Team of researchers wins William J. Gies Award

An article penned by Texas A&M School of Dentistry researchers won the 2023 William J. Gies Award in Biomaterials and Bioengineering Research.

“Dental Pulp Stem Cell Polarization: Effects of Biophysical Factors” was first published July 30, 2021, in the Journal of Dental Research – the top journal in the dentistry field. Authors include faculty members Dr. Xiaohua Liu, Dr. Kathy Svoboda and Dr. Jerry Feng, as well as recent graduate Dr. Bei Chang and Dr. Chi Ma, a postdoc in Liu’s lab.

The authors were recognized at last week’s joint annual meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research in Portland, Oregon.

The research detailed in the article investigates the factors that initiate and regulate the polarization of dental pulp stem cells and their ability to form tubular dentin. Liu explained that a future clinical application could allow dentists to regenerate pulp and dentin to maintain a living tooth following a root canal.

“This has been really challenging work that could have a great impact on the dental field,” Liu said. “We were really excited to win this award. It’s an honor.”