2026 GSDM Science Day Had Unprecedented Participation
A record-setting 65 students, residents, and fellows presented poster or oral presentations during the 2026 Science Day in February, surpassing last year’s historic participation numbers.
At the annual Science Day event, Boston University Medical Campus (BUMC) community members can showcase their innovative research findings, connect with peers, and learn more about ongoing investigations.
“Science Day is always an important opportunity to see the range and diversity of research happening across the school,” said Kendrick Smaellie, assistant director of predoctoral research and Center for Clinical Research program manager.
There were 58 unique poster or oral presentations—another all-time high for the yearly event.
“I continue to be impressed by the depth and breadth of work done, not only by the students and residents, but also by their dedicated mentors without whom none of this would be possible,” said Dean Cataldo Leone.
Dr. Venetia Zachariou, professor and chair of pharmacology, physiology & biophysics at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Edward Avedisian, was the keynote speaker. In her talk, Zachariou provided an overview of her lab’s work on developing novel interventions that will target gene expression regulators to optimize the effects of existing pain medications, helping with chronic pain and reducing the risks of addiction.
“Why do different patients have the same injury, but one of them cannot function and doesn’t respond to medications and another person can be functional,” Zachariou said. “We need to be able to monitor different signs of pain… We are not looking for another morphine or oxycodone. We need to get away from the opioid system and come up with new interventions.”
Ramya Krishna Kurra PERIO 29 presented “Developing an Artificial Dental Calculus Model (ADC) for Studying Bacterial Survival, Penetration, and Antimicrobial Efficacy.” Kurra said it was incredibly helpful to interact with fellow researchers and to discuss different ideas and approaches in oral health research.
“It was inspiring to see the wide range of innovative projects being conducted across GSDM and to be part of such a collaborative academic environment,” Kurra said.
Ali Hadian PERIO 28 said participating in Science Day with his presentation “Engineering Immunomodulatory Core-Shell Membranes for Periodontal Regeneration Under Diabetic-Inflammatory Stress” allowed him receive feedback from researchers and clinicians about potential translational applications in periodontal regeneration.
“My favorite aspect of Science Day was the opportunity to discuss research with faculty, clinicians, and fellow trainees from different disciplines,” Hadian said. “The conversations and feedback helped generate new ideas about how biomaterial drug delivery systems can be integrated to improve regenerative therapies in dentistry.”
Nidhi Shinde DPH 27 presented for the first time at Science Day with “Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Visits for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions.” Shinde viewed Science Day as an opportunity to share dental public health issues with peers and learn the best ways to present research.
“I was motivated to present because I wanted to share the research findings that I’ve been working on and get experience with poster presentations before I present at a conference,” Shinde said.
For more photos of the event, please click here to view our Flickr album.