Dr. Edward Lin Receives Award for Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry

Philadelphia — Dr. Yi Te (Edward) Lin (GD’ 24), a third-year periodontal resident and lab member at Penn Engineering and Applied Sciences‘ Electrical and Systems Engineering Department, received the first-place Scientific Poster Award for Student Excellence at the prestigious Global Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Dentistry hosted by Harvard University’s School of Dental Medicine.

This event marked a convergence of the world’s leading clinical scholars, researchers, and dental technology experts, all focused on the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI) in oral healthcare. Over 60 innovative posters from various global academic institutions shared their ideas and results.

Dr. Lin won first place with the project titled, “UNet Deep Learning Model Application in Tooth Extraction and Ridge Preservation Analysis.” Furthermore, the advanced presentation, combining custom Python-based Computer Vision algorithms into a deeper level of surgical analysis, also earned recognition from the committee. Dr. Lin’s research mainly focuses on optimizing surgical evaluation for bone grafting procedures in dental implant patients through computational methodologies.

Dr. Lin expresses his gratitude to his mentor, Dr. Rahul Mangharam, an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at Penn Engineering and the Penn Director for Safety21 US DoT National University Transportation Center. Dr. Mangharam leads the team in his lab specializing in the field of autonomous driving. Dr. Lin is also thankful for his best teammate, Zirui Zhang, a PhD student in Professor Mangharam’s lab, and his clinical mentor, Dr. Yu-Cheng Chang, Associate Professor of the Department of Periodontics.

“As a periodontal resident, my clinical training fuels my exploration of dentistry. Additionally, I’m fortunate to have the chance to develop my interests in programming into clinical applications. It’s always exciting to solve puzzles in uncovered fields with the best mentors and teammates. We will remain committed to advancing precise dentistry,” says Dr. Lin.

When asked about his experience of working in interdisciplinary research, Dr. Lin attributes the success to contributions from the team. “Pioneering solutions for fields that haven’t been explored before is not always easy. Embrace failure and be patient. Keep up with our love and passion for what we do,” advises Dr. Lin, encouraging other researchers on their path toward success.