UCSF School of Dentistry has retained its number one spot on the 2022 National Institute of Health (NIH) funding list for dental schools.
Earning a grand total of 72 awards, the School of Dentistry led all other dental institutions by accumulating more than $24 million in funding thanks to our researchers’ commitment to improving health for all and understanding of fundamental science. The amount surpasses last year’s total of $22 million.
| Organization |
City |
State |
Awards |
Funding |
|---|
| University of California, San Francisco |
San Francisco |
CA |
72 |
$24,024,717 |
| University of Michigan at Ann Arbor |
Ann Arbor |
MI |
41 |
$19,989,597 |
| University of Southern California |
Los Angeles |
CA |
31 |
$19,090,823 |
| University of Pennsylvania |
Philadelphia |
PA |
48 |
$15,955,129 |
| New York University |
New York |
NY |
31 |
$14,570,072 |
“UCSF School of Dentistry investigators continue to be very productive in proposing and conducting innovative scientific inquiries across a plethora of cutting edge and important topics,” said Stuart Gansky, MS, DrPH, the associate dean for research. “The research ranges from understanding enamel formation to develop better biomaterials, to cell interactions in the digestive tract, and studying therapeutic targets to treat Sjögren’s disease. 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,” said Gansky.
| Top 10 |
PI Name |
Total Funding |
Number of Projects |
|---|
| 1 |
Ophir Klein |
$3,880,510 |
9 |
| 2 |
Jon Levine |
$1,883,308 |
3 |
| 3 |
Caroline Shiboski |
$1,699,423 |
2 |
| 4 |
Jeffrey Bush |
$1,466,156 |
2 |
| 5 |
Noelle L'Etoile |
$1,444,476 |
5 |
| 6 |
Licia Selleri |
$1,411,791 |
3 |
| 7 |
Sarah Knox |
$1,342,370 |
2 |
| 8 |
Pamela Den Besten |
$1,080,484 |
3 |
| 9 |
Carol Gross |
$943,376 |
1 |
| 10 |
Julie Sneddon |
$807,500 |
2 |
UCSF as a whole had another strong showing in this year’s rankings. UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF School of Pharmacy also ranked #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 at UCSF School of Dentistry
Jeffrey Bush, PhD, and his team brought in the biggest single award for their project with a highly competitive Sustaining Outstanding Achievement in Research (R35 SOAR) grant, “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.
Caroline Shiboski, DDS, MPH, PhD, researches Sjögren’s disease. Her High Impact Research and Research Infrastructure UC2 award, Sjögren’s Team for Accelerating Medicines Partnership (STAMP)” applies cutting-edge technologies to interrogate the tissue and systems biology of Sjögren’s disease.
Julie Sneddon, PhD, 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 (T1D) with a cure based on new stem cell-derived beta cells that restore lost glucose homeostatic function.
Stefan Habelitz, PhD, received a grant for “Amelogenin Nanoribbons In Enamel Development And Engineering,” which will advance research on enamel. Dental enamel which is the hardest substance in the human body is unique in biology, as 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 happening 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.
