Enabling research and innovation

In 2010, Align Technology began the Research Award Program with the goal to support clinical and scientific orthodontic and dental research in universities across the globe. Since its inception in 2010, we have funded over $4 million in research awards. Research has provided insights into various areas including tooth movement efficacy with clear aligner therapy, oral hygiene and microbial bacteria presence or absence with clear aligners, and comparisons in quality of life with aligners as compared to fixed appliances.

Align recently announced the award of twelve research grants to universities under the company’s fifteenth Annual Research Award Program. This year, up to $300,000 has been awarded to university faculty for scientific and technological research initiatives to advance patient care in the fields of orthodontics and dentistry.

The Americas research award recipients for 2025 are:

• University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada) Primary Investigator - Dr. Carlos Flores-Mir
• University of Florida (Gainesville, FL) Primary Investigator - Dr. Sarah Hisham Abu Arqub
• University of Rochester (Monroe County, NY) Primary Investigator - Dr. Dimitrios Michelogiannakis
• State University of Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Primary Investigator - Dr. Jonas Capelli Junior

The European research award recipients for 2025 are:

• University of Liège (Wallonia, Belgium) Primary Investigator - Dr. Baurin Basil
• Link Campus University (Rome, Italy) Primary Investigator - Dr. Giuseppina Laganà
• UniCamillus International Medical University (Rome, Italy) Primary Investigator - Dr. Roberta Lione
• Link Campus University (Rome, Italy) Primary Investigator - Dr. Giuseppina Laganà

The Asia Pacific research award recipients for 2025 are:

• Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) Primary Investigator - Dr. Wenli Lai
• Sydney Dental Hospital (Surry Hills, Australia) Primary Investigator - Dr. Narayan H. Gandedkar
• Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) Primary Investigator - Dr. Yating Yi
• Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) Primary Investigator - Dr. Hu Long

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