Eklund Foundation Announces 2026 Grant Recipients
Now supporting dentistry-related research for the 11th consecutive year, the foundation will award approximately €242,000 in total to three projects conducted at universities in different countries. The selected studies address clinically relevant questions at the intersection of dentistry, medicine, and public health.
“This year’s selected projects reflect the diversity and scientific quality of dental research today,” says Joel Eklund, Chairman of the Board, Eklund Foundation. “Each project addresses an important clinical question with the potential to contribute new knowledge for the dental community and, ultimately, improve patient care.”
The three research groups represent different disciplines within dentistry and medicine and were selected from a large number of applications submitted from around the world.
The Eklund family, owners of TePe Oral Hygiene products, established the Eklund Foundation to celebrate their long-standing relationship with the dental profession community. Since 2016, the foundation has distributed up to €275,000 annually, supporting dental research worldwide. More information on previous grant recipients and their studies can be found at www.eklundfoundation.org. The next application period starts in the spring of 2027.
The Eklund Foundation has decided to award grants to the following projects:
Understanding sex-specific mechanisms of periodontitis: Identification and characterization of pathways that determine the increased risk of severe periodontitis in young and pregnant women
Main applicant: Arne Schäfer, Professor, Division Research Services, University Medicine Berlin (Charité)
Co-applicant: Yvonne Jockel-Schneider, Professor and Senior Bioinformatician, Universitätsklinikum Würzburg
Funding: 63 515 EUR
Reasoning:
The project addresses an important unresolved question: why young women are more often affected by severe periodontitis than men despite comparable lifestyles and risk factors. Grounded in genetic evidence indicating that two specific genes influence periodontitis risk in sex-specific ways, the project may support more individualized care, advance understanding of periodontitis, and provide insights relevant to other inflammatory diseases.
The Effect of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Oral Health
Main applicant: Madline Priska Gund, Senior Physician/Assistant Professor, Clinic of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, Saarland University Medical Centre
Co-applicants: Daniella Pilon Muknickas, Postdoctoral Researcher, Clinic of Operative Dentistry, Periodontology and Preventive Dentistry, Saarland University Medical Centre; Matthias Hannig, Dean, Saarland University Medical Centre
Funding: 120 000 EUR
Reasoning:
The research project addresses a globally relevant public health issue, as a substantial and growing number of people receive GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment. There is currently no systematic research on its effects on teeth and the oral mucosa, despite potential implications for a large patient population. With a robust and generalizable study design, the project may provide direct clinical value, inform future treatment guidelines, and contribute to improvements in oral health at scale.
Oral Nitrate Reduction Capacity in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus across Different Periodontal Status
Main applicant: Eduardo Montero, Associate Professor, Department of Dental Clinical Specialties, Periodontology Section, University Complutense of Madrid
Co-applicants: Alessandro Billera, PhD student, University Complutense of Madrid; Alejandro Mira, Principal Investigator of the Oral Microbiome Laboratory, FISABIO Foundation; Eduard Montanya, Professor of Medicine, University of Barcelona; Head of Diabetes, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge; Bob Rosier, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Genomics and Health, FISABIO Foundation, Valencia, Spain; Marion Arce, Post-doc researcher, ETEP Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain; Cristina Chamorro, Post-doc Researcher in Biomaterials, Regenerative Medicine, Oral Microbiology and Bioinformatics, Complutense University of Madrid
Supervisors: Professor David Herrera and Professor Mariano Sanz
Funding: 61 980 EUR
Reasoning:
The project addresses a clear knowledge gap by examining whether diabetes affects oral bacteria’s ability to produce beneficial nitric oxide, an area not previously studied systematically. Clinically, the findings could establish nitrate reduction capacity (NRC) as a simple, non-invasive biomarker in saliva or on the tongue, reflecting both oral health and blood glucose regulation. The research may improve dental and diabetes care by identifying a previously unexplored mechanism affecting blood vessels, inflammation, and glucose regulation.
For more information, please contact: Maria Swartling-Jung, Communications Manager, +46 40 670 11 00, maria.jung@tepe.com
The Eklund Foundation was established in 2015 to support research and education in the odontological field. It rests on a donation of MSEK 50 by the Eklund family, owners of the Swedish company TePe Oral Hygiene Products. More information is available at eklundfoundation.org.
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