Nicolas Branshaw DMD 16 Wins Basic Science Research Award at Hinman Symposium

Nicolas Branshaw DMD 16 represented Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) at the 20th Annual Hinman Student Research Symposium, held in Memphis, Tennessee on October 31–November 2, 2014. Branshaw presented his poster, “Topographical Distribution of Phosphorylation and Hydroxyproline sites in Dentin Collagen Type 1 by Mass Spectrometry”, which was well received by judges at the poster session on Friday, October 31.

The Hinman Student Research Symposium showcases the research of dental and graduate students from dental schools across the nation. This year’s event featured 88 students representing 47 dental schools from 28 states and three Canadian provinces. Branshaw was one of only eight participants to receive an award for the research he conducted as a part of his Applied Professional Experience (APEX) rotation. He was mentored by Professor and Chair in the Department of Periodontology Dr. Serge Dibart and Associate Professor in the Department of Periodontology, and Clinical Instructor in the Department of Oral Medicine at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Dr. Erdjan Salih.

Branshaw’s project utilized advanced mass spectrometry techniques to identify, for the first time, a significant number of phosphorylated sites within dentin collagen type 1. Collagen type 1 is one of the most abundant proteins found in the body and makes up a major part of the body’s connective tissue from non-mineralized tendon/skin/blood vessels to mineralized bone and dentin. By observing the distribution of these phosphoylation sites in dentin, Branshaw and his mentors theorize that these sites could have major implications on the initiation of biomineralization and orientation of triple-helix collagen molecules during fibrillar collagen formation in various tissues throughout the body. They have gone on to expand this work to bone, tendon and non-mineralized collagen matrices used in periodontal surgeries to confirm their theories.

Branshaw is grateful for the support he received while working on this project, “I would like to thank the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine for every opportunity it has given me, Dr. Dibart for his leadership and investment in our research, Dr. Salih for his vast knowledge and mentorship throughout our project, as well as the Hinman Symposium for the Award and the opportunity to be a part of such a prestigious research symposium.”

“On behalf of the entire Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, I would like to congratulate Nicolas on his success at this prestigious research symposium,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “I would also like to thank Dr. Dibart and Dr. Salih for their dedication to research and educating our students as faculty mentors.”

GSDM students have a history of success at the Hinman Student Research Symposium. GSDM research award recipients from previous years include:

(2009) Jeffrey Clark DMD 11 was the winner of the President’s Award for Excellence in Dental Research for his oral presentation “Odontogenic Keratocyst: An Analysis of Surgical Treatment Outcomes.” Clark worked on his project with Drs. Pushkar Mehra and David Cottrell in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

(2011) Sultan Muhammed DMD 13 was the winner of the Most Outstanding Presentation in Clinical Research for his poster, “Upregulation of Cthrc1 N-glycoprotein Marks OSCC Tumor Spread.” Muhammed worked on his project with Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

(2013) Mohamed Bayoumy DMD 16 was the winner of the Basic Science Research Award for his poster: “The correlation role of Epiprofin and Tbx1 in tooth proliferation and differentiation.” Bayoumy worked on his project with Dr. Yoshiko Yamada, Chief of the Molecular Biology Section at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Maryland.