Multidisciplinary Research Training in Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Sciences (MARTDOCS)

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Project Summary/Abstract The Multidisciplinary Research Training in Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Sciences (MARTDOCS) program is built on the strong foundation of more than 20 years of successful training of PhD, DDS-PhD, and postdoctoral scholars by the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Dentistry (COD) Oral Biology Graduate Program (OBGP) and its partner programs in the OSU College of Medicine, the Biomedical Science Graduate Program (BSGP) and Neuroscience Graduate Program (NSGP). The overarching goal of this integrated pre-doctoral and postdoctoral training program is to foster the development of future leaders in dental, oral, and craniofacial research who are specifically equipped to employ multidisciplinary research strategies in basic, translational, and clinical science, a high-priority objective for the NIDCR. We will achieve this goal by harnessing the enormous institutional resources available at The Ohio State University and assembling a collaborative team of productive and dedicated mentors who bring complementary expertise to the program. Training opportunities include: 1) pre-doctoral training in the OBGP PhD program in the OSU COD and two inter-disciplinary graduate programs, the BGSP and NSGP, in the OSU College of Medicine; 2) dual degree training for the DDS/PhD degrees (DSTP); and 3) postdoctoral training including post PhD and clinician/scientist programs. Nationally recruited trainees will gain invaluable training in research methodology and career development through structured programs and courses on cross-cutting themes ranging from molecular and cell biology, inflammation and immunity, big data informatics, and clinical oral health research. In addition to the primary mentor and a mentoring team, each trainee’s progress will be monitored by an executive committee, and the graduate studies committee for each graduate program. The program will capitalize on innovative practices at the OSU COD for recruitment and retention of under-represented minorities and individuals with disabilities. Over the past 10 years, 36 trainees have matriculated into the program and have been mentored by 14 different faculty members. Our proud training history confirms high level mentoring and support for trainees throughout their entire career pipeline, including during training (e.g. competitive research awards at IADR, AADOCR and other conferences; F30/31 grants awarded), at critical transition points (e.g. postdoctoral, residency, and faculty positions attained), and in long-term benchmarks (e.g. promotion; independent funding; and international recognition of trainee achievements). In summary, this training program offers an innovative interdisciplinary science curriculum based on the mechanisms of human disease, and an extensive and flexible curriculum in oral sciences, coupled with the long-term mentorship of experienced interdisciplinary faculty. As a top 20 NIH-funded state dental school that is housed in a university with over 40 state-of-the-art core research facilities and 15 interdisciplinary research centers, the MARTDOCS at OSU is extremely well-equipped to produce highly trained scientists and clinician- scientists who can lead the field of oral health research into 2030 and beyond.