UR Ranks Ninth for NIH-Funded Oral Health Research

The University of Rochester /Eastman Institute for Oral Health has recently been ranked as the ninth top funded institution by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of National Institutes of Health.

“We are pleased that our work in the basic, clinical and translational arenas continues to be valued,” said Eli Eliav, D.M.D., Ph.D., director, Eastman Institute for Oral Health and vice dean for Oral Health, School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Throughout its history, Eastman has consistently ranked in the top 10 NIDCR-funded institutions. The ranking is especially significant because the University of Rochester’s dentistry and oral biology research arm--through Eastman Institute for Oral Health--is much smaller compared to the other high-ranking institutions.

This NIDCR/NIH ranking reflects fiscal year 2018. New York University and State University of New York at Buffalo ranked 10 and 11, respectively. In previous years, also solely for NIDCR/NIH funding, the University of Rochester ranked 10 in fiscal year 2017 and 12 in fiscal year 2016.

Eastman Institute for Oral Health research programs encompass a wide variety of areas, including oral infectious diseases, dental caries, salivary diagnosis and therapy, craniofacial development, orofacial pain, periodontal diagnosis and therapy, implants, materials, lasers, nerve injury and pain modulation, and practice based research, among others.

“We are optimistic that future and pending research awards will place us even higher in the near future,” added Dr. Eliav, who also serves as a vice president for the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Recent grants are funding studies to examine the role of behavior and stress in children's tooth decay and to explore the role of yeast in infants who have a high risk for severe early childhood caries. A University-wide grant supports using innovative technology to discover preventive treatments for salivary gland radiation damage typical for head and neck cancer patients. In addition, a twice renewed grant allows expansion of the Center for Oral Biology's renowned training program for oral biologists and dentist-scientists.