Recent Awards Granted to Faculty

PROJECT: “Psychometric Reliability and Validity for Behavioral Metrics of Osteoarthritic Pain in Horses (GALLOP”
NIH/NIAMS R01AR08334
$202,286 for three years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, Multi PI, Department Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science
Dr. Kyle Allen, Multi PI, College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Samantha Ann Brooks, Multi PI, Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, Department of Animal Sciences
Dr. Adam Henry Biedrzycki, Multi PI, College of Veterinarian Medicine, Department of Animal Sciences

PROJECT: “Mechanisms underlying Cryptococcus neoformans-induced meningoencephalitis and neurotoxicity in a CD4 T cell-deficient mouse”
NIH/NIAID Ro1AI187391
$2,592,794 for five years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Luis R. Martinez Torres, PI, Department of Oral Biology

CO INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Karina A. Alvina, College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience
Dr. Habibeh Khoshbouei, College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience

PROJECT: “A randomized clinical trial to compare the influence of optimized attachments, IPR, and a combination of both techniques on the rotational accuracy of canines with clear aligners”
Align Technology, Inc./AGR00031545
$24,999 for one year

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Sarah H. Abu Arqub, Department of Orthodontics

CO INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Shyamaly Premaraj, Resident, Department of Orthodontics

PROJECT: “Functional amyloid formation in streptococcus mutans”
NIH/NIDCR R56DE021789
$505,530 for one year

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Dr. L. Jeanine Brady, Multi PI, Department of Oral Biology
Dr. Joanna R. Long, Multi PI, College of Medicine, Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

CO INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Jacqueline Abranches, Department of Oral Biology

PROJECT: “Diversity Supplement for Cilia Zayas: Effects of pregnancy and postpartum Medicaid dental benefit of dental science”
NIH/NIDCR R03DE033075-02S1
$176,280 for two years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Astha Singhal, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science

PROJECT: “Temperature changes and inflammatory response in pulpal and gingival tissues surrounding dental restorative treatments performed using blue and red wavelengths: an invivo and exvivo study”
NIH/NIDCR K23DE034470
$776,611 for five years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Dayane C. Oliveira, PI, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences

MENTORS
Dr. Josephine F. Esquivel-Upshaw, Mentor, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences
Valeria V. Gordan, Co-Mentor, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences
Shannon M. Wallet, Mentor, Department of Oral Biology

Project: “Implementing evidence-based behavioral skills in pediatric oral health care providers”

NIH/NIDCR UH3DE032004

$3,644,529 for five years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Daniel W. McNeil, Multi PI, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science
Dr. Cheryl B. McNeil, Multi PI, College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

PROJECT: “Artificial intelligence passport for biomedical research (AIPassportBMR): digital experiential learning community for upskilling in artificial intelligence for biomedical, behavioral and clinical research
NIH/NIGMS R25GM155478
$74,396 for five years

CO INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Roger B. Fillingim, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science

INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Azra Bihorac, Multi PI, College of Medicine, Department of Medicine Quantitative Health
Dr. Benjamin P. Shickel, Multi PI, College of Medicine, Department of Medicine Quantitative Health
Dr. Yulia A. Strekalova, Multi PI, College of Public Health and Health Professions, Department of Health Services Research, Management & Policy
Dr. Barbara Janet Evans, Co-Investigator, College of Law
Dr. Wei Shao, Dr. Pinaki Sarder, & Dr. Tezcan Ozrazgat Baslanti , Co-Investigators, College of Medicine, Department of Medicine Quantitative Health
Dr. Li Chen, Co-Investigator, College of Public Health and Health Professions & College of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics
Dr. Jie Xu & Dr. Yonghui Wu, Co-Investigator, College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics
Dr. Ruogu Fang, Co-Investigator, College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Elizabeth Palmer, Co-Investigator, College of Medicine, Office of Research
Dr. Francisco Martinez-Wittinghan, Co-Investigator, College of Medicine Jacksonville, Department of Community Medicine
Dr. Tyler J. Loftus, Co-Investigator, College of Medicine, Department of Surgery – Trauma

PROJECT: “ACCELERATE-BASSO: coordinating center for accelerating behavioral and social through ontology”
NIH/NID U24AG08819
$76,983 for five years

CO INVESTIGATOR
Dr. William D. Duncan, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science

INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Jiang Bian, PI, College of Medicine, Department Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics
Dr. Xing He, Co-Investigator, College of Medicine, Department Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics

PROJECT: “Virtual reality treatment for chronic pain and OUD in opioid treatment programs: a randomized controlled trial”
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NIH/NIDA R01DA060796
$104,879 for five years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Emily J. Bartley, PI, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science

PROJECT: “Semantics standards and tools for spatial and contextual exposome data”
NIH/NIEHS R24ES036131
$88,543 for five years

CO INVESTIGATOR
Dr. William D. Duncan, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavior Science

PRINICPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Jiang Bian, College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics

OTHER CO INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Jingchuan Guo, College of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Outcomes and Policy
Dr. Xing He, College of Medicine, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics

PROJECT: “Deciphering the neurobiological role of sleep quality and pain in mobility decline in older adults” Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Center (OAIC) Junior Scholar Pilot Award
Pilot Award/NIH/NIA P30AG028740
$99,196 for two years

PRINICPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Soamy Montesino Giocolea, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science

CO INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Zhiguang Hou, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics

MENTORS
Dr. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, Mentor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavior Science
Dr. Roger B. Fillingim, Co-Mentor, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavior Science

PROJECT: “Role of FOXK subfamily in KSHV infection”
NIH/NIDCR F31DE034303
$138,421 for three years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Marley Palmer, 4th year PhD candidate, Department of Oral Biology

MENTOR
Dr. Bernadett Papp, Department of Oral Biology

PROJECT: “Exploring the role of C. albicans oxidative stress pathways in S. Mutans reactive oxygen species tolerance”
NIH/NIDCR F30DE034286
$83,225 for two years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Callahan Katrak, 7th year DMD/PhD Candidate, Department of Oral Biology

MENTOR
Dr. Jacqueline Abranches, Department of Oral Biology

PROJECT: “Employing artificial intelligence to associate various milling conditions with chemical, optical, and fatigue strength in zirconia crowns”
Academy of Operative Dentistry Ralph Phillips Student Research Award LTR DTD 05-13-2024
$3,000 for one year

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Ian Daulton, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences

MENTOR
Dr. Mateus Garcia Rocha, Department of Restorative Dental Sciences

PROJECT: “University of Florida partnerships across interdisciplinary networks: training through engineering, epidemiology and addiction medicine (UF PAIN TEAM)”
NIH/NIAMS T90AR085527
$1,816,167 for Five Years
NIH/NIAMS R90AR085802
$1,704,895 for Five Years

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
Dr. Yenisel Cruz-Almeida, Multi PI, Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science
Dr. Kyle Allen, Multi PI, College of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering

OTHER FACULTY
Dr. Wayne T. McCormack, College of Medicine, Department of Pathology