The ITI announces the winner of the 2014 André Schroeder Research Prize and priority areas for future research grants

The International Team for Implantology (ITI), a leading academic organization dedicated to the promotion of evidence-based education and research in the field of implant dentistry, awarded Dr Jia-Hui Fu from Singapore the 19th André Schroeder Research Prize for her paper “A Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of the Sandwich Bone Augmentation Technique in Increasing Buccal Bone Thickness During Implant Placement Surgery. I. Clinical and Radiographic Parameters”.

Dr Fu, an Assistant Professor and researcher at the National University of Singapore, was presented with the award by ITI President Prof. Dr David Cochran during this year’s ITI World Symposium in Geneva on April 26, 2014. The annual prize is endowed with 20,000 Swiss francs.

Dr Fu and co-authors T.-J. Oh, E. Benavides, I. Rudek and H.-L. Wang conducted a randomized clinical study to investigate the efficacy of the sandwich bone augmentation technique in increasing buccal bone thickness during implant placement surgery. The first part of the study, for which the prize was awarded, was dedicated to collecting clinical and radiographic parameters.

After completing her Bachelor’s degree in dental surgery at the National University of Singapore, Dr Fu graduated from the University of Michigan with a Master of Science and a Certificate in Periodontics. Alongside the Graduate Periodontics Program, she worked as a Clinical Dental Instructor in Undergraduate Clinics at the Department of Periodontics & Oral Medicine at the University of Michigan.

“It is a great honor to win this highly respected prize and become part of such a distinguished research community,” said Dr Fu. “This official recognition of our work will serve to fuel our motivation and enthusiasm to carry out further research in the field”.

Priority Research Areas

Each year, the ITI Foundation dedicates 2.2 million Swiss francs to supporting research in the field of implant dentistry. The ITI Research Committee has announced that, as of this year, a sizeable portion of its annual research funds will be assigned to areas of particular interest to the field. In doing so, the ITI is supporting sustained development of selected research areas over a longer period of time. The current priority areas were defined for the period from 2014 to 2017:

• Effect of surface material and surface structure for improved soft-tissue attachment
• Minimally invasive implant therapy. How much osseointegration do we need? How short and narrow can implants be?
• Use and validation of digital data in planning, manufacture and treatment

The ITI emphasized that it will nevertheless continue to welcome research grant applications for all areas of interest in implant dentistry research.

About the ITI

The International Team for Implantology (ITI) unites professionals around the world from every field of implant dentistry and related tissue regeneration. As an independent academic association, it actively promotes networking and exchange among its membership. ITI Fellows and Members, who currently number more than 17’000, regularly share their knowledge and expertise from research and clinical practice at meetings, courses and congresses with the objective of continuously improving treatment methods and outcomes to the benefit of their patients.

In 34 years, the ITI has built a reputation for scientific rigor combined with concern for the welfare of patients. The organization focuses on the development of well-documented treatment guidelines backed by extensive clinical testing and the compilation of long-term results. The ITI funds research as well as Scholarships for young clinicians, organizes congresses and continuing education events and runs more than 600 Study Clubs around the globe. The organization also publishes reference books such as the ITI Treatment Guide series.