Endodontic Resident Awarded $20,000 Study Grant

Dr. Su-Min Lee

Philadelphia — One of Penn Dental Medicine’s postgraduate students – Dr. Su-Min Lee (GD’15)—has been awarded a research grant from the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) Foundation. The $20,000 award is for a project titled “New therapeutic approaches for dental pulpitis using an anti-inflammatory strategy and endogenous dental pulp stem cells.”

Dr. Lee is a resident in the School’s endodontic program and also pursuing her Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD) at Penn Dental Medicine. “Since the initiation of my DScD program, I have been working in the lab of Dr. Anh Le, Chairman of Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery/Pharmacology,” says Dr. Lee. “My studies have focused on pulpal inflammation, pulp regeneration, and immunomodulatory functions of dental pulp stem cells. This grant will continue that work.”

Grant proposals are evaluated by the AAE Research and Scientific Affairs Committee, whose members were enthusiastic about the significance of Dr. Lee’s work, noting that it may contribute to new approaches in the area of pulpal disease. Dr. Lee’s proposal was ranked the highest scoring resident proposal during the fall 2014 cycle.

The AAE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the AAE, supports research and education in the specialty of endodontics. Its mission is to improve oral health by securing contributions, shepherding resources and sharing grant funds that support research, generate new knowledge, and enhance endodontic education.