New Faculty for Craniofacial Tissue Engineering and Biology

描述（由申请人提供）：本资助申请响应RFA-OD-09-005，标题为：“通过生物医学研究核心中心支持新教师招聘以增强研究资源”，旨在为匹兹堡大学牙科医学院（SDM）新成立的颅面再生中心（CCR）招聘两名颅面再生领域的额外教师提供支持。SDM领导和中心主任已经制定了一个愿景，并概述了一个清晰的路径，以建立我们的研究能力，目标是创建一个卓越的颅面再生中心。该策略是建立在匹兹堡大学现有组织工程优势的基础上的，而匹兹堡大学在颅面再生领域缺乏一致的努力。在其短暂的历史中，CCR通过吸引工程学院和医学院的教师加入，并通过招聘新教师，以稳定的速度发展。该核在矿化组织和TMJ再生中形成CCR电流强度。我们最初的计划是在SDM再招聘两名具有专业知识的教员，以配合CCR的活动并支持其整体使命。但是，由于目前的财政危机，由于预算限制，这项努力被搁置。为了继续巩固我们在矿化组织和TM再生方面的初步优势，并实现我们成为再生医学卓越中心的目标，我们必须继续招聘工作，以建立一个对颅面再生感兴趣的教职员工的临界质量，并实现这项研究工作的长期可持续性。这笔资金将提供这样一个机会，重新参与我们在金融危机前最初计划招聘的两名教员的招聘活动。这些教师在创造大量研究人员共同开发颅面再生疗法，更具体地说，矿化组织和TMJ再生方面发挥了重要作用。这种与工程学院和医学院的综合努力将最终提高CCR和SDM的排名和地位。该奖项将使我们朝着建立高质量研究项目的目标迈进，这将导致颅面再生和改善患者护理的革命性方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This grant application in response to the RFA-OD-09-005 entitled: "Supporting New Faculty Recruitment to Enhance Research Resources through Biomedical Research Core Centers" is aimed to request support for the recruitment of two additional faculty members in the area of craniofacial regeneration in the newly created Center for Craniofacial Regeneration (CCR) at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (SDM).SDM leadership and center directors have set a vision and outlined a clear path to build our research capabilities with the aim to create a Center of Excellence in craniofacial regeneration. The strategy was developed to build on the existing tissue engineering strengths at the University of Pittsburgh which was lacking a concerted effort in the field of craniofacial regeneration. During its short history, CCR has been growing at a steady pace by attracting faculty from the Schools of Engineering and Medicine to join in the efforts, and by recruiting new faculty. This nucleus developed the current strength in CCR in mineralized tissue and TMJ regeneration. Our original plan was to recruit two more faculty at the SDM with the expertise that compliment the CCR activities and support its overall mission. However, due to the current financial crisis, this effort was placed on hold due to budgetary constraints. In order to continue to build on our initial strength in the mineralized tissue and TM] regeneration, and achieve our goal to become a Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine, we must continue the recruitment effort to build a critical mass of faculty interested in craniofacial regeneration and achieve a long term sustainability of this research effort. The funding from this grant will provide such an opportunity to reengage in recruitment activities of two faculty members that we initially planned to recruit prior to the financial crisis. These faculty are instrumental in creating a critical mass of researchers working together on developing craniofacial regenerative therapies and more specifically mineralized tissue and TMJ regeneration. This integrated effort with the Engineering and Medical Schools will culminate in improved ranking and stature of CCR and SDM. This award will allow us to progress toward our goal to establish high quality research programs which will lead to revolutionary approaches to craniofacial regeneration and improved patient care. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We propose to recruit two faculty in the areas of craniofacial developmental biology and smart biomaterials that complement the existing multidisciplinary efforts at the Center for Craniofacial Regeneration (CCR) at the University of Pittsburgh. This will allow us to achieve our goal of becoming a center of excellence that will provide revolutionary approaches to craniofacial regeneration which will lead to Improving human health.