YNGVE ERICSSON PRIZE
About the Award
The Swedish Patent Revenue Fund for Research in Preventive Odontology was established in 1963. Among several activities to support research in this field, the Fund every third year awards a major international prize named in honour of its founder and major donator, professor Yngve Ericsson, one of the founders of ORCA.
The recipient should be an eminent researcher in the field of preventive odontology. The Prize was instituted in 1986 in collaboration with the Swedish Medical Research Council. Beginning in 2010 the Prize has been awarded in collaboration with ORCA – the Organization for Caries Research.
2025 AWARDEES
The Prize to Prof. Clarkson was presented at the ORCA Congress in Leeds, UK in July 2025, by Prof. Lingström (left) and Prof. Fontana (right).
JANET CLARKSON
Janet Clarkson is the first female dentist to have been elected in to both the UK National Academy of Medical Sciences and Scotland’s National Academy, The Royal Society of Edinburgh. This was in recognition of her contribution to the prevention of dental and oral disease through research in clinical effectiveness and knowledge translation. She has worked in health services research throughout her career, with a focus on issues relevant to primary care. As Professor of Clinical Effectiveness and Director of the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme (SDCEP), she undertakes and supports research that facilitates, informs and promotes health in order to reduce illness. This has involved primary and secondary research methods, principally randomised controlled trials (RCT) and Cochrane systematic reviews. The SDCEP guidance development programme received NICE accreditation in 2016 and reaccreditation in 2021. At the request of UK Chief Dental Officers SDCEP develops guidance for the UK and during the pandemic provided evidence synthesis that changed policy assisting with the recovery of dental services. The integrated implementation research has attracted international recognition and informed policy changes in education and service.
Much of her research is embedded in service and education delivery. The outcome has informed changes to Scotland’s dental remuneration policy, contributed to NICE and SIGN guideline development, provided evidence of the effect of change to national postgraduate education policy and informed methodological debates in RCT design. Her current research focuses on the late phase translation of guidance in dentistry. This includes the TRiaDS (Translation Research in a Dental Setting) programme to develop a suite of experimental and quasi experimental methods, to inform service and education policy makers in Scotland, on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of strategies to implement national SDCEP guidance.
The Prize to Prof. Johansson was presented at the ORCA Congress in Leeds, UK in July 2025, by Prof. Fontana (left) and Prof. Lingström (right).
INGEGERD JOHANSSON
Ingegerd Johansson has conducted pioneering research on the interplay between nutrition, saliva quality, genetics, microbiota, and oral health. Her studies provide critical insights into how dietary patterns influence oral health, particularly in children. Her innovative research on oral nutritional supplements has significantly advanced our understanding of the diet-oral health connection and its implications for dental health outcomes with direct relevance to caries prevention. Johansson has been an early adopter of large-scale OMICs-technologies in her field to improve understanding of disease etiology, progression of disease and/or evaluations of lifestyle interventions and therapies. Johansson has also been a leader in large scale prospective studies that have brought Sweden to the forefront of international research consortia. Johansson initiated the Northern Sweden Diet Database and the Gene-Lifestyle Interaction in Dental Endpoints Consortium, that has brought together leading researchers worldwide. The latter consortium has grown to 27 cohorts representing 780,000+ participants under her leadership. These initiatives have made important contributions to the understanding of how nutrition and genetic factors impact oral health. Additionally, they have created a robust and strong foundation for future research. Furthermore, Johansson’s work has explored the relationship between diet, chronic diseases, and cancer risk factors. She has played a critically important role in large cohort studies examining the dietary and clinical characteristics in children of caries and overweight progression. Ingegerd Johansson has inspired many scholars and researchers. Her findings are published in the highest quality journals and her work has created a substantial legacy making her one of the most extensively cited researchers in cariology. This work reflects the influence she has had on advancing knowledge and driving progress in her discipline, and also to put Sweden on the international map in her field.
Beyond her research achievements, Johansson has played a pivotal role in nurturing the next generation of scientists through her teaching, supervision and mentorship. Her commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive research environment has empowered many young researchers to pursue their own innovative ideas and achieve their full potential. Johansson continues to mentor young researchers in Sweden, Denmark and the UK. She has also actively contributed to shaping public health policies through her research findings, ensuring that scientific advancements translate into tangible benefits for communities worldwide.