23 March 2023

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UCSF Dentistry takes top spot in 2022 NIH funding

By UCSF Dentistry News

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UCSF School of Dentistry has retained its number one spot on the 2022 National Institute of Health (NIH) funding list for dental schools. 

According to a Feb. 17 news story, the School of Dentistry earned 72 awards and led all other dental institutions by accumulating more than $24 million in funding. The amount surpasses last year’s total of $22 million. 

In the news story, Stuart Gansky, associate dean for research, said that UCSF School of Dentistry investigators were very productive in proposing and conducting innovative scientific inquiries across a plethora of cutting edge and important topics. 

“The research ranges from understanding enamel formation to develop better biomaterials, to cell interactions in the digestive tract, and studying therapeutic targets to treat Sjogren’s disease,” he said. “With faculty mentoring, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences trainees have been extremely successful in obtaining NIH fellowships to support their training and research. All this scientific work fits with UCSF’s mission of advancing health for all,” he said. 

UCSF had another strong showing in this year’s rankings. 

UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF School of Pharmacy also ranked no. 1 in their respective categories, and UCSF School of Nursing was the top public institution garnering NIH funds among nursing schools. 

Notable newly funded NIH projects 

Professor Jeffrey Bush and his team brought in the biggest single award for a project, "Signaling Control and Cellular Basis of Craniofacial Morphogenesis and Congenital Disease," which looks into congenital craniofacial anomalies. These anomalies are among the most common birth defects. The project gives an unprecedented view of craniofacial morphogenesis, which ultimately may lead to the discovery of new approaches to treating these common conditions. 

Dr. Caroline Shiboski, DDS, conducts research on Sjogren’s disease. Her NIH award for Sjogren’s applies cutting-edge technologies to interrogate the tissue and systems biology of Sjogren’s disease. 

Assistant Professor Julie Sneddon is working on quantitative blueprinting of islet cells through her project "Linking Human Islet Structural Heterogeneity to Beta Cell State." This work could help people with Type 1 diabetes with a cure based on new stem cell-derived beta cells that restore lost glucose homeostatic function. 

Professor Stefan Habelitz received a grant for "Amelogenin Nanoribbons In Enamel Development And Engineering," which will advance research on enamel. Dental enamel, the hardest substance in the human body, is unique in biology. It is the only epithelial derived mineralized tissue and has a remarkable architecture based on extremely thin fibers that are woven into a fracture resistant and hard tissue for optimal mastication. 

For a complete breakdown of all award recipients and projects at UCSF Dentistry, visit report.nih.gov. 

The NIH invests more than $32 billion a year to enhance life and reduce illness, making it the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. 

Read the original story on the UCSF Dentistry news site: https://dentistry.ucsf.edu/about/news/ucsf-dentistry-takes-top-spot-2022-nih-funding