Alexandra Herzog is a seventh year DDS/PhD candidate at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. She received a B.S. in Honors Biochemistry and German from the University of Michigan in 2017. Alex has spent the last 7 years pursuing her dissertation research in Dr. Jacques Nör’s lab, investigating signaling mechanisms that regulate phenotypic changes in head and neck cancer stem cells underlying resistance to conventional chemotherapies. The ultimate objective of her work is to facilitate the development of mechanism-based therapeutic approaches that target cancer stem cells. Throughout her graduate training, Alex has held both local and national leadership positions, having served as AADOCR National Student Research Group President, Regional Representative, and Member at Large. Alex has authored multiple publications, including a book chapter, as well as received numerous research-related awards and honors, including the NIDCR Ruth L. Kirschstein F30 Fellowship, the IADR and AADOCR Hatton Awards, the Dentsply-Sirona SCADA Award, and the AADOCR Student Research Fellowship. She was recognized as one of the Top 20 students in her dental class by the Omicron Kappa Upsilon Chi Chapter. Alex has recently been accepted into the graduate program in endodontics at the University of Michigan as an incoming resident for the summer of 2024, with the long-term career goal of becoming a clinician-scientist as a faculty at a research-intensive dental school.