UIC College of Dentistry awarded $10M federal grant to upgrade research facilities

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry has received a $10 million federal grant to transform its research facilities into a state-of-the-art clinical and translational research center.

The grant, part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act obtained through the National Institutes of Health, will be used to construct a clinical research center, create core facilities, and refurbish the remaining 23,000 square feet of laboratory space that was not completed in an earlier construction phase, said Dr. Bruce Graham, dean of the UIC College of Dentistry.

Once the construction is complete, the entire 39,000 square feet of laboratory space at the college will be upgraded, he said.

"This is truly a tremendous boost for us," Graham said. "We have some young faculty members who have a great deal of potential, and this will give all of our researchers the best facilities in which to continue their outstanding work. It will also allow us to link our basic scientists to clinical research to create a spectrum for translational research."

The construction, which will utilize green and sustainable materials, is scheduled to begin in January and is expected to be completed at the end of next year, said Dr. Phillip Marucha, associate dean for research.

Among the many projects is a new clinical research center that will serve as a satellite facility for UIC's Center for Clinical and Translational Science. The center will be located on the first floor and will be managed by the new head of periodontics and director of clinical research, Dr. Thomas Hart.

Researchers who will benefit from the construction work in a wide range of interdisciplinary areas including tissue engineering, wound healing, developmental biology, oral cancer biology, proteomics, epidemiology and behavioral research. The new clinical research center will include studies of patient populations with caries, periodontal diseases, oral pathologies and the impact of nutrition and systemic diseases on oral health, including oral inflammation, implants, wound healing and surgical outcomes.

The project will also feature shared facilities to be used by research faculty, students and staff. The animal research center housed on the fourth floor will be expanded to triple its current size. Core equipment and rooms with ultra-cold freezers wired to the college's backup generator will also serve researchers. The new laboratory space will be used by faculty members in periodontics, oral medicine and diagnostic sciences, oral biology, restorative dentistry and the Center for Molecular Biology of Oral Diseases.

Most of the construction will take place on the fourth and fifth floors. Two translational labs -- one on each floor -- will be more than 6,100 square feet. The space will be open to allow for future expansion if needed and to take advantage of natural light. Equipment will be shared to economize on space and costs, Marucha said. Renovations should create 60 planning and construction jobs and 21 new and 30 sustained jobs in the research labs, he said.