Four research projects at the UCLA School of Dentistry have been chosen to receive grants in a new program created by Dean No-Hee Park in celebration of the school’s 50th anniversary. The program will provide seed funding to launch pioneering basic and translational research to improve the oral and systemic health of populations worldwide. The four inaugural research projects will receive grants of $200,000 over a two-year period.
Dr. Sotirios Tetradis and Dr. Won Moon have received funding for their research project, “Decoding the Harmonic Face.” Tetradis is professor and chair of the dental school’s Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in the Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences. He also serves as an adviser to the combined D.D.S./Ph.D. program in oral biology. Moon is the Thomas R. Bales Endowed Chair in Orthodontics, director of the school's orthodontic residency program and director of international affairs. He has been a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics since 2002. His current focus is establishing protocols for orthopedic corrections with minimal intervention and creating virtual patients utilizing image analysis.
Dr. Tara Aghaloo and Min Lee have received a grant for their research, “3D Printed Tissue Engineered Composite Reconstruction of Maxillofacial Defects.” Aghaloo is the assistant dean of clinical research and professor in the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences. She is also the director of the Clinical Research Center, where she works closely with the UCLA Clinical Translational Science Institute. Her research focuses on bone biology and regeneration strategies at the basic, translational and clinical levels. Lee is an associate professor in the Section of Biomaterials in the Division of Advanced Prosthodontics. His primary research area is in the design and fabrication of biomimetic polymer systems for tissue regeneration and drug delivery applications, with a focus on orthobiologics, customized scaffolds, injectable hydrogels and controlled release.
Seed funding will also support research by Dr. Benjamin Wu, “A New Generation of Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnostic Devices.” Wu is professor and chair of the school’s Division of Advanced Prosthodontics and director of the Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology. He also chairs the Department of Bioengineering at the UCLA School of Engineering and is a fellow of the Academy of Prosthodontics.
Dean Ho and Dr. Cun-Yu Wang are receiving funding for their research on “Nanodiamond-Embedded Mucoadhesive Tablets for Oral Cancer Therapy.” Ho is a professor in the Division of Oral Biology and Medicine and the Division of Advanced Prosthodontics, as well as co-director of the Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology. Wang is the associate dean of Graduate Studies, the Dr. No-Hee Park Endowed Chair in Dentistry and chair of the Division of Oral Biology and Medicine. A leading investigator in the field of oral cancer, chronic inflammation and adult stem cells, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2011.
This article is based on the original published in the school of dentistry's school's online Research News.
