VOLPE Prize
The VOLPE Prize, which is named in honor of Dr. Anthony Volpe, is a $3,500 award presented for the best clinical research in periodontology by students in dentistry.
The most recent VOLPE Prize was awarded in 2018. Abstracts were accepted from dental academic institutions in North and South America for review by a panel of judges. From these abstracts, eight (8) finalists were selected to make oral presentations at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, on April 20, 2018. Each finalist provided a 20-minute presentation based on the abstract, followed by a 10-minute question-and-answer period. Each finalist received a $500 travel grant, and the winner of the competition received the cash prize and a certificate of recognition.
Rules and details
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Who can enter the VOLPE Prize competition?
Any person who is registered as a student in an accredited dental school or dental post-graduate program in North and South America as well as graduates of those institutions who have completed training no later than June 30, 2017.
When and where is the site for the VOLPE Prize?
The competition is held at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Travel grants of $500 U.S. Dollars will be awarded to the finalists to travel to Columbus.
What is Awarded?
$3,500 U.S. Dollars will be awarded to the winner of the competition.
$2,500 U.S. Dollars will be awarded to the 2nd place participant.
$1,500 U.S. Dollars will be awarded to the 3rd place participant.
What are the guidelines for VOLPE Abstract submission?
VOLPE Abstracts must summarize research performed following matriculation into dental school and/or an advanced dental education program. The presenter must provide a statement (from the advisor or the program chair) that they contributed the sole/major effort on the research being presented. Original materials or abstracts that have been previously published or presented may be submitted. Only one author can be identified on the abstract. All other members of the research team, including the advisor, must be acknowledged as having contributed to the effort. The VOLPE Abstract must be written in English and must fit in to the space provided by the abstract box (approx. 450 words). Abstracts that do not conform to font size or space limitations will be returned to the author. The abstract should contain the following sections:
- hypothesis/objective
- materials and methods
- results
- summary and conclusions, which include information on the clinical relevance of the project.
Each institution is responsible for determining which research projects will be selected for submission. Detailed abstract submission guidelines are posted under Submit a VOLPE Abstract.
How are VOLPE Abstracts evaluated?
VOLPE Abstracts will be appraised by judges who will be blinded to the identity of the competitors. Evaluation criteria include:
- originality and design of the investigation
- suitability of the methods used
- quality of data
- demonstration of clinical relevance
- lucidity of writing
How is the Oral Presentation evaluated?
Each finalist will have 15 minutes to present their data followed by 10 minutes of questioning by the judges. The oral presentation will be evaluated on the originality of the research presented, the hypothesis, the quality of the materials and methods used in the project, the interpretation of the results, the quality of the presentation, the quality of the audiovisual aids, competence in answering the questions, the presenter’s understanding and mastery of all aspects of the research and its implications--both clinical and scientific. Each oral presentation will be scored by each judge.
How will the winner of the VOLPE Prize be selected?
The winner of the VOLPE Prize will be selected on the basis of the:
- submitted abstract (20%)
- oral presentation (80%)
What are the important dates?
March 1 : Abstracts must be submitted to the web site or be received via mail to:
The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Division of Periodontology
ATTN: VOLPE Prize
305 W. 12th Ave., Room 4129
Columbus, OH 43210Date TBA: Review of Abstracts by judges.
Date TBA: Finalists will be announced.
Date TBA: VOLPE Prize reception
Date TBA: Oral competition at The Ohio State University
Date TBA: VOLPE Prize Awards BanquetWhat is the definition of the clinical research that can be submitted for the VOLPE Prize?
Clinical research: Research based on humans and designed to answer questions about health and disease. In addition to direct examination of individual patients and populations, it includes the study of biological samples and personal data deriving from the individuals concerned. It also includes research on volunteers, or on populations of apparently healthy individuals, where such study relates to a disease process being investigated.
Experimental medicine: Investigation undertaken in humans, relating where appropriate to model systems, to identify mechanisms of pathophysiology or disease, or to demonstrate proof-of-concept evidence of the validity and importance of new discoveries or treatments.
Population sciences: Investigation undertaken in populations (e.g., descriptive epidemiology, cohorts, randomized trials and case-control designs involving people) to identify mechanisms of health or disease, or to test the validity and importance of new discoveries, interventions or treatments.
Translational research: The process of the bidirectional transfer of knowledge between basic work (in the laboratory and elsewhere) with that in the whole patient. Translational research ranges from exploring fundamental scientific questions and applying the resulting knowledge to the patient, to bringing insights from studies in the patient back to the laboratory in model systems for further exploration. These efforts will lead to better understanding of the mechanisms of disease and the maintenance of health, as well as to new methods of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease.
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Longitudinal Analysis of Subgingival Bacterial Stability Using 16S Cloning and Sequencing
Introduction: Recent investigations have revealed that much of the subgingival flora is composed of uncultivated and previously unknown bacteria, and little is known about the composition and stability of the predominant species. Open-ended investigations such as cloning and sequencing the ribosomal 16S DNA provide a method to study this natural history. Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the stability of the predominant subgingival bacterial species over a two-year period using 16S cloning and sequencing. Materials and methods: 25 subjects over 40 years of age with no history of systemic disease, smoking or recent antibiotic use were selected. Subgingival plaque samples were collected on paper points at a two-year interval. Probe depths, bleeding on probing, and plaque and gingival indices were recorded at the time of sampling. DNA was isolated directly from each sample and 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR using universal primers and cloned into E.coli. Colonies were screened for inserts of the expected molecular size by PCR. The amplicons were sequenced to identify bacterial species. 100 clones from each sample were sequenced, allowing detection of species that comprised 3% or more of the total flora with a 95% confidence. Results: At initial presentation, subjects were either periodontally healthy (n=12), or showed signs of slight (n=8) to moderate (n=5) disease. 12 subjects remained periodontally stable over the two-year period, while 6 subjects showed an improvement in periodontal health, and 7 showed evidence of disease progression. The mean microbial stability of the periodontally stable group was 55.5% (±3.6) and that of the unstable group was 38.3% (±3.4). This difference was statistically significant (P=0.002, t-test). Summary and Conclusions: The major subgingival bacterial flora appears to be stable in periodontally stable individuals. Shifts in microbial composition are associated with changes in periodontal health status.
About Dr. Volpe
Dr. Anthony R. Volpe has over five decades of experience in clinical dental research, preventive dentistry and dental scientific affairs with more than 250 scientific publications and presentations worldwide as well as several patents in dental science from the United States government.
Dr. Volpe received a Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in Chemistry from Seton Hall University in 1954, a Doctorate Degree in Dental Surgery (DDS) from the New Jersey Dental School in 1960 and a Master of Science Degree in Biological Sciences (MS) from Rutgers University. In 1998, he was awarded a degree in dentistry (Dottore in Odontoiatria) from the Dental Faculty of the University of Rome in Italy.
Dr. Volpe was vice president of Clinical Dental Research and Scientific Affairs at the Colgate-Palmolive Technology Center in Piscataway, New Jersey, USA. He has been a clinical professor of pharmacology at the Fairleigh-Dickinson University School of Dentistry and currently is a clinical professor of periodontics at the University of Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey Dental School. As a staff member at St. Peter’s Medical Center in New Brunswick, New Jersey, he has practiced general dentistry.
Anthony Volpe has served on technical committees of major worldwide dental organizations, including the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the American Dental Association (ADA), the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI). He has been president of the Essex County Dental Association, vice president and trustee of the Academy of Medicine of New Jersey and editor of the Journal of the New Jersey Dental Association. From 1997 to 2003, he served as president of the American Dental Association Foundation and was presented in 2004 with the American Dental Association’s Distinguished Service Award. In 2004, he was further honored to receive the American Association of Public Health Dentistry’s Special Merit Award and the Hadassah Special Award from the Hebrew University, Israel.