Align Technology announces research funding awards

Apr 28, 2010

Align Technology is awarding $75,000 in scientific research funding to two universities with projects seeking to further the understanding of orthodontic treatment with clear aligners.

The two recipients selected to receive the funding in 2010 as part of Align's Clear Aligner Research Award Program are Maria Orellana, D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., anassistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, and Robyn Silberstein, D.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., a clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry.

Dr. Orellana will receive a $25,000 award, with an option to renew for an additional $25,000 in 2011, for the Awareness, Acceptance, and Use of the Invisalign System project, which seeks to conduct a cross-sectional, epidemiological study examining awareness, acceptance, and use of clear aligners in the adolescent Latino population. Dr. Silberstein will receive a $25,000 award for Adherence Predictability to Invisalign Treatment project, which seeks to design and test effective tools to predict patient compliance.

"This is the first year that Align Technology has awarded research funding for scientific projects based on a formal submission process," said Dr. Eric Kuo, Align's vice president of clinical technology. "We were pleased with the level of academic interest in clear aligner therapy research, and we will continue to sponsor the program for 2011."

All proposals received were reviewed and prioritized by an independent academic committee. The review committee chair for 2010 was Timothy Wheeler, a professor and the chairman of the orthodontics department at the University of Florida. "Using a peer-review process, our independent academic committee based its recommendations for funding on the scientific merit of the proposals," he noted.

Align Technology first announced the university-centric Clear Aligner Research Award Program designed to promote both clinical and scientific research in clear aligner orthodontic therapy in December of 2009 for funding in 2010. Align Technology plans to continue the program for 2011, awarding up to $100,000 for scientific research.