Nic Snider DMD 12 Accepted into Prestigious NIH Research Program

Taylor “Nic” Snider was accepted into the 2012-2013 class of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Research Scholars Program. Beginning in July, this comprehensive, yearlong research enrichment program will host up to 70 of the most creative, research-oriented medical, osteopathic, dental, and veterinary students on the intramural campus of the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. Scholars will engage in a mentored basic, clinical, or translational research project in an area that matches their personal interests and goals.

Snider hopes to get involved with a research project that studies craniofacial abnormalities. He has previously completed research related to implants with the help of mentors Assistant Professor Dr. Hussam Batal and former Director of the Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Training Program/Advanced Specialty Education Program in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Dr. David Cottrell. Findings from both of these projects were published in the Journal of the Massachusetts Dental Society.

Snider is excited to begin the Medical Research Scholars Program and says that he was inspired to apply because, “I really gained a lot of excellent research experience at the School of Dental Medicine and it sparked my interest in quantitative research and making contributions to dental research.” He continued, “I am excited to design and work on a project that could potentially elucidate causes of a disease that we don’t currently know much about.”

After completing the program Snider hopes to pursue a PhD and specialty training in orthodontics.

This program blends elements of two former, highly successful programs, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-NIH Research Scholars Program and the NIH Clinical Research Training Program. Associate Dean for Research Maria Kukuruzinska points out that this is the first time a student from GSDM has been accepted into this prestigious program (or its preceding programs), and is reason for us, as a School, to be both excited and proud.

Adds Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter, “Congratulations to Nic, I am confident that he will represent us well at NIH and that this will be both a meaningful and enriching step toward his ultimate career in dental medicine. I wish him the best of luck as he heads to Maryland in July.”