Juhi Bagaitkar, a University of Louisville graduate student in immunology and microbiology, has been named Outstanding Student Researcher by the Society of Leukocyte Biology (SLB) for her study on smokers and the associated increased risk of periodontitis.

                Bagaitkar’s  study looked at the increased risk smokers have of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease causes gums to bleed because the gums become inflamed. The teeth begin to pull away from the infected gum and may even fall out.

Bagaitkar noticed that smokers are highly prone to periodontitis without showing symptoms. Bagaitkar’s study showed how tobacco caused the bacteria in the mouth to change form and the body’s immune system. This new form is not able to be detected by the body’s immune system and the disease goes unnoticed.

To receive this honor of Outstanding Student Researcher, Bagaitkar had to submit an abstract of her work to the SLB for review. The SLB selected only three abstracts from all submissions. These three researchers were invited to Vancouver, Canada, to present their abstracts at the SLB annual meeting. From the presentations, the SLB council decided the winner.

                Bagaitkar is a student of Dr. David A Scott, who joined Bagaitkar in Vancouver, Canada this October to compete for Outstanding Student Researcher at the Society of Leukocyte Biology annual meeting.