The AADOCR Buffalo Section hosts many events throughout the year. Check out our upcoming events below!
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For questions, please contact Dr. Sabrina Feitosa Sochacki.
This event took place Nov. 11, 2025.
This event was inspired by conversations among students, recent graduates, and clinicians seeking to gain insight into the challenges of navigating dental school, research, and clinical practice.
Our speakers will each have approximately 15 minutes to present. Each presentation will be followed by a Q&A panel with the attendees. Aziza Babaeva (D2) will be the moderator for the discussion.
Grace De Souza, DDS, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry
UB School of Dental Medicine
Dr. De Souza is the professor and chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the UBSDM. Originally from Brazil, she earned her DDS, MS, and PhD in comprehensive dentistry from the State University of Campinas, where she began her work in biomaterials research. A strong advocate for women in academia, she is a past president of the IADR Women in Science Network, where she championed diversity and inclusion in dental education. Her current research explores how eating disorders affect tooth structure and restorative materials, with a particular focus on women’s health.
Nicole Hinchy, DDS '12, MS
Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs, Director of Radiology
UB School of Dental Medicine
Dr. Hinchy is the assistant dean for clinical affairs and director of radiology at the UBSDM. Her career path has included hospital dentistry and academia, ultimately leading her to a fulfilling specialty in oral & maxillofacial radiology. She is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of dental professionals.
Kanan Shah, BDS
IDP Student, Class of '26
UB School of Dental Medicine
Kanan Shah is an internationally trained dentist with a BDS degree and is currently pursuing her DDS at the UBSDM. In the same year she began her journey in the U.S., she also welcomed her greatest joys: her twin sons, Pranshul and Dentistry. Balancing the demands of motherhood and dental school, she continues to navigate the challenges and victories of both with passion, resilience and unwavering commitment.
Presented by Dr. Carla Alvarez Rivas, Aug. 26, 2025
Dr. Carla Alvarez Rivas is a clinician-scientist with a DDS and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. She completed her doctoral training in immunology with a focus on mucosal immune responses, followed by NIH-funded postdoctoral training at the ADA Forsyth Institute and Harvard School of Dental Medicine, where she specialized in T cell biology and host-microbe interactions in the oral cavity. During this time, she received the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, supporting her transition to an independent academic career at the University at Buffalo.
The Alvarez Rivas Lab investigates the generation, maintenance, and reactivation of memory CD4⁺ T cells in the oral mucosa using mouse models of periodontitis. By integrating conditional regulatory T cell depletion, single-cell RNA sequencing, and TCR repertoire analysis, her research aims to uncover how maladaptive immune memory drives chronic inflammation and disease recurrence in periodontitis. The lab is currently seeking a PhD or master’s student enrolled in the periodontology residency program to join its research team.