Clinical/Translational Facilities for Innovative Oral Health Research at UIC

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In order to fully realize its mission to become a leader in centers of innovative interdisciplinary research excellence and training of oral health scientists, the UIC College of Dentistry proposes to renovate 23,000 square feet of space into up-to-date, LEED-certified research space. The need for renovation is compelling. The College currently has no clinical research space, animal facilities that are filled to capacity, limited core facilities, and lab space that is so limited that faculty cannot grow their research programs. This project will add at least 9,000 square feet of new research space and renovate approximately 14,000 square feet of poorly configured 35 year old space. The scope of this project will include new Clinical Research Facilities, Animal Facilities, Core Facilities, and translational labs for funded investigators. The proposed project will allow the College to recruit and train basic, clinical, and translational scientists into the recently NIDCR-funded T32 (MOST Program); improve Core facility support for existing faculty; increase College faculty's ability to create collaborative projects within the University's newly funded Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS); and speed up scientific progress within existing innovative research areas of Wound Healing, Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering. The following specific aims have been developed: 1) Develop a new Clinical Research Facility in the College of Dentistry that will interact with and be a satellite of the CCTS; 2) Enlarge and optimize COD animal facilities to more than double current square footage; 3) Develop Core Facilities to enhance interaction among investigators and secure resources; and 4) Renovate laboratories to provide integrated functional space for current and future translational researchers who are developing the three research areas: Cancer Biology, Wound Healing and Tissue Engineering. In addition to green and sustainable principles, the design will increase opportunities for collaboration among faculty by creating new shared Core Facilities, new laboratories with shared equipment and conference rooms. The design scheme employs templates that have been used in the College to renovate previous lab space and therefore, we will move quickly from design to construction. The proposed renovations will help to complete the development of infrastructure in the College of Dentistry to bring these research foci to world class status and result in an estimated 20 new and 30 sustained jobs in laboratories and up to 60 new jobs in planning and construction.