ANN ARBOR—A postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and a recent U-M dental school graduate earned top honors this week at the International Association for Dental Research program in Chiba, Japan.

Dr. Rajaram Gopalakrishnan and Dr. Christina Patrianakos earned first and second place awards, respectively, in separate categories of Hatton Award competition. The award is the most prestigious research prize for a dental scientist in training.

Gopalakrishnan won first place for his research, “PTH-Dependent Inhibition of Mineralization in Osteoblasts is Mediated by MGP/matrix gla Protein.”

His research discovered a new pathway for regulating bone formation involving the induction of an inhibitor of mineralization by parathyroid hormone. This pathway may explain how this hormone is able to control blood calcium levels.

His mentor is Dr. Renny Franceschi, professor of dentistry and biological chemistry in the Department of Periodontics, Prevention, and Geriatrics. “The role of mineralization inhibitors in the control of craniofacial bone formation is just beginning to be appreciated,” Franceschi said. “Raj’s research is notable because it shows these molecules can be precisely controlled by hormonal signals to regulate rates of bone growth and turnover.”

Gopalakrishnan earned his dental degree from Madras Dental College, received his Ph.D. in pathology, and residency training in oral pathology from Ohio State University. He is a postdoctoral fellow working in Franceschi’s laboratory.

Patrianakos won second place in the junior category for her research, “Dura Mater Controls Calvarial Suture Patency and Fusion.” Her research focuses on the causes of craniosynostosis, a condition where a child’s skull bones fuse prematurely. The condition is the second most common birth defect affecting the face and skull.

Patrianakos found that the brain secretes substances that control whether skull bones fuse. Her mentor is Dr. Michael Ignelzi, assistant professor of dentistry in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. Patrianakos earned her dental degree in May and is now in a general practice residency program at the University of Illinois (Chicago).

The U-M School of Dentistry is one of the nation’s leading dental schools engaged in oral health care education, research, patient care, and community service. General dental care clinics and specialty clinics providing advanced treatment enable the School to offer dental services and programs to patients throughout Michigan. Classroom and clinic instruction train future dentists, dental specialists, and dental hygienists for practice in private offices, hospitals, academia, and public agencies. Research seeks to discover and apply new knowledge that can help patients worldwide. More information is available on the Web at http://www.dent.umich.edu.

School of DentistryDepartment of Periodontics, Prevention, and GeriatricsDepartment of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistryhttp://www.dent.umich.edu