Align Technology Awards 11 Research Grants to Universities

Align Technology has awarded 11 research grants to universities under the company’s 12th Annual Research Award Program.

The funded research studies cover a wide range of topics for projects seeking to understand treatment in orthodontics and dentistry better.

Topics include distalization, stability in retention, pre-surgical treatment of cleft palate, maintenance of space in mixed dentition with aligners, consideration of periodontal conditions in treatment, and the demand for education regarding aligner treatment.

“As evidenced by the number of first-time applicants, more and more universities are engaging in advanced research to further the capabilities of digital and clear aligner treatment in all types of malocclusion and segments of the population,” said Mitra Derakhshan, DDS, Align senior vice president, global clinical. “Align Technology is honored to be able to continue providing funding that enables universities around the globe to better understand the science involved in the field of dentistry and orthodontic treatment.”

The Americas research award recipients for 2022 are:

Rutgers University (New Jersey) – Primary Investigator, Anil Ardeshna, BDS, DMD, MDS
University of California, San Francisco (California) – Primary Investigator, Christine Hong DMD, MS
University of Colorado, Anschutz (Colorado) – Primary Investigator, Kristen Lowe, DDS, MS

The European research award recipients for 2022 are:

UniCamillus, International Medical University (Rome, Italy) receiving two awards – Primary Investigator, Dr Roberta Lione
Gazi University (Ankara, Turkey) – Primary Investigator, Dr Nehir Bavbek
University of Insubria (Varese, Italy) – Primary Investigator, Dr Luca Levrini
University of Turin (Turin, Italy) – Primary Investigator, Dr Ambra Sedran

The Asia Pacific research award recipients for 2022 are:

Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) – Primary Investigator, Dr Wenli Lai
Xi’an Jiaotong University (Xi’an, China) – Primary Investigator, Dr Yu-cheng Guo
Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai, China) – Primary Investigator, Dr Bo Wang

“The range of topics submitted to the program is expanding as doctors approach the application of digital technology to dentistry and orthodontics from many different angles,” said John Morton, Align vice president, and technical fellow.

All award applications received were first reviewed and prioritized in a blind evaluation by an independent academic committee. Align Technology then determined the final recipients.