Research, Scholarship & Creative Works » College of Dentistry

Expanding UFCD’s Body of Tech-savvy Healers

April 9, 2026

Merve Benli brings specialized training in digital dentistry and interprofessional geriatric care to the restorative sciences team.

A professional composite image of Dr. Merve Benli, Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, centered before the UFCD dental tower. She is wearing blue clinical scrubs and has a warm, approachable expression. Overlaid on the image are three white icons representing domains of the UFCD 2025 Strategic Plan: a graduation cap for Education & Training, a stylized tooth for Patient Care, and a gear with a touch-point for Infrastructure & Technology.

Dentistry Maintains Top 10 NIH Funding Rank

March 10, 2026

For more than two decades, UFCD has held its Top 10 NIH funding rank among U.S. dental schools.

A smiling young woman with dark hair and freckles is working in a brightly lit science laboratory. She is wearing blue scrubs and blue nitrile gloves, holding a manual pipette in one hand and a small clear vial in the other over a lit Bunsen burner. The lab background features shelves stocked with various glass bottles and chemicals, a green test tube rack, and laboratory equipment. In the bottom left corner, there is a stylized white and blue graphic overlay consisting of a lightbulb and gears. The woman is looking off-camera to her left with a cheerful expression.

A Smarter Way to Silence Gum Disease

March 3, 2026

UFCD researchers identify CRISPR-based "internal brake" that controls gum disease aggression.

A 3D molecular model of a Cas9 effector protein (rendered in maroon) interacting with a DNA double helix. A blue guide RNA strand is shown binding to a specific sequence of the DNA, causing the yellow and blue DNA strands to unzip and separate within the protein’s active site. A white icon of a lightbulb and gears is overlaid in the bottom right corner.

SRG welcomes new faculty advisor

January 15, 2026

The UFCD's nationally recognized Student Research Group, or SRG, welcomes Dayane Oliveria (D.D.S., Ph.D.) as new faculty advisor this spring.

An over-the-shoulder view of a researcher in a lab coat and blue gloves working inside a sterile biosafety cabinet. They are using a pipette to transfer liquid into a cell culture flask. In the bottom left corner is the Research domain icon, a white line drawing that combines a brain, a shining lightbulb, and gears.

D1 Students Present at National Symposium

November 7, 2025

Two first-year students from UFCD recently presented their research at the 2025 Hinman Student Research Symposium, held October 31 through November 2.

Two D1 students pose together during trip to national symposium

Gordan Receives UFF Term Professorship Award

November 6, 2025

Her accomplishments in research, education, mentorship, and service reflect a deep commitment to excellence.

Singhal Receives $2.2M NIH Grant for Oral Cancer Study

October 10, 2025

She will examine how Medicaid adult dental coverage and preventive dental visits influence diagnosis and survival outcomes for oral and pharyngeal cancers.

Cruz-Almeida Director of UFCD CTR

October 9, 2025

In her new role she is providing direction and supporting initiatives that elevating UFCD's translational research agenda.

Yenisel Cruz-Almeida posing in front of windows

UF Center for Implant Dentistry Honors 25 Years

September 23, 2025

Celebrating a quarter-century of impact, the UF Center for Implant Dentistry honored its legacy by welcoming back scholars from around the world.

A large group photo of the Center for Implant Dentistry's leadership, scholars, fellows, and speakers posing together on stage during the 25th-anniversary event.

Grant Propels Postdoc Research to National Stage

September 15, 2025

A UFCD seed grant pays off. Postdoc Thiago Pasin’s grant-backed research has now earned a national feature in 'The Scientist'.