Active Research and Sponsored Projects
Recently completed projects can be found below and on our archive list.
Multi-Level Interventions to Reduce Oral Health Disparities among Adults in Primary Care Settings
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suchitra Nelson
Sponsor: NIH-NIDCR
Period of Performance: 06/02/2022 - 05/31/2024
Summary: This study will test innovative multi-level interventions at the practice (primary care) and provider (physician, nurse practitioner) levels to increase dental attendance and improve overall health and quality of life for adults aged ≥ 55 years attending primary care visits at MetroHealth System offices. The behavioral interventions at the provider level and implementation strategies at the practice level will help older adults better understand the importance of oral health and to seek dental care for themselves. These novel interventions have the potential for a new oral health care model for primary care providers. Success within the initial two year pilot period may lead to a larger study for an an additional 5 years.
Geriatric Mobile Dental Van
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suparna Mahalaha
Sponsor: FirstEnergy Foundation Investing with Purpose Program
Period of Performance: 07/01/2022 - 06/30/2024
Summary: Support for the CWRU Geriatric Mobile Van that provides care to area seniors.
Multi-Level Interventions to Reduce Caries Disparities in Primary Care Settings
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suchitra Nelson
Sponsor: NIH-NIDCR
Period of Performance: 09/01/2017 – 02/28/2023
Summary: This study will test innovative theory-driven multi-level interventions at the parent/caregiver, provider (physician), practice (pediatric) levels to increase dental attendance and reduce untreated caries among 3 to 6 year old Medicaid-enrolled children attending well-child visits in the pediatrician's offices. The behavioral interventions at the parent and provider levels, and implementation strategies at the practice level will help parent to seek dental care for child. These novel interventions have the potential for a new oral health care model for physicians providing care for young children.
Reducing Oral Health Disparities of Older Adults: Comparative Effectiveness of 2 Treatments
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suchitra Nelson
Sponsor: PCORI
Period of Performance: 04/01/2019 – 10/31/2025
Summary: The overall goal of the project is to reduce oral health disparities by determining the most effective, efficient, and patient-centered treatments that can be delivered in community-based or clinical settings. To address this goal, researchers will compare two community-based tooth decay treatments: a “simple medical” treatment and a “typical dental” filling.
CATCH Healthy Smiles: A cluster-RCT of an elementary school oral health intervention
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suchitra Nelson (Lead PI: Dr. Shreela Sharma, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston)
Sponsor: NIH-NIDCR
Period of Performance: 09/01/2021 - 08/31/2026
Summary: Poor oral health is epidemic among American youth from low income families. School-based educational programs can be a venue for addressing this problem, however they have not been rigorously evaluated and documented as effective. This grant will allow us to plan for, and test the efficacy of an elementary school-based oral health intervention using a cluster-randomized controlled trial design across children from ethnically-diverse, low-income families in Houston, Texas.
Completed Sponsored Projects
The Collaborative Home for Oral Health, Medical Review, and Health Promotion (CHOMP)
Sponsor: The Cleveland Foundation
Period of Performance: 7/1/2013 – 05/31/2022
Summary: The CHOMP program pairs a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) student with a Nurse Practitioner (NP) student to jointly serve patients in our clinics, with faculty supervision.
KeyBank Health Education Program
Co-Investigator: Dr. Catherine Demko (Lead PI: Dr. Ellen Luebbers, School of Medicine)
Sponsor: KeyBank Foundation
Period of Performance: 7/1/2017 - 6/30/2022
Continuous Time Causal Mediation Models for Social Behavior in Health
Co-Investigator: Dr. Suchitra Nelson (Lead PI: Dr. Jeffrey Albert, School of Medicine)
Sponsor: NIH-NIDCR
Period of Performance: 12/1/2016 – 11/30/2020
Summary: This project will develop new statistical methods that will help researchers better understand the progression of certain diseases and why particular interventions work or fail to work. The new methods, intended to reveal complex causal relationships among risk factors and outcomes as they unfold over time, will be applied to data from a randomized study of family interventions to improve use of dental care and a longitudinal study of behavioral and biological factors leading to dental caries in disadvantaged children. The new methods will facilitate the design of effective new behavioral and other interventions with the potential to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities.
ADA Senior American Access to Care
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suparna Mahalaha
Sponsor: American Dental Association
Period of Performance: 9/30/2019 - 10/1/2021
Summary: Support for the CWRU Geriatric Mobile Van that provides care to area seniors.
Geriatric Mobile Dental Van
Principal Investigator: Dr. Suparna Mahalaha
Sponsor: American Dental Association
Period of Performance: 12/1/2019 - 12/31/2020
Summary: Support for the CWRU Geriatric Mobile Van that provides care to area seniors.