UMMC Biomedical Materials Science PhD Program

Congratulations to the BMS & DMD students who presented at IADR 2026 San Diego! The DMD students are former UPSTART students, where they got their initial research experience. The conference was a great opportunity to see quality dental research from around the world. Special congratulations to Nicholas McGowan on receiving the Oral Health Research Young Investigator Award and to Renan Brandenburg dos Santos for receiving 2nd place in the Frechette Award!

UMMC is representing in Atlanta! A fantastic group of students and faculty from the Biomedical Materials Science Department at the University of Mississippi Medical Center attended this year’s Society for Biomaterials Conference—bringing energy, innovation, and a strong sense of community to every session.
We’re especially proud of our senior students, Sheetal Chowdhury and Chipo Chapusha, who both delivered outstanding oral presentations—with Chipo taking the stage twice back-to-back! Both were recognized with Star Student Travel Awards, a huge accomplishment and a testament to their hard work and dedication.
Dr. Haden Johnson also represented our department with an engaging oral presentation, contributing valuable insight to the field. Our students continued to shine through a wide range of poster presentations, showcasing the depth and diversity of research happening across our program.
We were also excited to have a dental student and a summer intern from another institution join us, both presenting research in collaboration with our department—highlighting the strength of our interdisciplinary partnerships.
From first-time presenters to seasoned researchers, this trip was filled with learning, networking, and memorable moments. Proud of our team for representing UMMC with excellence!
Here’s to advancing science and building connections in Atlanta—until next time, SFB!

We miss you, Raphaelle! Raphaelle Monteiro, , visited our department from the University of São Paulo to conduct research for a year. Her research focused on the mechanical properties of multilayer zirconia. You always have a home here at BMS, Raphaelle!

Delivering science to 7th graders at Madison Middle School’s Science Day is always a highlight. There is something uniquely rewarding about sharing science and facts with curious seventh graders. Engaging with these young minds not only reinforced the joy of teaching, but also reminds us why we do what we do, hopefully sparking the next generation of scientists along the way.

Big shoutout to our Biomedical Materials Science crew for representing at the 2026
Mississippi Health Innovation Conference! Students and faculty brought energy, insight, and innovation to the table alongside healthcare leaders from across the state. Special recognition to Dr. Amol Janorkar for hosting not one, but two panels at MSHIC. Your leadership and expertise helped elevate the conversation around innovation in health and research!
And congratulations to PhD students Arunendu Sambasivan and Sheetal Chowdhury for their second and third-place poster presentations. Your hard work and communication inspire us every day!
From lively discussions to cutting-edge perspectives, so proud of everyone who shared their voice and represented our department!

You will be missed at BMS, Vinicius! Vinicius Sabbag, , traveled from University of Sao Paulo in Bauru, School of Dentistry, , to be mentored by Dr. Griggs, .a.griggs, on a project that resulted from collaborating with Dr. Bonfante as well. In just one month, Vinicius completed his project “Design Optimization for Step-Stress Accelerated Lifetime Test with Artificial Neural Network guided by Genetic Algorithm”. Keep working hard and reaching new heights, Vinicius!

*sandwich student: student enrolled in a Brazilian university who spends a temporary research period abroad at a foreign institution. Then they return to Brazil to complete their degree.

We were honored to host Dr. Shan Yang, Associate Professor of Physics in the Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Atmospheric Sciences at Jackson State University, for our Bench to Clinic Seminar Series.
Dr. Yang shared fascinating insights on the applications of Raman spectroscopy in biological tissues, highlighting its potential for advancing biomedical research and clinical diagnostics.
Thank you, Dr. Yang, for inspiring our community and showcasing how advanced spectroscopic techniques can bridge fundamental physics and biomedical applications!