Faculty, students and trainees from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry contributed to scientific leadership, nationally competitive research recognition, and a broad range of scholarly work at the 2026 International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) General Session and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) Annual Meeting.
Among those representing UAB was Ping Zhang, DDS, PhD, FAAPD, professor and director of research in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, who began her term as president of the IADR Microbiology and Immunology Group during the meeting. The group brings together investigators studying oral microorganisms, host immune responses, and host–microbe interactions that underlie oral infectious disease and its connections to systemic health. As president, Zhang will help guide scientific programming and research priorities within one of IADR’s core scientific groups.
“The Microbiology and Immunology Group focuses on fundamental questions about how oral microorganisms interact with the immune system and how those interactions influence both oral and systemic disease,” Zhang said. “That intersection between basic discovery and clinical relevance is what makes the work in this area so important.”
Zhang’s leadership at the national meeting coincided with competitive recognition for trainees she mentors at UAB. Two predoctoral researchers from her group earned national awards, including an AADOCR Bloc Travel Grant and first place in the Young Investigators Mini‑Symposium, highlighting the role of faculty mentorship in supporting early‑career researchers as they present high‑quality work on a national stage.
UAB Dentistry students earned three AADOCR Bloc Travel Grants, a nationally competitive, NIH‑supported award selected through peer review of accepted research abstracts. The 2026 recipients from UAB were Caris Smith, Kayla McCullough, and Chloe La Prairie, representing both dual‑degree clinician‑scientist training and PhD research pathways within the school’s research enterprise. Also trainee Kristina Nicole Valladares won first place in the AADOCR Young Investigators Mini-Symposium for her research with Dr. Ping Zhang.
The meeting marked the conclusion of Caris Smith’s term as national president of the AADOCR National Student Research Group (NSRG). Smith’s leadership builds on a long-standing history of UAB Dentistry students serving in national research leadership roles. The meeting also concluded the term of Kyounga “Cecilia” Cheon, DMD, MS as chair of the AADOCR Fellowships Committee.
Beyond individual leadership roles and awards, more than 40 UAB Dentistry faculty, students, and trainees presented research spanning basic, translational and clinical science. Presentations addressed topics including oral–systemic health, biomaterials, craniofacial development, oral microbiology, dental biomechanics, and emerging approaches to patient care.
DMD students contributed to the scientific program alongside faculty mentors, including Jameela Broadie, who presented research on total nasal reconstruction with faculty mentor Jay Ponto, MD, DDS – an example of the caliber of student scholarship at UAB Dentistry.
By the Numbers
40+ UAB Dentistry presentations and posters
15+ faculty presenters and panel participants
25+ student and research trainee presentations
Representation across oral presentations, poster sessions, and national research competitions
Research examining links between oral health and systemic disease featured prominently, with UAB investigators contributing work on periodontal disease, inflammation, and host responses. Other presentations explored advances in restorative materials, standardized treatment protocols, and innovative laboratory and clinical methodologies.
Together, these contributions place UAB Dentistry among national leaders in research.
“UAB Dentistry’s presence at AADOCR and IADR is grounded in a long‑standing commitment to rigorous, collaborative research,” said Amjad Javed, Ph.D., associate dean for research. “From faculty leadership roles to competitive student awards, this kind of engagement signals the strength of our research culture and the depth of mentorship occurring across the school.”