The New Zealand Dental Association and Ministry of Health (MoH) are key supporters of our cutting-edge dental and oral health research, through the NZ Dental Research Foundation (NZDRF) and MoH Oral Health Research funding rounds. Funding from these grants supports the research of our academic and research staff, as well as training of our postgraduate students.
In the 2019 NZDRF funding round, a total of $142,212 in funding has been awarded for research projects led by our staff, PhD and DClinDent students. SJWRI researchers were also principal investigators on projects awarded $61,059 in targeted Ministry of Health Oral Health Research funding.
As always, we thank the NZ Dental Research Foundation and the Ministry of Health for their continued support.
New Zealand Dental Research Foundation
Established in 1964, the NZ Dental Research Foundation awards grants for research projects related to dentistry. Its overall purpose is to "promote, foster and extend the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand". Since its inception, the Foundation has provided financial support for decades of dental and oral health research projects within the Dental School and the SJWRI, to help extend the boundaries of dental knowledge and to promote the fostering and extension of the study and practice of the art and science of dentistry in New Zealand. The Research Foundation is funded by donations from dental practitioners, the dental supply industry and other businesses, as well as profits from the annual NZDA Conference and other fundraising activities. The SJWRI and the Faculty are hugely grateful for the role and contribution of the NZDRF in supporting our research over the past five decades, in the process helping many of our Masters, PhD and specialising dental postgraduate students complete their studies.
In the 2019 NZDA Research Foundation grant round, projects led by SJWRI researchers were awarded a total of $142,212 in funding, including $5,000 from the International College of Dentists and $12,355 from the Continuing Dental Education Trust of Auckland.
| Lead investigator | Other named investigators | Project title | Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeina Al Naasan | A/Prof Jonathan Broadbent, Dr Moira Smith (Public Health, UO Wgtn), Prof Warwick Duncan |
Community based oral health promotion among adult Syrian former refugees resettled in Dunedin, New Zealand | $15,000 |
| Mohammad Arshad Aziz | Dr Benedict Seo, Dr Haizal Hussaini, A/Prof Merilyn Hibma (UO Pathology), Prof Alison Rich | Investigating biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma in exosomes derived from serum and saliva of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and their potential in developing an oral cancer diagnostic test using saliva | $15,000 |
| Abdulrahman Badarneh | A/Prof Neil Waddell, Dr Kai Chun Li, Dr Joanne Choi, Prof Karl Lyons | Wear of glazed vs. non-glazed translucent monolithic zirconia against bovine enamel | $6,664 |
| A/Prof Dawn Coates | Prof Karl Lyons, Prof Alison Rich, William Early (Otago Polytech), Prof Mauro Farella | A 3D bioprinter for tissue engineering research in dentistry | $15,000 |
| Dr Manikandan Ekambaram | Dr Kai Chun Li, Dr Li Mei, Suneil Nath | Biomimetic Remineralization: A comparative evaluation of novel peptide-based agents for enamel regeneration | $15,000 |
| Anthony Yu-Chieh Kao | A/Prof Andrew Tawse-Smith, Dr Momen Atieh, Prof Warwick Duncan | The effect of mechanical decontamination procedures on moderately roughened titanium surfaces: quantity and size of the titanium particulate released by mechanical instrumentation | $14,455 ($5,000 ICD) |
| Chitra Shankar Krishnan | Prof Richard Cannon, A/Prof Geoffrey Tompkins, Prof Karl Lyons | Evaluation of Electrolysed Oxidising Water (EOW) as a multipurpose, non-toxic and cost-effective disinfectant in dental healthcare | $14,805 |
| Dr Susan Moffat | New Zealand's School Dental Service 1921 – 2021 | $5,475 | |
| Marguerite Paterson | Dr Fiona Firth, Prof Mauro Farella, Dr Trudy Milne | Modulation of osteoblasts and periodontal ligament cells by IL-17 and IL-6 | $15,000 |
|
Michael Skilbeck |
Dr Li Mei, Prof Mauro Farella, Prof Richard Cannon | Surface modification of orthodontic elastomers to overcome biofilm formation | $13,478 |
| David Yong | Dr Peter Cathro, Dr Jithendra Ratnayake, Prof George Jayantha Dias (Anatomy), Prof Paul Cooper, Dr Joanne Choi | Development and characterization of a novel Hydroxyapatite-Silicate cement for use in dental pulp capping | $12,335 (CDET) |
Named investigators are from the SJWRI/Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago unless otherwise noted. Italicized names are doctoral research (PhD/DClinDent) candidates.
ICD: International College of Dentists Award
CDET: Continuing Dental Education Trust (Auckland) Award
Ministry of Health Oral Health Research Grants
In 2007, the NZ Ministry of Health established a funding programme for oral health research, managed by the NZDA and its Research Foundation, to fund research targeted towards the oral health priorities of the Ministry. Priority is given to oral health research that targets children and adolescents; people of all ages with physical, intellectual, behavioural, or cognitive disabilities, or who are medically compromised; people experiencing inequalities of outcome (e.g. Maori, Pacific and low-income populations); maternal oral health; older adults; and research focusing on promoting oral health, building links with primary care and building the oral health workforce.
In the 2019 MoH Oral Health Research round, SJWRI researchers were principal investigators on awards totalling $61,059.
Lead investigator
Other named investigators
Project title
Awarded
Ceridwen Benn
Dr Graeme Ting, Billie Bradford (Vic Uni of Wgtn)
An exploratory study of the education needs of practicing lead maternity carer (LMC) midwives: enablers and barriers to providing evidence based oral health advice and oral health promotion to their clients during pregnancy
$4,580
A/Prof Jonathan Broadbent
Dr Martin Lee (Canterbury DHB), Dr William Leung (Public Health, UO Wgtn), Dr Trudy Sullivan (Preventive & Social Medicine)
The affordability of dental care in New Zealand
$53,556
Emma Johnson
Prof Murray Thomson, Dr Graeme Ting, Dr Juliet Gray (Canterbury DHB)
Oral health status and Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life of a group of young adults using mental health services in Christchurch
$2,923
Named investigators are from the SJWRI/Faculty of Dentistry, University of Otago unless otherwise noted. Italicized names are doctoral research (PhD/DClinDent) candidates.
Summaries of these research projects will be presented in forthcoming issues of the NZ Dental Association magazine NZDA News.
Congratulations to all those funded in this year's rounds.