Manavi Nagai DMD 22 attributes her interest in research to the people she worked with in research laboratories during her undergraduate years studying neuroscience at Boston University.
“I’ve always liked science, but I think having good mentors makes the biggest difference,” she said.
Nagai, a rising second-year at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM), is one of nine dental students from around the country currently conducting research as part of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Summer Dental Student Award, through which selected students spend eight weeks at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. The program gives them hands-on experience and exposes them to the latest advances in oral health research.
During her time in Bethesdsa, Nagai is working in a biochemistry laboratory.
“They work on protein purification and studying post-translational modifications, like glycosylations specifically,” she explained, before adding, “I’m doing a small side project where I’m just trying to isolate a specific protein that they’re looking to work with in a clinical setting.”
“The program has been super fun so far,” Nagai said about her experience.
“I don’t think the emphasis has been on experiments and results—it’s more about learning different [research] techniques…. I’m learning a lot.”
Nagai also said that she enjoys being on the NIH campus, which offers a variety of activities for researchers.
“The NIH campus is its own little world,” she said “You don’t ever have to leave—there’s a gym, farmer’s markets, and concerts that happen here.”
Nagai wants to continue to work in research labs upon her return to GSDM and said she ultimately wants to work in academia.
“I’m thinking about maybe trying a different type of research,” she said. “I’ve always been in a wet lab [laboratory spaces where chemicals, drugs or other material or biological matter are tested and analyzed], but I want to do some dental education research, because that’s what I’m ultimately interested in.”