2026 Officers for the Student Research Group

Student Research Group Newsletter Spring 2026

Spring 2026 Edition

The Dental Student Research Group at the University of Iowa is one of the premier programs in the country. The accomplishments of participating students over the 2025-2026 year highlight the value and importance of the program.

Student Research Groups Stories

2026 Mentor of the Year

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Dr. Teresa Marshall was named the 2025-2026 Student Research Mentor of the Year by the Iowa Chapter of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. This award was presented in recognition of her efforts to enhance student research at the College of Dentistry.

Six Student Researchers Earn Senior Research Achievement Awards

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Senior Research Achievement Awards are determined based on a portfolio of research that is circulated to a group of electors. The electors select award recipients based on the scientific merit of projects, the significance and productivity of projects, the number of years of involvement in research, the originality of the research, and the student's professional conduct. Award recipients were selected in 2026: Jessica Fuessley, Saba Manafi, Vi Phan, Jeremiah Poppen, Christina Spencer, and Taylor Westphal.

DDS student Jeremiah Poppen (D4) featured in Dare to Discover campaign

Thursday, June 4, 2026

Jeremiah Poppen (D4) was featured in the 2026 Dare to Discover Campaign for the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President of Research. Poppen's research investigates how dentists respond to emergencies in the clinic.

Participants at the 2026 Iowa Section of the AADOCR

Iowa student research group earns national recognition for most abstracts accepted at 2026 national meeting

Thursday, March 5, 2026

The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics Student Research Group has been named the recipient of the AADOCR National Student Research Group (NSRG) contest for having the most student abstracts accepted for presentation at the 2026 IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session & Exhibition in San Diego.

2026 AADOCR Iowa Section Meeting Highlights

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

The College of Dentistry hosted the 73rd Annual meeting of the Iowa Section of the American Assocation for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research on Tuesday, February 10. The day featured faculty presentations and student oral and poster presentations around the Dental Science Building, followed by a reception for the awards ceremony later that evening.

Building a Safer Dental Clinic: Jeremiah Poppen’s Research on Incident Reporting

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Jeremiah Poppen, a dental student in the Student Research Program mentored by Kecia Leary, analyzed patient safety incident reports before and after a new reporting system at the College of Dentistry. His findings highlight changing patterns in safety events and support a stronger culture of prevention, documentation, and improved care for patients and providers.

2026 AADOCR Research Day Photo Gallery

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Student Publications

Spencer, C.E. (D4)

Petrin, A.L., Awotoye, W., Spencer, C.E. (D4), Machado-Paula, L.A., Hovey, L., Keen, H., Chimenti, M., Breheny, P., Qian, F., Dabdoub, S., Thomas, J.C., Butali, A., Murray, J.C., Rengasamy Venugopalan, S. & Moreno-Uribe, L. Genetic and Epigenetic Contributors to Cleft Laterality: Evidence from Monozygotic Mirror Twins and Replication Cohorts. medRxiv. 2026:2024.11.16.24317351. doi:10.1101/2024.11.16.24317351

Spencer, C. (D4)

Spencer, C. (D4), Machado-Paula, L., Qian, F., Butali, A., Buxó, C.J., Padilla, C., Restrepo-Muneton, C., Valencia-Ramirez, C., Long, R.E., Weinberg, S., Marazita, M.L., Murray, J.C., Moreno-Uribe, L.M. & Petrin, A.L. Laterality, Symmetry and Completeness Patterns of Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts in a Multiethnic Cohort. medRxiv. 2026:2025.12.29.25343144. doi:10.64898/2025.12.29.25343144

Beyer JR (D4)

Beyer JR (D4), Sukulski J, Perceived Social Status and Psychological Well-Being Among Dental Students. May 2026. https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.70216

Delaney C (D4)

Delaney C (D4), Warren J, Rysavy OA, Marshall T. Dietary questions in caries risk assessment and their relationship to caries. J Public Health Dent. 2024 Oct 8. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12647. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39377152.

Vo, K (D3)

Johnsen DC, Marchini L, Vo, K (D3), Young LB, Dabdoub SM. Structure of AI Responses With Complex Patient Analysis for Patient Alternatives and Patient Modifiers. Accepted: 31 January 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.70108

Alex Harper (D4)

Alex Harper (D4) Steven M. Levy, and Wei Shi. View all authors and affiliations. Fluoride Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors: Adults in Rural Alabama https://doi.org/10.1177/2150131925135092

National Presentations

AADOCR Annual Meeting

Thirty-five students attended and presented at the AADOCR Annual Conference in San Diego, CA March 25-28, 2026. The Student Research Program received an award for being recognized as having the highest number of student researchers registered nationally for the second year in a row.

(D1) Tiffany Gradeler

(D2) Kendall Chase, Audrey Fashimpaur, Drew Hawthorne, Cole Higley, Emma Hovey, Noah Jeppesen, Alexis Oppman, Katie Prior, Claire Roske, Soroush Samouei

(D3) Jeffrey Abraham, Sebastian Alberti, Elise Amerongen, Jessica Gomez, Anna Hedges, Darren Kilpatrick, Veronica McClennen, Benjamin Pierson, Ana Rodriguez, Riley Saginak, Nathan Schneider, Shubhi Sharma, Madison Thatcher, Kathryn Volz, Keshav Wagle

(D4) Mychyl Brown, Brandon Cooley, Sydney Fisher, Tala Hag Ali, Saba Manafi, Vi Phan, Jeremiah Poppen, Madison Thatcher, Marnie Vonderhaar, Taylor Westphal