A&M leads nation in orthodontic research awards

The Department of Orthodontics at Texas A&M College of Dentistry has led the nation in orthodontic research over the past two decades, tying with the University of Michigan at 20 awards.

“There is no other close competitor,” says Dr. Larry Tadlock, department head and program director for the Department of Orthodontics. “Over the last 10 years we outpaced Michigan with 12 awards to their 8, while the next closest school, the University of Washington, has received 6.”

These American Association of Orthodontists research awards have been bestowed on the College of Dentistry in the past 22 years: 3 Milo Hellman awards, 4 Harry Sicher awards, and 13 Thomas M. Graber awards. Each dental school in the country can nominate only two research projects a year for these awards, which are presented annually by the AAO. Both projects that A&M’s dental school submitted this year received awards, as did both projects last year.

“I’m very grateful for the recognition our department was able to receive,” says Dr. Amanda Gross, 2021 orthodontic graduate and winner of the 2022 Sicher award. “While completing my research project was a huge undertaking, it’s humbling to have received recognition for all our hard work!”

Dr. Steven LeRoy, who received a 2022 Graber award, adds, “It speaks to the quality of research there; it really highlights the excellence and research that Texas A&M puts out.” LeRoy is also a 2021 orthodontic graduate.

Tadlock also says that over the past 10 years, the Department of Orthodontics has received 5 awards for the highest rated scientific publication in top internationally recognized journals. These include the 2011 Beni Solow Award from the European Journal of Orthodontics, the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Wayne G. Watson Award from the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, and the 2021 Robert J Isaacson Research Award from the Angle Orthodontist.