2021 - 2022 Archives
Recent News
NYU Dentistry to Create NIH-Funded Summer Research Education Program
12/13/2022
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded NYU Dentistry a grant to establish a summer research education program in the oral health sciences.
Dr. Habib Benzian Co-edits First-ever WHO Global Oral Health Status Report
11/18/2022
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published its first-ever Global Oral Health Status Report, which creates a comprehensive picture of oral disease burden with data profiles for 194 countries and provides unique insights into key areas of oral health.
NYU Dentistry Awarded NIDCR Funding to Continue Development of Gel to Treat Periodontal Disease
10/17/2022
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has awarded a grant to researchers at NYU College of Dentistry to continue their development of a topical gel to treat periodontal disease and prevent related bone loss.
NYU Dentistry Awarded Department of Defense Grant to Investigate the Causes of Oral Cancer Pain
10/03/2022
Project will address a neglected issue that extracts an enormous toll on our injured soldiers and veterans: chronic pain and oral cancer pain.
The Department of Defense has awarded Yi Ye, PhD, a three-year grant in excess of $700,000 to expand her research into how oral cancer causes pain. The grant began on September 30, 2022 (award number W81XWH2210723)
Gel Treats Gum Disease by Fighting Inflammation
09/20/2022
Targeted topical therapy offers promise as at-home treatment
A topical gel that blocks the receptor for a metabolic byproduct called succinate treats gum disease by suppressing inflammation and changing the makeup of bacteria in the mouth, according to a new study led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry and published in Cell Reports.
09/08/2022
Nigel Bunnett, PhD, and Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, have received an Expansion Award from the Department of Defense to continue their research investigating opioid alternatives to treat chronic pain. The three-year, $2.2 million grant began September 1, 2022 (award numbers W81XWH2210238 and W81XWH2210239).
09/08/2022
Findings are expected to advance promising studies that could form the basis for new therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat obesity and related metabolic diseases.
NYU Dentistry has been awarded a three-year grant in the amount of $450,000 by the Mathers Foundation for research to investigate how activating brown adipose tissue, also known as brown fat, can have major beneficial effects on human health, including in the fight against obesity and related metabolic diseases.
09/06/2022
On August 31, 2022, after a hiatus of two-plus years due to COVID-19, NYU Dentistry held a live, in-person graduation celebration for students in its Dental Assisting Certificate Program.
An Update on the Collaboration between NYU Dentistry and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:
08/17/2022
NYU College of Dentistry is celebrating the first anniversary of the Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE), part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ VETSmile program.
Saturday Academy Celebrates A Decade of Programming
08/17/2022
This fall, Saturday Academy will welcome its 10th cohort of participants to in-person activities after two years of remote programming. Saturday Academy is designed specifically to increase diversity in the health care professions, particularly dentistry. The program introduces underrepresented high school students to the profession of dentistry, while preparing them for the college application process.
Dr. Nigel Bunnett Appointed Assistant Dean for Research Development at NYU College of Dentistry
08/11/2022
Nigel Bunnett, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Pathobiology at New York University College of Dentistry, has been appointed assistant dean for research development, effective September 1, 2022. Dr. Bunnett will continue to serve as professor and chair of the NYU Dentistry Department of Molecular Pathobiology.
Gift will provide dental care at no cost for veterans with blood cancer who are not eligible for dental care through the VA
08/09/2022
NYU College of Dentistry has received a significant gift from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) to create a pilot program to provide financial support for dental care for U.S. military veterans with blood cancer. Care will be provided at the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities, where the staff are trained with special skillsets to ensure quality treatment and holistic care for people with disabilities and complex medical conditions.
The Case for Having Dentists on Your Cancer Care Team
Caring for your oral health before, during, and after cancer treatment—a growing focus at NYU College of Dentistry—can minimize complications
07/14/2022
Cancer treatment often takes a team of health professionals—oncologists, nurses, surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, and social workers—to coordinate and provide comprehensive support for patients. At NYU, dentists are increasingly being considered an important part of the cancer care team.
$1.5M HRSA Grant Supports Training to Prepare Students to Care for Underserved Populations
06/22/2022
HRSA Grant Will Support Training for Dental and Dental Hygiene Students to Provide Oral Health Services for People with Disabilities, Expectant Mothers
NYU College of Dentistry has received a nearly $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to prepare dental and dental hygiene students to care for underserved populations, including people with disabilities and expectant mothers.
06/15/2022
Kara Gross Margolis, MD, has been named associate director for clinical and translational research, and director for brain gut research at the NYU Pain Research Center, effective June 15, 2022. Dr. Margolis is a pediatric gastroenterologist with internationally recognized clinical expertise in brain-gut axis disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). She has also been appointed a tenured associate professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry.
Dr. Margolis has clinical expertise in disorders that affect the gut and brain, including disorders of gut brain interactions (DGBIs). Pain is the chief concern of many of her patients. She treats a wide variety of disorders including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, eosinophilic esophagitis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
NYU Dentistry Research Explores Oral Health of Vulnerable Women During Pregnancy
06/07/2022
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research is funding research at NYU Dentistry to better understand the oral health of vulnerable pregnant women and the barriers they face to receiving dental care.
05/26/2022
Nicola Partridge, PhD, professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU College of Dentistry, has received a $2 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Graduation 2022: Together Again
05/23/2022
After two-plus years of hardships, quarantines, and physical distancing because of COVID-19, on May 23, 2022, NYU Dentistry was able to hold its first in-person graduation ceremony since May 2019.
NYU Dentistry Dental Student Leadership Institute Selects Inaugural Class
05/11/2022
New Program Aims to Develop Future Leaders for the Profession
Recognizing that dentistry and oral health face challenges and opportunities that will require exceptional leadership as we move forward in the 21st century, NYU Dentistry is prioritizing the development of DDS students to become future leaders for the profession.
NYU Dentistry Performs First Dental Student-led Robot-assisted Dental Implant Surgery
05/05/2022
Robotic technology enhances dental education and clinical practice
Dental students at NYU College of Dentistry became the first in the U.S. to perform dental implant surgery using state-of-the-art robotic technology.
NYU Dentistry Convenes 2nd AHEAD Symposium on Access and Care for People with Disabilities
04/06/2022
“Confidence, competence, and compassion.” These are three qualities dental providers need when caring for patients with disabilities, said Charles Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc, the Herman Robert Fox Dean of NYU College of Dentistry, speaking at the College’s second AHEAD symposium on April 5.
Patients Reporting Penicillin Allergy Less Likely to Have Successful Dental Implants
04/06/2022
Antibiotic alternatives to amoxicillin linked to an increase in dental implant failure
Dental implants are more than twice as likely to fail in people who report an allergy to penicillin and are given alternative antibiotics, compared to those given amoxicillin, a new study by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry shows.
Dr. Dalal Alhajji Receives ADA 10 Under 10 Award
03/15/2022
Dalal Alhajji, DMD, MSD, a clinical instructor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine at NYU College of Dentistry, has been named a recipient of the American Dental Association’s 10 Under 10 Award, which recognizes 10 new dentists who demonstrate excellence early in their careers.
NYU Dentistry to Host Event on Disability and Health Policy—April 5
Second AHEAD symposium will virtually gather health professionals, policymakers, and the disability community to discuss improving access to oral health care for people with disabilities
NYU College of Dentistry will host its second AHEAD symposium—Achieving Health Equity through Access for All with Disabilities—focused on changes in policy and practice. The event will take place virtually on Tuesday, April 5, 2022 from 9 am to noon EDT, and will bring together experts in the areas of health care advocacy, access, and funding at the state and federal levels for people with disabilities.
Evidence Grows for Vaping’s Role in Gum Disease
02/22/2022
Research confirms unique community of bacteria and immune responses among people who use e-cigarettes
A series of new studies by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry highlights how e-cigarettes alter oral health and may be contributing to gum disease. The latest, published in mBio, finds that e-cigarette users have a unique oral microbiome—the community of bacteria and other microorganisms—that is less healthy than nonsmokers but potentially healthier than cigarette smokers and measures worsening gum disease over time.
Study Reveals How Migraine Pain Signals Are Generated—and Blocked
02/03/2022
Activating CGRP receptors generates pain signals within Schwann cells, but blocking CGRP actions inside Schwann cells offers potential new treatments for migraine pain
An international team of researchers has discovered that Schwann cells—which are abundant in the peripheral nervous system and create a protective sheath around nerve fibers—play an essential role in migraine pain. Their study, conducted in mice and human Schwann cells and published in Nature Communications, illustrates how pain is signaled from within Schwann cells and finds several ways to block this signaling, providing potential targets for new migraine treatments.
Study Reveals Mechanism for Colon Pain and Inflammation
01/31/2022
“We identified not only where this receptor is in the digestive tract, but also how it signals inflammation and pain in the colon,” said Nigel Bunnett, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Pathobiology and the study's senior author.
Dr. Spencer Wade Receives American Society of Dental Anesthesiologists Funding
01/13/2022
Dr. Spencer Wade, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, has received a grant from the American Society of Dental Anesthesiologists (ASDA) Education and Research Foundation to investigate the use of a multisensory room prior to general anesthesia induction for dental treatment in pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Dr. Rajesh Khanna Named Director of the NYU Pain
Research Center
01/07/2022
Rajesh Khanna, PhD, an internationally known expert in pain research, has been named director of the NYU Pain Research Center, effective January 1, 2022.
NYU Awarded $21 Million to Implement Program Addressing Family Maltreatment in the Army
01/04/2022
Federal funding supports adoption of evidence-based model to evaluate and respond to incidents of family violence and abuse in the Army
The U.S. Army, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has awarded researchers at NYU College of Dentistry funding to implement an evidence-based program to assess and respond to incidents of family maltreatment in the military. The researchers will receive an estimated $21 million in federal funding over 10 years to support the Army in successfully adopting the model, which has been shown to improve fairness and reduce further maltreatment.
New Non-Opioid Compound Provides Innovative Pain Relief
11/12/2021
Researchers are closer to developing a safe and effective non-opioid pain reliever after a study showed that a new compound they created reduces the sensation of pain by regulating a biological channel linked to pain.
United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund to Support Veterans Oral Care Access Resource
11/10/2021
Funding Will Provide Access to Dental Care for New York-Area Veterans
New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) has received a significant grant from United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund in support of its Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE).
NYU Dentistry and the VA Launch Dental Program for Veterans
11/10/2021
On Monday, November 8, NYU College of Dentistry, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs, celebrated the official launch of a new program to increase Veterans’ access to dental care. The program, called VOCARE (Veteran Oral Care Access Resource), is part of the VA’s VETSmile pilot program.
New Life for a Cancer Drug That Reprograms Pain Pathways to Treat Chronic Pain
11/01/2021
Chronic pain associated with nerve injury and chronic bone pain from metastatic cancer are unmet medical needs. A new study led by Wolfgang Liedtke, MD, PhD, an adjunct professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry, identified the compound kenpaullone as a promising treatment that could be repurposed to alleviate pain. Kenpaullone functioned as an analgesic in preclinical models of pain in a new study published in Nature Communications.
NYU Dentistry Partners with VA to Provide Dental Care to Veterans
08/26/2021
NYU Dentistry has been selected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement its new initiative, Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE), as part of VA’s VETSmile pilot program.
08/19/2021
NYU College of Dentistry’s Saturday Academy has been named a recipient of the 2021 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.
Dr. Aditi Bhattacharya Awarded NIH grant to Study Oral Cancer Pain
08/19/2021
Aditi Bhattacharya, BDS, MDS, PhD, has been awarded a two- year grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study oral cancer pain.
Dr. Leena Palomo Named Chair, Ashman Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry
07/15/2021
Dr. Leena Palomo, an accomplished dental educator, clinician, and researcher, has been named chair of the Ashman Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry at NYU Dentistry, effective September 1, 2021.
NYU Dentistry Receives Gift from BioHorizons to Expand Access, Education for Implant Dentistry
06/01/2021
Funding and Products Will Support Patient Care and Continuing Education Programs
NYU College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) has received major funding and in-kind support from BioHorizons Implant Systems, Inc. to make dental implants more accessible for patients in need and enhance the College’s continuing education programs. BioHorizons, part of Henry Schein, Inc., is a leading global provider of dental implant and tissue regeneration products.
NYU Dentistry to Host Oral Health Policy and Research Symposium–June 11
05/17/2021
Virtual event marks inaugural symposium for NYU Dentistry Center for Oral Health Policy and Management
The NYU Dentistry Center for Oral Health Policy and Management will host the PROHmotion Symposium — Policy & Research in Oral Health: Moving Forward — on Friday, June 11, 2021 from 10 am to 3 pm ET. The virtual event will bring together experts in health policy, education, research, leadership, and advocacy to discuss how these fields intersect and to explore actions to advance dentistry’s ability to fulfill its responsibilities for the overall well-being of the public.
Imbalance in Gum Bacteria Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker
04/12/2021
Increases in “bad” bacteria and decreases in “good” bacteria in gums associated with amyloid beta
Older adults with more harmful than healthy bacteria in their gums are more likely to have evidence for amyloid beta—a key biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease—in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to new research from NYU College of Dentistry and Weill Cornell Medicine. However, this imbalance in oral bacteria was not associated with another Alzheimer’s biomarker called tau.
Dr. Ross Kerr Wins All-University Distinguished Teaching Award
04/08/2021
Dr. Ross Kerr, clinical professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology, radiology and medicine, is one of only six teachers University-wide to be selected to receive a 2020-2021 Distinguished Teaching Award.
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What NYU Researchers Have Learned About Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy
04/01/2021
Past and ongoing studies provide important insights for COVID-19 vaccination in the U.S. and around the world
COVID-19 vaccines are currently in high demand, with many Americans competing for scarce appointments in a process that’s been likened to the Hunger Games. But as vaccine supply increases in the U.S. and around the world, public health officials are concerned that hesitancy to get the vaccine will put a damper on this demand and keep us from reaching herd immunity.
Targeted Opioid That Hones in on Inflamed Tissues Stops Colitis Pain Without Side Effects
03/31/2021
Study in Mice Points to Promising Treatment for Pain in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
A targeted opioid that only treats diseased tissues and spares healthy tissues relieves pain from inflammatory bowel disease without causing side effects, according to new research published in the journal Gut.
Lemurs Can Sniff Out Hidden Fruit from Afar
03/15/2021
Lemurs use olfactory cues carried by the wind to locate cantaloupe hidden in the forest
Lemurs can use their sense of smell to locate fruit hidden more than 50 feet away in the forest—but only when the wind blows the fruit’s aroma toward them, according to a study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.
03/08/2021
Advanced technology provides educational opportunity, enhances clinical practice
New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) has become only the third U.S. dental school to acquire, install, and use two surgical robotic devices for dental implant surgeries.
School-based Dental Program Reduces Cavities by More than 50 Percent
03/01/2021
Study of nearly 7,000 elementary school students demonstrates success of school-based model and its potential to reduce health disparities and save federal dollars
A school-based cavity prevention program involving nearly 7,000 elementary school students reduced cavities by more than 50 percent, according to a study led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry. The findings are published March 1 in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
NYU Oral Cancer Center Awarded NIH Grant to Study Interplay Between Oral Cancer and Nerves
02/01/2021
Research to investigate sensitization and activation of “capsaicin receptor” on pain-sensing nerves by cancer mediators, and how these nerves promote cancer progression
NYU Oral Cancer Center has been awarded a five-year, $3.1 million grant (R01 CA231396) by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The principal investigators, Donna Albertson, PhD, and Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, seek to improve oral cancer treatment and alleviate pain by better understanding how a subset of nerves that possess a receptor called TRPV1 on the cell membrane contribute to cancer progression and pain.
02/01/2021
Deeper Understanding of Molecular Mechanisms Underlying These Changes Could Lay the Foundation for Drug Discovery
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded NYU College of Dentistry’s Evgeny Pavlov a grant to study a phenomenon called mitochondrial permeability transition, one of the central causes of tissue damage during stroke and heart attack. The five-year, $1.9 million grant (R35GM139615) begins February 1.
01/28/2021
Clinician-scientists Seiichi Yamano and Brian Schmidt to further novel gene therapy strategy to treat oral cancer pain
NYU College of Dentistry clinician-scientists Seiichi Yamano and Brian Schmidt have set out to develop a new class of medicines using gene therapy to effectively and safely treat oral cancer pain. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded the researchers a five-year, $3,276,000 grant (R01DE029694) to test whether nonviral co-delivery of DNA and RNA will safely alleviate oral cancer pain.
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NYU Dentistry Launches Center for Oral Health Policy and Management
01/26/2021
Center to Cultivate New Leaders, Foster Dialogue, and Use Research to Develop Oral Health Policy Agenda
New York University College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) has announced the creation of the NYU Dentistry Center for Oral Health Policy and Management, an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary think tank that focuses on oral health policy and management in the 21st century.
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