Apr 30 2015
Hongjun Wang, PhD, associate professor of chemistry, chemical biology & biomedical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology, has received a $50,000 Innovation Grant from New Jersey Health Foundation to advance research that may improve the quality and efficacy of dental implants, announced James M. Golubieski, president of NJHF.
Dr. Wang is developing a cost-effective approach to stimulate the growth of gum tissue onto implant surfaces, resulting in better adherence, increased efficacy and fewer infections for patients needing implants.
"We really appreciate this timely funding opportunity, which will not only allow us to continue our ongoing efforts in perfecting the design, but also enable us to collect the preclinical evidence essential for the future clinical trial," said Dr. Wang. "Clearly, this award provides an essential avenue to bridge the need of translating the bench-top research to clinical application."
The grant from New Jersey Health Foundation will fund clinical studies that focus on evaluating the effects of a nanofiber coating on soft tissue regeneration that enhances tissue growth around implants.
"We are very excited about helping Dr. Wang advance his research because we believe his findings could result in a product that could be commercialized successfully to greatly increase the ability of tissue to regrow around an implant, making it more effective and particularly useful for people in whom dental implants have previously been unsuccessful," explained George F. Heinrich, M.D., vice chair and CEO of New Jersey Health Foundation.
The New Jersey Health Foundation Innovation Grants Program provides awards of up to $50,000 each for promising ideas to advance intellectual property toward commercialization. Faculty and staff from organizations affiliated with New Jersey Health Foundation are eligible for funding (Kessler Foundation, Rowan University, Rutgers University, Princeton University and Stevens Institute of Technology).
For more information, contact Mike Wiley, vice president, at (908) 731-6612 or [email protected].
About New Jersey Health Foundation
New Jersey Health Foundation (www.njhf.org) is a not-for-profit corporation that supports biomedical research and health-related education programs in New Jersey through its matching program, its Grants Program and its affiliate, Foundation Venture Capital Group (www.foundationventure.com) which makes private equity investments in life science start- up companies in New Jersey headed toward commercialization.
About Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University®, is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, N.J. overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Founded in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark and legacy of Stevens' education and research programs for more than 140 years. Within the university's three schools and one college, more than 6,300 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate with more than 380 faculty members in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment to advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront global challenges. Stevens is home to four national research centers of excellence, as well as joint research programs focused on critical industries such as healthcare, energy, finance, defense, maritime security, STEM education and coastal sustainability. The university is consistently ranked among the nation's elite for return on investment for students, career services programs and mid-career salaries of alumni. Stevens is in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan, The Future. Ours to Create., designed to further extend the Stevens legacy to create a forward-looking and far-reaching institution with global impact.
Source: http://www.njhealthfoundation.org/