Dental Students Join NSF I-Corps Program
To provide the college’s students with the best and most contemporary education and training, a new extracurricular opportunity was recently provided. Under the direction of Dr. Luiz Meirelles, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Restorative and Prosthetic Dentistry, a select group of second-year dental students participated in the National Science Innovations Corps (I-Corps) Training Program that is hosted by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and made available through Ohio State’s Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship.
The D2 students’ participation in the program allowed them to focus on developing entrepreneurial interests, while also giving them an opportunity to explore the intersection of dental science and business innovation. In addition to their regular classroom and clinic activities, the four students – Ben Howard, Hudson Davis, Alex Zysik, and Vince Sabato – spent six weeks gaining knowledge about product development, customer discovery, and commercializing innovative ideas—skills that will complement their clinical expertise.
Commenting on the students’ experiences in the program, Dr. Meirelles said, “The NSF I-Corps program has been an incredible opportunity for our dental students to collaborate with peers from diverse disciplines, including biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, and medicine. Working with that multi-disciplinary team enabled them to approach challenges from unique perspectives, enriching their understanding, and opening paths for innovation in dental science."
In addition to supporting this extracurricular experience for students, Dr. Meirelles provides didactic and clinical instruction for pre-doctoral students and residents in restorative and prosthetic dentistry courses; supports curriculum development; and conducts his own research on dental implants, dental materials, and oral rehabilitation. His education includes a dental degree from Brazil's Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; a Master of Science degree in prosthodontics from Brazil’s State University of Campinas; and a Ph.D. in biomaterials from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Prior to joining Ohio State, Dr. Meirelles served as the Director of Product Evaluations for the American Dental Association’s Science Institute, performing product reviews and developing guidelines for selecting restorative and preventive dental materials.
