Congratulations to the IADR/Philips Oral Healthcare Young Investigator Research Grant Recipient
Exploring the connection between periodontitis and type 2 diabetes
Publication date: September 25, 2015
The 2015 recipient of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR)/Philips Oral Healthcare Young Investigator Research Grant is Vanessa Tubero Euzebio Alves, a postdoctoral fellow at The Forsyth Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Alves holds a Master of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in periodontics from Sao Paulo University. During her Ph.D. training, Alves worked with Dr. Holzhausen and Dr. Kantarci and reported for the first time that the over-expression of PAR2 was correlated with clinical and immunological parameters of periodontal inflammation. Periodontal disease is one risk factor among other known factors that may contribute to increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
After receiving her Ph.D., Alves continued her postdoctoral studies at The Forsyth Institute. Working under the guidance of Dr. Kantarci, Dr. Hasturk and Dr. Van Dyke, she proposed the idea that PAR2 involvement in diabetes could be the link between diabetes and periodontal disease as an inflammatory mechanism of regulation; and that Resolvin E1 will reverse PAR2 mediated inflammation.
Vanessa Tubero Euzebio Alves
Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) signaling in periodontitis associated with type 2 diabetes
About the award
This marks the ninth year of the research grant sponsored by Philips Oral Healthcare and offered through the IADR Periodontal Research Group. The objective is to provide seed funding for a postdoctoral student/staff who is within 12 months of successfully completing a Ph.D. at the time of the submission deadline, and wishes to establish an independent program of research.
The research proposal must have a clinical theme in line with Philips Oral Healthcare's desire to support and promote clinical research. Studies that are purely laboratory-based and not involving human material/samples will not be considered. The main judging criteria is relevance/importance and scientific quality, but an upward moderation applies for intercontinental collaborative applications.
Grant recipients
2015 > Vanessa Alves The Forsyth Institute, USA
2014 > Paola de Pablo The University of Birmingham, USA
2013 > Mervi Gursoy University of Turku, Finland
2012 > Patricia Miguez University of Pennsylvania, USA
2011 > Katrin Jaedicke University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK