Dr Federico Hernández-Alfaro, Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC), has been awarded a research grant from the "La Caixa” Foundation to advance a project focused on the rehabilitation of patients with severe mandibular atrophy.

The project, entitled Effectiveness of a Digitally Planned Rehabilitation Procedure for Severe Mandibular Atrophy: Outcomes, Complications and Quality of Life, aims to retrospectively assess the outcomes of a digitally designed rehabilitation technique for patients with severe maxillomandibular atrophy. The approach involves the use of subperiosteal implants as a last-resort treatment option to restore oral function and improve patients’ quality of life.

The research was selected in the inaugural 2026 Health Promotion Research Call launched by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, with just 18 projects chosen from a total of 579 applications. Hernández-Alfaro, who also serves as Head of the Maxillofacial Surgery Department at Teknon Medical Centre, leads one of the projects selected for funding.

The award further recognises the research achievements of the UIC professor, who was recently named among the world’s top 2% most influential scientists in the Stanford/Elsevier ranking for the fourth consecutive year. The international ranking highlights researchers whose work has made a significant impact across a wide range of scientific disciplines.