The Catalan Society of Odontology and Stomatology (SCOE) has awarded the 2026 Simó Virgili Prize to a team of lecturers and researchers from the Faculty of Dentistry at UIC Barcelona in recognition of the best scientific article in the field of odonto-stomatology published in 2025. 

The award-winning team comprises Dr Aida Lázaro, Dr Adaia Valls and Dr Maria Giralt, researchers in the Faculty’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery area; Dr Federico Hernández-Alfaro, professor and head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Dr Andreu Puigdollers, head of the Orthodontics department and director of the University Master’s Degree in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopaedics; and Dr Núria Clusellas, coordinator of the programme.

The award-winning study, entitled “Transpalatal vs anterior approach for pterygomaxillary disjunction in the context of surgically assisted MARPE: CBCT assessment”, analyses the outcomes of two techniques for surgically assisted maxillary expansion (SARPE) in adult patients with transverse maxillary deficiency. The research, published in the Journal of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, evaluated fifty patients using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to measure skeletal and dentoalveolar changes following treatment.

The researchers compared the conventional anterior approach with a combined technique incorporating transpalatal pterygomaxillary osteotomy (TPMO). The results showed that this procedure enables a more precise and controlled separation of the pterygomaxillary junction, facilitates maxillary mobilisation and helps reduce the morbidity associated with the intervention.

Recognition of research excellence at the Faculty of Dentistry

The judging panel of the 2026 Simó Virgili Prize highlighted the scientific quality, originality and clinical relevance of the study, which stood out among this year’s submissions.

This annual award, granted by the Catalan Society of Odontology and Stomatology, recognises the best research in the field of odonto-stomatology and is one of the most prestigious distinctions in the profession in Catalonia.

With this award, the UIC Barcelona Faculty of Dentistry reaffirms its commitment to research excellence and to the generation of scientific knowledge that contributes to improving clinical practice and patient care.