UCLA School of Dentistry creates future opportunities for disadvantaged, gifted high school students
Brianna Deane,
310-206-0835
Cameron Stevenson-Moore, a high school senior from Lakewood, Calif., knew he couldn’t turn down what he realized was a life-changing opportunity.He had been selected to be one of twelve students participating in a pre-college science education program at theUCLA School of Dentistry, one of the leadingoral health research institutes in the nation.The education program, co-funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)and the Dean’s office, sought to exposegifted and disadvantaged high school students, like Cameron, to oral health and scientific research and potentially, a promising career in the health sciences field.
The HHMIprogram begins during the students’ junior year of high school with ten monthly meetings, followed by an intensivesix-week summer research experience at the School. During the summer,research faculty memberstake time out of their busy schedules to mentor the students in laboratory techniques in the health sciences. Year two of the program consists of a Saturday academy in their senior year that prepares the students for a poster presentation of their research at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Pacific Division annual meeting.
“At first I was apprehensive about participating, since I would be doing something I wasn’t very familiar with and I didn’t want to mess anything up,” says Stevenson-Moore. “But now I’ve loved the experience. Not a lot of people can say that they’ve worked next to scientists in a research lab at UCLA.”
Nearly 15 faculty members from the School of Dentistry have contributed their time and knowledge to enrich the students’ experience. Cutting-edge research projects have covered topicsin bone biology, bioengineering, immunology, stem cell and cancer research.
The program is headed by School of Dentistry faculty members, Dr. Marvin Marcus and Dr. Carl Maida. Since the start of the program in 2007, 58 students will have successfully completed the program. These participants have come from eitherCollege Bound of Greater Los AngelesorProject GRAD Los Angeles.
“Every student from this program has gone onto college, with a partial or full academic scholarship, to some of the top universities and colleges in the country,” says Marcus. “I couldn’t be happier with the success of this program and the impact it’s made.”
Michaela Scott, a 20-year-old UCLA psychobiology student, was part of the first group of students and hopes to pursue a degree in medicine. “Being part of this program prepared me for college, and I believe it set me apart from other college applicants,” she says.
Stevenson-Moore is a member of the program’s last cohort, which is currently in the middle of its’ curriculum. The grant, originally set to end August 2012, will be extended with unexpended funds so that the twelve students can complete this two-year program enabling them to finish their research and present their findings at the AAAS meeting.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed mentoring the students inscience research and answering their questions,” says Dr. Ichiro Nishimura, a participating faculty member.“I’m glad that we can complete the second year of the program with the current students and bring their experience full circle.”
Stevenson-Moore now has aspirations to become a pharmacist and through his experience at the School of Dentistry, has a heightened interest in pursuing research. “The most valuable thing I’ve learned is to ask questions,” he says. “Before, I didn’t have the confidence and was too shy to speak up, but now I’m not as nervous and am really looking forward to asking even more questions in college.”
“Drs. Marcus and Maida have gone beyond my expectations for this pre-college science education program,” says No-Hee Park, dean of the UCLA School of Dentistry. “In addition, the School’s faculty membershave changed the lives of numerous young people over the past five years with their guidance and support.”
Participating School of Dentistry faculty members have included Drs. Anahid Jewett, Ki-Hyuk Shin, Mo Kang, Cun-Yu Wang, Shen Hu, Igor Spigelman, Takahiro Ogawa, Ichiro Nishimura, David Wong and Wenyuan Shi.
The UCLA School of Dentistry is dedicated to improving the oral health of the people of California, the nation and the world through its teaching, research, patient care and public service initiatives. The school provides education and training programs that develop leaders in dental education, research, the profession and the community; conducts research programs that generate new knowledge, promote oral health and investigate the cause, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of oral disease in an individualized disease-prevention and management model; and delivers patient-centered oral health care to the community and the state.
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