This is one of the largest grants ever made by the NIDCR, and the largest NIH grant ever received by NYU.
Dr. Michael C. Alfano, dean of the NYU College of Dentistry, said "Dentists usually work as solo practitioners, not in groups like physicians. In addition, most dentists are not closely linked to hospitals with their related network of support systems that help facilitate clinical research in medicine.
"That is where the genius of a practice-based network comes in: the NYU project, known as the PEARL (Practitioners Engaged in Applied Research and Learning) Network, has an extremely large number of practitioners, and the largest and most diversified patient population in the nation, permitting us to knit these dentists together for research projects that can deliver powerful solutions to the day-to-day problems confronted in dental offices. It bridges the gap that has traditionally existed between practicing dentists and academia, and has the potential to transform the way dentistry is practiced. This award places NYU College of Dentistry in the vanguard of efforts to improve the practice of healthcare in the United States. "
Dr. Jonathan Ship, the PEARL Network's principal investigator and chair, said, "The PEARL Network seeks to organize, train, inspire, and facilitate a network of dental practitioners to conduct research of immediate relevance to the profession and the public. This is the first time that the NIH has allocated fundin
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Contact: Christopher James
christopher.james@nyu.edu
212-998-6876
New York University
4-Apr-2005