UMSOD Clinician-Scientist Receives Nearly $4.3 M In NIH Funding
Vivek Thumbigere-Math, BDS, PhD, assistant professor, Division of Periodontics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, is the recipient of two grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling nearly $4.3 million that support the exploration of connections between our immune, intestinal, and skeletal systems — and how gum disease may drive chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) — and osteoporosis-related tooth loss.
His primary grant, totaling about $3.85 million, supports research into whether bacteria from the mouth can travel to the gut and trigger or worsen IBD. The second grant of about $430,000 supports investigations into root resorption linked to Denosumab, a widely prescribed osteoporosis drug. While Denosumab helps prevent bone fractures, it also may cause adult tooth roots to deteriorate — leading to mobility and tooth loss.