Research

College of Dentistry Research

Research is an integral part of the College of Dentistry's mission. The College has experienced substantial growth in its research program since the opening of the Cruzan Center for Dental Research in 1998. The Cruzan Center for Dental Research was made possible due to the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Winston V. Cruzan, who bequeathed $3 million to the College of Dentistry. Dr. Cruzan was a 1938 graduate of the College of Dentistry and Mary Cowan Cruzan was a 1934 graduate of Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Missouri.  

Major research focus areas include biomaterials, cellular signaling in cancer, neurosciences, the relationship between oral and systemic diseases, management of periodontal inflammation, and novel pharmaceutical methods to augment bone growth in the oral cavity. We invite you to learn more about the College of Dentistry research programs by visiting our clinical research program and three focus groups: Biomaterials, Bioregulation and Nebraska Center for Cellular Signaling.

College of Dentistry faculty research is primarily supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Foundations and private industry provide other funding sources.The UNMC College of Dentistry was ranked 30th in NIH funding for federal fiscal year 2011 (which ended September 30, 2011), the most recent rankings available. The COD now has been ranked in the top 30 in NIH support to U.S. dental schools for eleven consecutive years, after having been ranked in the top 30 only once previously (FY 1979). In addition, the COD was ranked 19th in NIH funding per faculty FTE, the ninth consecutive year that the COD has been ranked in the top 20 in NIH support per FTE.