a member of the Academy of Operative Dentistry at his/her institution to provide guidance and act as a co-investigator. 

“This program is a perfect example of how research is becoming integrated into dental student education and helping to build a strong foundation for the future of dentistry,” said Dr. William R. Calnon, President, ADA Foundation. “It encourages dental student research, which more and more post graduate programs are demanding. We are proud to partner with the Academy of Operative Dentistry to support and recognize dental students engaged in this relevant oral health research.” 

Dr. Kulkarni’s mentor is Dr. John O. Burgess, D.D.S., M.S., Adjunct Professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. 

“Dr. Kulkarni is an excellent graduate student with a strong ‘can-do’ attitude and an outstanding work ethic,” said Dr. Burgess. “We feel that these developing bioactive materials may have the potential of reducing the caries attack on caries-prone individuals young and old, and feel very passionate about her research. This project has the potential to provide a foundation for evaluating the effectiveness of preventive materials used in dentistry and improving their development.” 

“On behalf of the Academy of Operative Dentistry I extend my personal congratulations to Dr. Prajakta Kulkarni on winning the prestigious Dr. Ray Bowen Student Research Award for 2017. The research topic is very timely and I look forward to seeing the results in the near future,” said Dr. Bruce Small, President of the Academy of Operative Dentistry. 

The award honors the nearly 60-year career of Dr. Ray Bowen, the inventor of resin composites and dentin adhesives and an internationally recognized authority on composite materials. Dr. Bowen is a former director of the Paffenbarger Research Center and is presently active as Distinguished Scientist at the ADA Foundation Volpe Research Center. The award, known as the George C. Paffenbarger Student Research Award between 2007 and 2013, is administered by the ADA Foundation through and in collaboration with the Academy of Operative Dentistry. 

The ADA Foundation Volpe Research Center laboratory facility is located on the grounds of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal government research campus, where it has been since 1928. Previously named the Paffenbarger Research Center and operated by the ADA and then jointly by the ADA and the ADA Foundation, the lab conducts unique research in cutting-edge fields of biomaterial and tissue engineering technologies.