King’s College London Faculty of Dentistry receives record grants to transform oral, Craniofacial Research
LONDON: The Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Science at King’s College London has announced the success of multiple high-profile grant applications, securing vital funding to accelerate world-leading research. These awards reflect the faculty’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and clinical impact, and will support projects ranging from cancer diagnostics to regenerative dentistry and AI-assisted dental technology.
Driving breakthroughs in cancer diagnostics
Dr. Mads Bergholt, in collaboration with Professor Richard Cook and the Oral Clinical Research Unit (OCRU), has been awarded a prestigious €2.2 million European Research Council Consolidator Grant (£1,841,154.54) to lead the EPIC project. The initiative aims to transform early detection and management of head and neck cancers, a field where timely diagnosis remains a significant challenge. The research promises to deliver cutting-edge diagnostic tools that could revolutionize patient care.
Advancing periodontal and tissue regeneration research
A major Medical Research Council grant (£1,039,374.92) awarded to Abigail Tucker and Emily Lu focuses on understanding the regenerative capacity of the junctional epithelium, a specialised tissue critical for tooth attachment and periodontal health. Using mouse models, the project seeks to map signals and stem cell populations that maintain this epithelium, uncover mechanisms underlying attachment loss, and identify strategies to restore tissue function in periodontal disease. Insights from this study could improve both natural tooth preservation and dental implant integration.
Emily Lu, in collaboration with Luigi Nibali, also received funding from the International Team for Implantology (€123,534.40) to conduct a randomized controlled trial on platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) for regenerating peri-implant defects. The study aims to validate PRF as a reliable and biologically supported treatment for peri-implantitis, offering hope for millions of patients worldwide.
Fungal disease and immune response research
Professor Julian Naglik has secured two major grants to explore fungal infections and host immune regulation. The BBSRC grant (£1,334,174) investigates the pathogenicity and commensalism of Candida albicans, a fungal pathogen responsible for over one million deaths annually. Simultaneously, a Medical Research Council grant (£945,384.53) will examine the role of MKP1 in modulating immune responses during fungal infections, providing critical insights into targeted immunotherapies.
Exploring the link between vitamin D and chronic disease
A collaborative project led by Emily Lu, along with Luigi Nibali, Frances Humby, Maggie Flak, and Jing Kang, received funding from the Eklund Foundation (€60,798) to investigate vitamin D receptor signalling in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. The study aims to understand how vitamin D impacts shared inflammatory pathways and bone destruction, potentially guiding early diagnosis, risk stratification, and personalised treatment approaches for affected patients.
Innovating dental technology with AI
Researchers Yunpeng Li and Owen Addison have been awarded £199,171 in addition to £1,559,215 to advance AI-assisted dental disease detection. The project focuses on achieving regulatory approval for CE Class IIa marking for their Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), enhancing the precision and efficiency of radiographic dental diagnostics. This innovation is poised to improve patient outcomes and streamline dental care globally.
Faculty leadership and impact
Professor Michael Escudier, Executive Dean of the faculty, praised the researchers: “These grants are a testament to the talent and dedication of our academic community. The funding will enable pioneering research, strengthen collaborations, and accelerate discoveries that will shape the future of oral and craniofacial sciences.”
The faculty’s success in securing these grants highlights its position as a world-leading centre for dental research, advancing knowledge across regenerative dentistry, cancer diagnostics, infectious disease, and innovative dental technology.
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