School of Dentistry Fundraising Priorities

As a national leader in dental research, treatment and education, the UCSF School of Dentistry attracts some of the world’s most talented students and faculty.

Private support enables the School to maintain state-of-the-art facilities, recruit and retain a talented teaching staff, conduct innovative research and provide support for promising students.

Featured fundraising priorities of the School of Dentistry include:

Preclinical Lab Modernization
Completion of this three-year, $2.7 million project will give students valuable experience with the tools they will use in practice. Numerous equipment upgrades are already underway, making the preclinical lab similar to a modern dental office. Gifts to this priority will result in a state-of-the-art training facility for the School's talented students.

Pediatric Dental Clinic
Operated by the Division of Pediatric Dentistry, the Pediatric Dental Clinic provides care for children and adolescents with unique or unusual dental problems. The program is based at the Parnassus campus with additional service rotations at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Oakland and San Francisco General Hospital. Gifts to this priority will support the Clinic’s pediatric dentists in their efforts to provide care and preventive education to underserved children in the community.

Center for Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology
At the UCSF Center for Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology, researchers examine the complicated role of mesenchymal stem cells—which generate bone, muscle and fat—in craniofacial development. Their findings could lead to new treatments for a wide variety of ailments, including muscular dystrophy, obesity, osteoporosis and cleft palate. Gifts to this priority will help remodel outdated facilities that house the Center’s laboratories and will support the recruitment of additional faculty.

Faculty Chairs and Professorships
To continue its tradition of excellence in dental education, the School of Dentistry must have the resources to attract and retain a world-class faculty. Endowed chairs and professorships are a critical component of this effort, providing the time, laboratory space, research funding and institutional support these outstanding scientists, teachers and clinicians need to pursue their professional goals. Gifts to this priority will help the School maintain a talented and visionary faculty, allowing important work to continue unhindered.

Student Scholarships and Fellowships
Scholarships and fellowships allow the School of Dentistry to attract the best young scientists and nurture them in a rigorous training environment. Students and fellows add immeasurably to the vitality of the School’s research and treatment programs, providing an infusion of fresh talent, energy and insight. Gifts to this priority will fund grants, scholarships and stipends, providing the resources students and fellows need to pursue academic excellence.

To learn more about supporting the School of Dentistry, contact Maura O'Donnell, Interim Director of Development and Alumni Relations, modonnell@support.ucsf.edu, 415/476-3322.