Congressman Gonzalez Announces $454,668 in Federal Funding for UTRGV Dental Research

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15) announced $454,668 in federal funding for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) awarded by the Department of Health and Human Services National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

The program aims to research, identify, and combat fears of visiting dentists' offices and having dental procedures.

"I am proud to secure funding focused on expanding UTRGV's faculty research and improving the public's perception of dental health," said Congressman Gonzalez. "It was difficult to get individuals into dentist's chairs prior to the pandemic, and even more so now. This funding is critical to help identify ways to decrease the public's fear of dental visits and improve oral health."

"We are very pleased with this new award from HHS to Dr. Laura Seligman for her research on Oral Diseases and Disorders. These competitive investments from HHS help UTRGV fulfill its mission to reduce the health disparity gap in the South Texas region and increase visibility of our faculty and their research programs," said Parwinder Grewal, Ph.D, UTRGV Executive Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies and New Program Development.

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