Align Technology awards $165K in ortho research grants

Align Technology will give a total of $165,000 in research grants to six universities for projects seeking to better understand orthodontic treatment with clear aligners, the company announced.

The North America research award recipients for 2011 are listed below:

• Sheldon Baumrind, DDS, and Heesoo Oh, DDS, University of the Pacific, $50,000 over two years
• Peter Buschang, PhD; Phillip Campbell, DDS; and Doug Crosby, DDS, Baylor College of Dentistry, $25,000 over one year
• Madhur Upadhyay, BDS, MDS, and Sumit Yadav, BDS, MDS, PhD, University of Connecticut, $50,000 over two years

The following are the international research award recipients for 2011:

• Athanasios Athanasiou, DDS, MSD, and Andreas Karamouzos, DDS, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, $10,000 over one year
• Dr. Christoph Bourauel, Dr. Ludger Keilig, Dr. Jorg Schwarze, and Mareike Simon, University of Bonn, $20,000 over two years
• Dr. Luca Levrini, Dr. Gian Marco Abbate, Dr. Federico Migliori, and Silvia Margherini, University of Insubria, $10,000 over one year

Study proposals approved for funding this year include a periodontal health evaluation of teenagers treated with Invisalign aligners, an analysis of treatment changes in adolescent clear aligner patients, a biomechanical evaluation of clear aligners, an assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of clear aligner treatment, an evaluation of root resorption and periodontal status of patients treated with Invisalign aligners, and a color evaluation of Vivera orthodontic retainers.

Align Technology first announced the Clear Aligner Research Award Program in 2009. Eligible applicants include full- and part-time university faculty involved in orthodontic scientific research, as well as nonorthodontic scientists whose work may contribute to the improvement of clear aligner therapy.

All proposals received are reviewed and prioritized by an independent academic committee. Two-year projects are subject to a committee review of the research progress achieved before the second year of funding can be approved.