The Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore has officially launched the ORCHIDS (Oral Care Health Innovations and Designs Singapore), an autonomous research centre that will significantly support the research mission for the development of new concepts and technologies in dentistry that have in-human applications.
The ORCHIDS has been established with a well-balanced team of basic and clinician scientists. This team coordinates world-class research programs in the fields of microbiology, nanomaterials, regenerative medicine, 3D printing technologies, and health devices.
According to Director ORCHIDS, A/P Vinicius Rosa, “NUS Faculty of Dentistry is renowned by the high quality of its research. Today, the proportion of publications in high tiered journals is one of the highest among dental schools in the world. Likewise, our papers receive twice the citations than the global average, which is a hallmark of our impact. With the ORCHIDS, we will boost our research programs, catalyse our impact and enhance clinical translation potential”.
The ORCHIDS research agenda focuses on the development of innovative and versatile platforms that will merge biology to computational power to improve oral and systemic health. We will harness the power of Artificial Intelligence to bioengineer symbiotic biofilms for the improvement of oral health. This will eventually impact systemic health through the use strong computational power for the development of advanced nanomaterials, biochips, 3D/4D-printed technologies, regenerative therapies for personalized care.
The ORCHIDS research agenda is based on the following guiding principles:
Enable research capabilities for high-quality and impactful translational science in innovative research fields.
To enable fruitful research collaborations and attract world-class researchers whose research backgrounds are similarly oriented to FoD’s research strategy, in alignment with national priorities.
To provide a vibrant research environment and proactive mentorship and care for the development of (especially young) clinician researchers and scholars.
The ORCHID’s roadmap is poised to be a pillar of Oral Health-Engineering collaboration on a global scale. Leveraging our demonstrated track record of creating new concepts, innovative technologies and our synergy with Professor Dean Ho, we will develop a forward-looking platform that will give a rapid boost to NUS, NUHS and Singapore’s reputation for innovation in oral health and strengthen Singapore as the location of choice for the development of novel oral and personal care, biofabrication and pharmaceutical therapies in Asia
- A/P Vinicius Rosa.