SJWRI research staff and students have been highly successful in the NZ Dental Association Research Foundation and Ministry of Health Oral Health Research funding rounds, the results of which were released by the NZDA yesterday. Our researchers are primary investigators or co-investigators on ten research proposals awarded $122,712 in funding from the NZDA Research Foundation, and another four projects totalling $62,247 from the Ministry's targeted Oral Health Research fund. Many of these awards will support the research of postgraduate students and the training of specialist dentists.
NZ Dental Association Research Foundation
Established in 1964, the NZ Dental Association Research Foundation awards grants for research projects related to dentistry. Its overall purpose is to "promote, foster and extend the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand". Since its inception, the Foundation has provided financial support for decades of dental and oral health research projects within the Dental School and the SJWRI, to help extend the boundaries of dental knowledge and to promote the fostering and extension of the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand. The Research Foundation is funded by donations from dental practitioners, the dental supply industry and other businesses, as well as profits from the annual NZDA Conference and other fundraising activities. The SJWRI and the Faculty are hugely grateful for the role and contribution of the NZDA Research Foundation in supporting our research over the past five decades, in the process helping many of our Masters, PhD and specialising dental postgraduate students complete their studies.
Our successful applicants in the 2015 round are:
| Principal applicant | Other applicants (SJWRI unless noted) |
Project title | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Antoun | Mauro Farella, Azza Al-Ani, Tony Merriman (Biochemistry), Murray Thomson | Finding the missing link for hypodontia | $10,243 |
| Joanne Choi | Mauro Farella, Karl Lyons, Neil Waddell | Continuous measurement of intraoral pH and temperature of individuals with and without xerostomia | $5,500 |
| Dawn Coates | Richard Cannon, Trudy Milne, Alison Rich | An ABI qPCR machine for oral health research | $15,000 |
| Fiona Firth | Benedict Seo, Trudy Milne, Mauro Farella | The effect of mechanical strain on the unfolded protein response of periodontal ligament cells in a three-dimensional culture | $15,000 |
| Lara Friedlander | Hitesh Navani, Alison Rich, Trudy Milne, Peter Cathro | Angiogenesis in the apical papilla of immature permanent teeth associated with healthy and inflamed dental pulps | $14,990 |
| Suzanne Hanlin | Sunyoung Ma, Lara Friedlander | A 5 year retrospective assay (audit) of the outcomes of implant therapy in New Zealand private dental practice | $13,000* |
| Haizal Hussaini | Alison Rich, Adil Alkharusi | Expression of STAT 3 and cytokines (IL22, IL23, TH17) within metastatic lymph nodes of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) | $12,134 |
| Neil Waddell | David Prior (Geology), Kai Chun Li, Carla Meledandri (Chemistry), Karl Lyons | Gold nanoparticle reinforcement of biomedical dental ceramics | $12,000 |
| Matthew Woods | N/A | Precision balance and pH meter for dental research including drug discovery | $9,845 |
| Muhammed Yakin | Benedict Seo, Alison Rich | Oral cancer cells under stress: The intertwined roles of cell stress and the dynamic signalling pathways | $15,000 |
Ministry of Health Oral Health Research Grants
In 2007, the NZ Ministry of Health established a funding programme for oral health research, managed by the NZDA and its Research Foundation, to fund research targeted towards the oral health priorities of the Ministry. Priority is given to oral health research that targets children and adolescents; people of all ages with physical, intellectual, behavioural, or cognitive disabilities, or who are medically compromised; people experiencing inequalities of outcome (e.g. Maori, Pacific and low-income populations); maternal oral health; older adults; and research focusing on promoting oral health, building links with primary care and building the oral health workforce.
Our successful applicants in the 2015 round are:
| Principal applicant | Other applicants | Project title | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Chia | Darryl Tong, Lyndie Foster Page, Murray Thomson | Clinicians' perspectives on Special Needs Dentistry in New Zealand | $2,000* |
| Haizal Hussaini | Hina Narayan, Trudy Milne, Alison Rich | Effect of cigarette smoking on TGF-β expression in oral tissues and cells | $10,517 |
| Haizal Hussaini | Hina Narayan, Trudy Milne, Alison Rich | In vitro effect of cigarette smoke on DNA methylation in oral epithelial cells | $15,489 |
| Moira Smith (Public Health, UOW) |
Murray Thomson | Exploring oral health care planning and service delivery models for dependent older adults in aged residential care facilities: feasibility and acceptability in the aged-care sector | $34,241 |
Names italicised above are SJWRI postgraduate students (either PhD or DClinDent). * Grant-in aid.
Congratulations to all those funded in this year's round.