Institutional Training Program in Oral Health Research

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests renewal of our T32 Institutional Comprehensive Research Training Program in oral health. For more than twenty years, under the auspices of NIDCR training support, we have developed dental scholars and faculty into independent researchers and productive investigators. Our experience indicates that this is best accomplished by providing a continuum of research training opportunities that include: summer experiences before entering dental school, short-term training during dental school that will influence career choice, training at the MS and PhD level and postdoctoral experience that will have an impact on the development of graduates as researchers and faculty, and training opportunities for junior faculty to develop their research skills. We will offer research training for ten short-term and up to eight long-term trainees per year in four major areas of oral health research that are all strongly interdisciplinary. The areas are: Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Cariology and Fluoride Research, Craniofacial Biology and Oral Mucosal Diseases. There are crosscutting activities representing translational and clinical research and biostatistics. The faculty mentors represent 38 experienced researchers with outstanding records of student training. The program is directed by Dr. Christopher Squier, who has been active in oral health research and training for over 25 years. He also directs the MS, PhD and postdoctoral training components. The Associate Director will be Dr. Janet Guthmiller who holds DDS and PhD degrees and is a board-certified periodontist. She will have responsibility for the pre-dental summer research and the predoctoral dental student research programs. The Director and Associate Director will be assisted by Dr. Clark Stanford, who will be Director of the short-term research training program for faculty development. There is an Executive Committee consisting of the Program Director, Associate Director and co-Directors, assisted by Consultants on Recruitment and Diversity. A Program Advisory Committee provides oversight and assistance to the Directors in the administration of this Program. An External Advisory Committee, consisting of three respected scholars in the area of oral health research, provides reviews and advice on progress and direction of the Program. A serious shortage of both educators and researchers in academic dentistry in the US creates an unprecedented challenge that has consequences for both dental education and the vitality of oral health research. We offer a comprehensive range of training programs designed to develop dental scholars whose research skills will enable them to apply the advances in biomedical science that are occurring at an ever increasing rate to improving the oral health of the nation.