EDITORIAL

Research award winners shine in 2006David L. Turpin, Editor-in-Chief

Seattle, Wash

If you can attend any of the special programs at theAnnual Session this year in Las Vegas, you mightrun into a winner of an AAO research award. The

categories are numerous but all the more meaningful,and it takes some talent along with much hard work towin. The Council on Scientific Affairs (COSA) deter-mines the winners of these research awards, and ChairTom Southard recently announced the results of thisyear’s competition.

The winner of the 2006 Milo Hellman ResearchAward is Luciana Miranda Van Westen, University ofIowa, for her thesis, “The genetic basis of craniofron-tonasal dysplasia.” Her principal findings were that thelocus for craniofrontonasal dysplasia (CFND) maps toa region from Xp22 to Xq21, which harbors theEphrin-B1 gene, and that DNA variation in this gene isthe major cause of CFND. Additionally, this researchfound novel mutations in the Ephrin-B1 gene in pa-tients diagnosed with CFND, demonstrated that re-cruited FND patients have no mutations in the exons ofEphrin-B1, and demonstrated that females affectedwith CFND and their mothers show random X-chro-mosome inactivation patterns. These findings are im-portant to orthodontists and other members of thecleft-palate team in helping patients, their families, andother researchers understand the genetic causes ofcraniofacial anomalies.

The Harry Sicher First Research Essay Awardwinner is Judah S. Garfinkle, University of Kentucky,for his master’s thesis, “Evaluation of orthodonticmini-implant anchorage in adolescent premolar extrac-tion therapy,” The orthodontic mini-implants (OMIs)used in this in-vivo study of 13 extraction patientsproved to be widely accepted, effective, and welltolerated in producing immediate orthodontic anchor-age for the closure of premolar extraction spaces. TheOMIs remained stable while sustaining orthodonticforce in the range of 150 to 250 g. Finally, toothmovement of 0.75 to 1.0 mm per month was observedwith OMIs.

The next 4 prizes in this research competition arethe Thomas M. Graber Awards of Special Merit. There

Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2006;129:4530889-5406/$32.00Copyright © 2006 by the American Association of Orthodontists.

doi:10.1016/j.ajodo.2006.02.012

are 2 categories—clinical and basic research—andawards were given to the following candidates for somevery strong papers.

Basic science: Jerome B. Shuman (University ofMichigan) for “RNA interference of Bmp-4 and mid-face development in postimplantation mouse embryos”and Tara Savage (University of Connecticut) for “Man-dibular phenotype of p20C/EBPa transgenic mice: re-duced alveolar bone mass and site-specific dentindysplasia.”

Clincal research: Janice A. Struckhoff (Ohio StateUniversity) for “Pull-out strengths of monocorticalscrews at 6 weeks post-insertion” and Heather Zablocki(University of Michigan) for “The effect of the trans-plalatal arch on anchorage in extraction treatment.”

The AJO-DO also presents 2 awards: the B. F. andHelen E. Dewel Award, originally designed to encour-age the publication of more clinical research, and theCDABO Case Report of the Year, to improve thequality of case reports published in the Journal.

This year’s winner of the B. F. and Helen E. DewelAward is Lucia H. S. Cevidanes from the University ofNorth Carolina. Her coauthors include Alexandre A.Franco, Guido Gerig, William R. Proffit, Dennis E.Slice, Donald H. Enlow, Helio K. Yamashita, Yong-JikKim, Henrique M. Lederman, Leila Amorim, Marco A.Scanavini, and Julio W. Vigorito. The July 2005 issueincluded their 2-part article: “Assessment of mandibu-lar growth and response to orthopedic treatment with3-dimensioal magnetic resonance images” and “Com-parison of relative mandibular growth vectors withhigh-resolution 3-dimensional imaging.” As studiessuch as these come to fruition, it is obvious that 3Dcraniofacial imaging will become more commonly usedin clinical studies to better understand the developmen-tal and morphologic relationships in craniofacial biol-ogy.

The CDABO Case Report of the Year goes to JohnE. Bilodeau, Springfield, Va, for his case report in theSeptember 2005 issue, “Nonsurgical treatment withrapid mandibular canine retraction via periodontal lig-ament distraction in an adult with a Class III malocclu-sion.” These awards will be presented during the

AAO’s Annual Session, May 5-9, 2006 in Las Vegas.

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