UPSTART Summer Research Program

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2025 UPSTART research projects

NumberProject TitleMentor(s)Expected Student Availability
(hours/week)
1Comparison of the age and reasons of first dental visit between
Keywords: cleft lip, palate, early oral health intervention

Sara J McCrary,

Chauncey Blakeney

2
Flexible Monday through Friday
2What are the most common causes of emergency visits to UMMC Children Hospital?
Keywords: dental consults, emergency department
Sara J McCrary3-4
Flexible Monday through Friday
3Thermal changes at the root canal level caused by high frequency cauterization
Keywords: root canal, high frequency conduction, cauterization
Edwards Charly
Susana Salazar Marocho
8
Flexible 2 to 3 days per week
4Biowaste for developing dental materials
Keywords: biowaste, silica particles, surface treatment
Susana Salazar Marocho6
Flexible Monday through Friday
5Debonding ceramic structures with a novel method
Keywords: debonding, lithium disilicate and zirconia crowns
Susana Salazar Marocho6
Flexible Monday through Friday
6Avoiding Microplastics in the Clinic
Keywords: microplastics; dental waterline; systemic health
Jason Griggs4
Flexible Monday through Friday
7Primary stability of narrow implants designed for optimal fatigue resistance
Keywords: dental implants; implant stability quotient; bone quality
Jason Griggs,
Kartikeya Jodha, Firas Mourad, Megha Satpathy (Glidewell)
10
Flexible Monday through Friday
8Systematic review on a selected pathology entity or process
Keywords: systematic review, oral pathology, histopathology, clinical correlation
Jamie White
Saja Alramadhan
4
Flexible 2 to 3 days per week
9Preparation, characterization, and optimization of electrospun fibers
Keywords: electrospinning, nanofibers, tissue engineering, drug delivery
Yuanyuan Duan20
Flexible 2 to 3 days per week
10Impact of middle school summer enrichment on pre-dental career assessment
Keywords: career exploration, summer enrichment, impact study
Nalls4
Flexible Monday through Friday
11Evaluating two AI programs for effectiveness and accuracy
Keywords: dental material, artificial intelligence
Jason Griggs
Jennifer Bain
Matthew Priddy (MSU)
Lauren Priddy (MSU)
4
Flexible 2 to 3 days per week
12Innovative uses of artificial intelligence in dental education
Keywords: dental educations, artificial intelligence, teaching methodology
Jennifer Bain, William Buchanan, Gordon Max Vanlandingham12
Flexible Monday through Friday
13Microparticles for drug delivery
Keywords: chemical synthesis, antibiotics, drug release
Keywords: chemical synthesis, antibiotics, drug release
Amol Janorkar32
Flexible Monday through Friday
143-D printing for tissue engineering applications
Keywords: 3-D printing
Amol Janorkar32
Flexible Monday through Friday
15 Anodization coatings for biodegradable magnesium alloys to improve osseointegration
Keywords: biodegradable alloy, magnesium alloys, anodization
Michael Roach16
Flexible 2 to 3 days per week