Ziauddin BDS students take 3rd place at Asia Pacific Dental Summit in Indonesia

KARACHI: Two third-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students from Ziauddin University have earned international recognition after securing third place in a scientific poster competition at the Asia Pacific Regional Summit in Makassar, Indonesia.

Hiba Rashid and Samin Zaki represented the university at the regional gathering hosted by Hasanuddin University, where they presented research focused on an emerging area of oral cancer diagnostics: the potential use of salivary liquid biopsy as a minimally invasive diagnostic approach in oral oncology.

Their achievement came against a competitive regional field.

A total of 16 teams participated in the international scientific poster competition, but following the evaluation process, only seven teams progressed to the final round.

Hiba and Samin were among them — eventually finishing in an impressive third position.

But the ranking was only one part of what made their experience significant.

The students' scientific poster explored salivary liquid biopsy, an increasingly investigated concept in cancer diagnostics that looks at whether biological information contained in saliva could help clinicians identify or monitor disease through a less invasive approach.

Traditional cancer diagnosis can involve tissue biopsy, imaging and other investigations depending on the clinical presentation.

Liquid biopsy research, by comparison, examines biological material that may be released by tumors into body fluids. In oral oncology, saliva is of particular scientific interest because it is readily accessible and may contain potentially useful molecular information.

Researchers internationally are investigating salivary biomarkers including genetic material, proteins and other tumor-associated signals for their possible future role in oral cancer detection, monitoring and precision diagnostics.

Importantly, salivary liquid biopsy remains an evolving research field and is not a universal replacement for conventional diagnostic biopsy.

That distinction makes the students' choice of topic particularly relevant: it sits at the intersection of oral cancer research, minimally invasive diagnostics, biomarker science and personalized dentistry.

The international poster competition was built around the theme:

“Advanced, Innovative, and Therapeutic Approaches for Sustainable Oral Health Excellence.”

Sixteen teams entered the scientific competition from across the region.

After evaluation, just seven advanced to the final round.

For two undergraduate dental students to progress through that selection process and ultimately finish third placed their work among the strongest entries presented at the summit.

Their achievement also highlights the increasing role undergraduate dental students can play in research when clinical education is combined with mentorship, scientific curiosity and exposure to international academic platforms.

Hiba Rashid and Samin Zaki credited a significant part of their preparation and success to the mentorship and guidance of Dr. Warda.

Research competitions require considerably more than preparing an attractive scientific poster.

Students must be able to understand their subject, explain the clinical relevance of their work, communicate methodology and scientific reasoning clearly, and respond effectively when evaluators question their conclusions or interpretations.

Strong academic mentorship can therefore be decisive — particularly for undergraduate students entering international research competitions.

The students' acknowledgment of Dr. Warda reflects that collaborative dimension of academic research, where faculty guidance can help students convert an idea into a structured scientific presentation capable of competing internationally.

Why salivary diagnostics are attracting attention

Oral cancer remains an important global health challenge, with outcomes often strongly influenced by the stage at which disease is identified and treated.

That has created sustained interest in technologies capable of making detection and monitoring earlier, simpler and less invasive.

Saliva is attractive to researchers because obtaining a sample is relatively straightforward and does not generally require an invasive procedure.

Scientists are therefore exploring whether measurable molecular changes in saliva could eventually complement existing oral cancer diagnostic pathways.

Potential areas of research include:

• tumor-associated DNA and RNA,
• proteins and metabolites,
• extracellular vesicles and exosomes,
• inflammatory biomarkers, and
• molecular signatures associated with oral malignancy.

The clinical utility of individual salivary biomarkers still requires rigorous validation, but the field continues to attract attention as researchers search for more accessible tools for oral cancer screening, diagnosis and disease surveillance.

It was this forward-looking area of dentistry that Hiba and Samin brought to the international stage.

The experience went beyond the competition

The summit also gave the Ziauddin students an opportunity to experience a different academic and clinical environment.

During their visit, they explored Hasanuddin University's Faculty of Dentistry, where they toured the campus and observed its clinical facilities and infrastructure.

For dental students, international academic exposure can provide something that classroom teaching alone cannot: an opportunity to compare how another institution approaches clinical training, infrastructure, research and dental education.

The visit therefore became more than a poster competition.

It gave Hiba and Samin a closer view of contemporary trends in dental education, clinical learning and research development within another Asia Pacific institution.

That exposure may prove particularly valuable as they progress through their own BDS education.

International exposure can reshape how students see dentistry

Participation in regional academic events allows young researchers to interact with ideas extending beyond their own curriculum and institutional environment.

Students encounter different research questions, presentation techniques and approaches to clinical dentistry.

They also learn how scientific work is judged outside their home institution.

For undergraduate students, that can strengthen critical thinking and help build confidence in scientific communication — skills increasingly important for those who may later pursue postgraduate education, clinical research or academic dentistry.

Hiba and Samin's third-place finish therefore represents more than an award.

It reflects their ability to take an emerging area of oral oncology research from their university environment and communicate it successfully before an international academic audience.

Makassar added another dimension to the experience
Outside the formal scientific and academic activities, the students also had the opportunity to experience Makassar's culture and hospitality.

International academic travel often creates an unusual combination of professional and personal learning.

The students were simultaneously representing their university, competing academically, observing another dental institution and experiencing life in a different cultural environment.

That combination made the trip a broader learning experience encompassing research, dentistry, communication, international exposure and cultural exchange.

From third-year BDS students to international research finalists

Perhaps the most notable part of the achievement is where Hiba Rashid and Samin Zaki currently stand in their academic journey.

Both are still third-year BDS students.

Yet they were able to represent Ziauddin University internationally, enter a 16-team scientific competition, survive the selection to the seven-team final and ultimately secure third place.

The achievement demonstrates how early engagement with research can expose dental students to areas of the profession extending far beyond routine undergraduate clinical training.

Their work also places attention on a research question that dentistry is likely to hear much more about in the years ahead: whether saliva can provide clinically meaningful molecular information that makes parts of oral cancer detection and monitoring less invasive.

The answer is still being investigated internationally.

But for Hiba and Samin, presenting that question on an Asia Pacific platform has already delivered an important milestone — one combining scientific recognition, international dental exposure and an early taste of what a research-focused career in dentistry can offer.