Research Day 2026

By Rachel Boutet

Research Day 2026 took place on February 10 at the Faculty of Dentistry.

“Research Day is a highlight of my year, and it never fails to impress,” says Morris Manolson, professor and vice-dean, research. “The depth and quality of the work on display is remarkable. Our students clearly put in tremendous effort, and it shows in their presentations.”

Students participated in the day through the poster competition and oral presentations. Jeremy Sananes was named both the People’s Choice and overall winner of the Faculty’s final round of the 3-Minute Thesis Competition for his presentation “When Pain Outlives the Tooth.”

“Exceptional research matters, but so does the ability to share it,” says Manolson. “Research Day gives our students the chance to sharpen their presentation skills and learn how to communicate their work with confidence — an ability that will carry them far beyond our Faculty.”

This year’s keynote speaker was Garret A. FitzGerald, associate dean for translational research and director of the Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. His talk was called "Building Translational Science: Integrating Experimental Medicine with Data at Scale." The day also included Faculty keynote speakers Paulo dos Santos ("New Perspectives on the Restorative Dental Adhesive Interface") and Eli Sone ("Biological and Bioinspired Collagen Mineralization: Mechanism to Materials).

Congratulations to the winners of Research Day 2026!

Morning Oral Presentations, SRG Travel Awards: 
Travel award is $750

Rossi Tomin (Graduate Student Basic Science Category)
The Contributions of the Endocannabinoid System to Placebo Analgesia
Dr. Massieh Moayedi
Tomin, R., 1,2, Murray, K., 3,6,7, Hadjis, G.E., 1,2, Khalil, O., 1,2, Sexton, C., 1, Khan, J.S., 4,5, Finn, D.P., 3,6,7, Atlas, L.Y., 8,9,10, Moayedi, M., 1,2,11

Reid Boulet (Graduate Student Clinical Science Category)
Does Temporomandibular Joint Arthroscopy Improve Patient Quality of Life
Dr. Marco Caminiti
Caminiti, Marco A1, Rittenberg, Brian A2, Davis, Clayton A3

3-Minute Thesis Talks:
Winner: Jeremy Sananes, also People’s Choice award
When Pain Outlives the Tooth

2nd Runner up: Abby Lindzon
To Put Back or Not Put Back

3rd Runner up: Rasgun
A Toothache Should Not Send you to the ER

Afternoon Poster Session Winners

Undergraduate Student Category:

1st place: $250, 2nd place: $200, 3rd place: $150

1.    Poster #12: Mustafa Khekani    
Relapse After Anterior Open Bite Correction with Molar Intrusion Using Temporary Anchorage Devices (TADs): A Scoping Review
Sunjyay Suri 
Khekani, M1, Suri, S2

2.    Poster #6: Hasti Gholami   
Investigating the role of thrombospondin-1 in oral cancer progression
Marco Magalhaes
Gholami, H1, Yeo, H1, Magalhaes, M1,2

3.    Poster #16: Emma Lindsay    
Nanoparticle (PNP) Uptake Pathways and Localization of mRNA When Loaded on a PNP/Lipid Co-Assembly
Paul Santerre
Lindsay, E. A1, 2, Shrestha, S1, 2, Santerre, J. P1, 2, 3

4.    Poster #22: Juan Sebastian Trujillo Torres    
Effect of Amphiregulin on Dendritic Cells and Dental Pulp Stem Cells as an Anti-inflammatory Treatment
Annie Shrestha
Trujillo, J., Hartadi, C., Shrestha, A.

Graduate Student Basic Science Category:
1st place: $250, 2nd place: $200, 3rd place: $150

1.    Poster #33: Wing Hei Wong     
Cyclosporine A Inhibits Lysosomal Intracellular Collagen Degradation
Morris Manolson and Christopher McCulloch
Wong, W.H.1, Kwon, H.J.1, Wang, Y.1, Wang, Q.1, Kotylar, M.2, Jurisica, I.2-4, Zirngibl, R.A.1, Manolson, M.F.1, McCulloch, C.A1

2.    Poster #27: Isabel Li      
Development of DNA hydrogels as Coatings for Bone-interfacing Implants
Karina Carneiro
Li, I1; Persadie, J1; Meshry, N1; Ahmed, N2; Chan, R3; Grandfield, K2 & Carneiro, K1,3

3.    Poster #26: Clement Hartadi  
The effect of high fat diet and dyslipidemia on immune response of apical periodontitis in mice
Annie Shrestha
Hartadi, C1, Ghaffari, M1, and Shrestha, A1,2,3

Graduate Student Clinical Science Category: 
1st place: $250, 2nd place: $200, 3rd place: $150

1.    Poster #46: Jarlath Mc Donnell
Application of CLARITY for three-dimensional laminin-based visualization of myocyte architecture in the mouse anterior digastric muscle
Limor Avivi-Arber
Mc Donnell, J1, Sessle, B1, Posluns, J1, Avivi-Arber, L1

2.    Poster #52: Adam Sgro  
Periapical Healing and Survival Rates and Predictive Variables of Non-Surgical Endodontic Retreatment: An Ambispective Cohort Study
Amir Azarpazhooh
Sgro A1, Ebrahimi Dastgurdi M1, Sheikhnezami M1, Sabet Y1, Malkhassian G1,2, Basrani B1, & Azarpazhooh A1-3

3.    Poster #40: Linnaea Halpert  
A Survey of Professional Burnout and Resilience among Orthodontists in the United States and Canada
Hashim Nainar
Halpert, L. University of Toronto, Dewa, C. UC Davis Health, Nargaski, N. University of Toronto & Nainar, H. University of Toronto

Post-Doctoral Fellows and Research Associates Category: 
1st place: $250

Poster #55: Michael (Li) Diao (Post-doctoral Fellow)
The Proto-cadherins Dchs1 and FAT4 Mediate Profibrotic Polarization of Macrophages in Direct Contact with Fibrogenic Fibroblasts
Boris Hinz 
Li Diao1, Fereshteh Younesi1, Ronen Schuster2, 3, and Boris Hinz1,2

Top Photo: Winners from Research Day 2026 (Jeff Comber)