Dr. Matthew Malek
Dr. Sally Liu SPRING 2022 Resident Winner
SPRING 2022 Faculty Winner
Dr. Malek’s research focuses on investigating a less common, and less researched, type of resorption called external invasive resorption (EIR). “External invasive resorption is a disease of the tooth in which the immune cells surrounding the tooth attack tooth structure and eat through the tooth,” explains Dr. Malek. “The immune cells are not able to distinguish this natural structure, so it attacks the tooth as if it were a foreign tissue or structure. It's very similar to an autoimmune process when the body attacks its own organs.” Researchers have known about this pathological phenomenon for more than 100 years. Prior to that only two types of resorptions were known. However, current resources categorize 10 or more types of resorptions, along with some knowledge of their ideology, progression, pathogenesis and treatment outcomes. Initial stages of his investigation involved collecting data for preliminary results and establishing proof of concept. The first arm of the study included comparing the biological markers in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of a tooth with EIR to the markers of a healthy tooth in the same patient. From this, Dr. Malek drew meaningful conclusions around the biological basis for this lesion and it was then that he submitted a grant application.
Dr. Liu earned her dental degree from the University of Toronto, Canada and is currently a resident at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her research topic, Relative Efficacy of Innovative Endodontic Antimicrobial Agents, focusing on the disinfection portion of root canals, was awarded the highest score for the Spring 2022 Resident Competitive Research Grant. “Usually root canal treatment or regenerative endodontics is divided into the mechanical and chemical portion of cleaning the bacteria, as bacterial infection is the main cause of the disease,” states Dr. Liu. “My research focuses on the chemical portion of effective disinfection of the whole system to help improve outcomes for the patient.” Dr. Liu is testing a new antimicrobial agent, Analogue #66, that could potentially become an alternative to the traditional intracanal medicament, calcium hydroxide. The long-term goal of her research is to identify a novel medicament with better disinfectant abilities, more specific targeting mechanism against resistant biofilms, and more predictable disinfection results.
During the spring and fall competitive research grant cycles, the highest-scoring resident and faculty proposals receive a $500 personal cash award. The goal is to pay tribute to those applicants whose efforts reflect the highest quality science.
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