The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) School of Dentistry is ranked ninth nationally and first in Texas among all dental schools in the United States, according to the 2025 Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research rankings. Based on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the rankings are widely considered one of the most objective measures of biomedical research strength.
“Ranking among the top 10 nationally is an extraordinary achievement for our School of Dentistry. It reflects the innovation of our investigators and our commitment to advancing oral health research that improves overall health and quality of life,” said Kenneth M. Hargreaves, DDS, PhD, dean of the School of Dentistry, professor of endodontics and director of the Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research. “Here, we make lives, and smiles, better.”
The achievement reflects years of strategic investment in faculty, infrastructure and collaborative research and brings national recognition for a program that has steadily expanded its scientific footprint.
Rise in research strength
Over the past several years, the UT San Antonio School of Dentistry has seen growth in its research portfolio, despite national funding pressures. In federal fiscal year 2025, the school was awarded approximately $9.7 million in NIH funding — $3.6 million more than the previous fiscal year. One key to their success is building strength across their academic units.
“Our research funding continues to increase. And that really speaks to the quality of our investigators and the collaborative culture across the school,” said Connor P. McBrearty, director of research operations.
In the 2025 fiscal year, more than half of the school’s NIH grant funding went to the endodontics department and an additional 28% went to periodontics. While some departments house a significant share of NIH-funded faculty, school leaders stress that every department contributes meaningfully to the overall research mission.
Building centers to drive collaboration
A central strategy behind the school’s ascent has been the creation of interdisciplinary centers of excellence including the Center for Regenerative Sciences and the Center for Pain Therapeutics and Addiction Research. These research hubs are designed to support large-scale collaboration, faculty recruitment and complex grant submissions.
Since the centers were created in 2024, the school has invested heavily in infrastructure, including the renovation of 7,500 square feet of underutilized laboratory space into modern research facilities.
“These centers are a springboard designed to accelerate collaboration not just within dentistry, but across the university,” said McBrearty.
From bench to bedside
A hallmark of the school’s research enterprise is its integration of basic science, clinical research and public health, ensuring discoveries translate into improved patient care.
“Every center has a clinical component embedded into the research programs to ensure what we study is applicable and impactful for patients,” said Brij B. Singh, PhD, UT San Antonio School of Dentistry associate dean for research.
Current research spans pain biology, temporomandibular joint disorders, regenerative medicine, oral health and aging, addiction science and global oral health. Faculty also collaborate closely with the Institute for Integration of Medicine and Science (IIMS/CTSA), Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies and the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine.
Beyond rankings
While the annual Blue Ridge ranking provides external validation, school leaders emphasize that their mission extends far beyond metrics.
“This is the second time we have reached the top 10, and our goal is to be in the top five. While rankings are only one metric of success, this gives us confidence that our research enterprise is moving in the right direction,” said Singh.