Drs. Anderson Hara, professor and director, Oral Health Research Institute (OHRI), and Grace Gomez Felix Gomez, assistant professor, dental public health and dental informatics, secured monumental grants earlier this year.
Hara received a $1.1 million grant through Haleon’s Investigator Sponsored Studies (ISS) program for his study “Erosive Tooth Wear, Dentin Hypersensitivity and Associated Risk Factors: An Observational, Cross-Sectional, Multi-Site, Epidemiological Study in the U.S.” (May 2025–July 2027). Along with Lorena Galvez, clinical research core director, OHRI, and Dr. Giovanna Denucci, postdoctoral fellow, OHRI, Hara is joined by Co-Investigator (Co-I) Twyla Rader, director, dental hygiene, and five other Co-Is from four universities across the country.
“This observational, cross-sectional, multi-site epidemiological study aims to determine the prevalence of erosive tooth wear (ETW) and dentin hypersensitivity (DH) in healthy adults of different age brackets in the U.S., and to investigate their association with risk factors,” Hara said. “It will use an innovative approach, based on the capture and analysis of 3D digital dental images and video recordings.”
The study will home in on a fundamental gap of knowledge identifying specific risk factors for ETW and DH, leading to development of appropriate clinical preventative and therapeutic guidelines and effective public policy. The last study in this area in the U.S. was conducted more than 20 years ago.
“It’s very challenging to get external funding for this type of research. In that sense, having this partnership with industry is essential to move research and dentistry forward,” Hara said. “That’s one of the strengths of OHRI and IUSD that not many other dental schools have—a strong history of research collaboration with the oral care industry.”
Denucci, who is already working on the initial phases of the project, is thrilled to work with Hara and collaborators. “This postdoctoral fellowship allows me to merge my clinical research training, passion for preventive dentistry, and innovation—contributing to meaningful advancements in oral health while continuing to grow as a scientist,” she said.
Felix Gomez was awarded a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development (K23) grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) for her study on “Evaluation and Implementation of Malnutrition Screening Tools in Dental Settings.” The grant comes with a total federal award of $663,317 (July 2025–June 2029).
The study will evaluate the accuracy and performance of malnutrition screening (MS) tools to identify patients who wear dentures and are at risk for malnutrition, refer them to a clinical registered dietitian, and determine the feasibility of implementing MS tools in dental clinical practices. The study’s end goal is to facilitate a patient-centered healthcare system by converting scientific evidence into clinical practice through clinical decision support systems, especially those that emphasize continuity of care between dental and other healthcare providers.
The grant reflects Felix Gomez’s commitment to patient-oriented research. She considers it a collective achievement of innumerable Indiana University, IUSD, and Regenstrief staff and faculty.
“The career development award is a significant milestone under the mentorship of Drs. Thankam P. Thyvalikakath, Nana Adwoa Gletsu-Miller, Daniel O. Clark, Marianne S. Matthias, and Huiping Xu that will pave my path to achieve my long-term goal to become an independently funded health informatics researcher.”
“I am deeply grateful to the administration at IUSD and Regenstrief Institute, Inc. for providing the necessary support, guidance, and resources to pursue my research. I value and appreciate the timely response and assistance from Dean Murdoch-Kinch, Dr. Tien-Min Gabriel Chu, and Dr. E. Angeles Martinez-Mier in facilitating the submission of the application. I extend my heartfelt thanks to my primary mentor Dr. Thyvalikakath and all the co-mentors for their time commitment and unwavering support,” Felix Gomez said.
She also acknowledged Susan Beaver and Kari Blackley for their many hours of work and Drs. Richard L. Gregory, Andrea Ferreira Zandona, and Sena Narendran for being her guiding lights.