Sadhana Sankar, a member of the UConn School of Dental Medicine Class of 2027, received the Hinman Research Symposium’s highest honor—the Most Outstanding Presentation Award in the Basic Science Research category—at the 2025 conference in Memphis, Tennessee.
The symposium showcases oral and poster presentations of research projects by dental students and graduate trainees from dental schools across North America and Europe. This year’s symposium hosted 90 students representing 50 dental schools.
“Presenting at the Hinman Research Symposium was an inspiring and transformative experience,” said Sankar. “I had the opportunity to engage in meaningful scientific discussions with students, researchers, and faculty from across the world, all deeply committed to advancing dentistry through innovation and discovery. Hearing about such impactful work across the field broadened my perspective and strengthened my passion for academic dentistry.”
Sankar’s award-winning research focuses on promoting cartilage repair and developing a novel therapeutic approach for temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis—a debilitating condition that currently has no cure. Based on promising results in mice, Sankar is using a clinically relevant large animal model to determine whether this approach can restore TMJ cartilage lost in TMJ-OA disease.
Sankar worked on this research in Dr. Caroline Dealy’s lab during the summer of 2024. Dealy, a professor at UConn Health with appointments in several departments, including orthodontics, biomedical engineering, orthopedic surgery, and cell biology, commended Sankar on her award.
“Engaging dental students in basic and clinical research hones their skills in critical thinking and creative problem solving, ultimately helping to drive evidence-based patient care and laying the groundwork for future innovations in dentistry. I’ve been privileged to host many outstanding dental students in my research laboratory over the years and am thrilled for Sadhana’s success in her project,” said Dealy.
Dr. Aditya Tadinada, professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, is the director of student research and associate dean for graduate research, education, and training at the UConn School of Dental Medicine. Tadinada also shared some congratulatory words for Sankar.
“It is a matter of great pride to see our dental students do so well in their research endeavors and being recognized nationally,” said Tadinada. “Sadhana receiving the first place in the Basic Science Category at the prestigious Hinman Research Symposium is a testament to the strong student research program we have here at the UConn School of Dental Medicine. Many congratulations to Sadhana and her mentor, Dr. Caroline Dealy.”
“Representing the UConn School of Dental Medicine on a national stage has been an immense honor,” Sankar continued. “I am truly grateful for the mentorship of my PI, Dr. Dealy, and the support of Dr. Tadinada, which made this achievement possible.”
