A Dozen Universities Allotted Dentistry Research Grants From Align Technology

Align Technology Inc. has presented 12 research grants to universities worldwide under its Fifteenth Annual Research Award Program.

“Research and clinical evidence continue to be at the core of advancing science, which furthers innovation and clinical treatments,” said Dr. Mitra Derakhshan, Align executive vice president, chief clinical officer, global treatment planning and clinical services. “We remain committed to supporting university research worldwide and the meaningful impact it drives in shaping the future of the orthodontic and dental profession.”

The Americas research award recipients for 2026 are:

• University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) Primary Investigator – Dr. Isil Aras
• University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) Primary Investigator – Dr. Sarah Hisham Abu Arqub
• Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville, Ill.) Primary Investigator – Dr. Feras Al Khatib
• University of Alabama (Birmingham, Ala.) Primary Investigator – Dr. Navdeep Bhusri

The European research award recipients for 2026 are:

• Francisco de Vitoria University (Madrid, Spain) Primary Investigator – Dr. Iván Nieto Sánchez
• Johann Wolfgang Goethe University (Frankfurt, Germany) Primary Investigator – Dr. Babak Sayahpour
• University of Insubria (Varese and Como, Italy) Primary Investigator – Dr. Luca Levrini
• Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (Milan, Italy) Primary Investigator – Dr. Andrea Boggio

The Asia Pacific research award recipients for 2026 are:

• Wuhan University (Wuhan, China) Primary Investigator – Dr. Sanjie Yeweng
• Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) Primary Investigator – Dr. Juan Li
• Taipei Medical University (Taipei City, Taiwan) Primary Investigator – Dr. Daniel De-Shing Chen
• Shandong University (Jinan, China) Primary Investigator – Dr. Hui Chen

“The scope of research supported through this program highlights the important role of scientific inquiry in advancing dentistry,” said John Morton, Align vice president and technical fellow. “We are proud to support investigators whose work can deepen clinical understanding, inform treatment approaches, and ultimately improve patient care worldwide.”

The funded research studies cover a wide range of topics, including: Apical root resorption during anterior retraction; early and late restoration of maxillary laterals during aligner treatment; evaluation of the Invisalign Palatal Expander and traditional expanders in mixed dentition; white spot lesion activity between fixed appliances and aligners; stability of alignment in retention with various protocols; anterior tooth movement with lingual versus buccal attachments; and characteristics of enamel during aligner treatment by using scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy.

All award applications received were first reviewed and prioritized in a blind evaluation by an independent academic committee. Align Technology then determined the final recipients.

Align Technology designs and manufactures the Invisalign System, iTero intraoral scanners and services, and exocad CAD/CAM software. These technology building blocks enable enhanced digital orthodontic and restorative workflows to improve patient outcomes and practice efficiencies for approximately 299,500 doctor customers, and they are key to accessing Align’s 600 million consumer market opportunity worldwide. Over the past 29 years, Align has helped doctors treat approximately 22.8 million patients with the Invisalign System and is driving the evolution in digital dentistry through the Align Digital Platform, its integrated suite of unique, proprietary technologies and services delivered as a seamless, end-to-end solution for patients and consumers, orthodontists and GP dentists, and lab/partners.