UT-H Comprehensive Research Training Program

描述(由申请人提供)：这是一项新的NRSA机构研究培训补助金(T32)申请，直接响应蓝丝带小组的建议和NIDCR的培训倡议。该项目被命名为德克萨斯大学颅面-口腔生物学研究培训项目，该项目与休斯顿健康科学中心(UT-TORCH)全面整合。UT-TORCH建立在我们成功的博士前牙科学生研究项目的基础上，该项目自1994年以来一直得到NIDCR卫生专业学生短期研究培训补助金(T35)的支持。它的主要任务是识别、招聘、培训和留住牙科教师，他们可以成为独立的调查人员，拥有应对颅面和口腔研究中新出现的机会所需的终身学习和协作技能。UT-TORCH从高度多样化和研究密集的学术健康科学中心环境中汲取丰富的资源。它在各个方面都是全面的、综合的和跨学科的，并汇集了52名优秀和高度敬业的教员研究导师，他们来自休斯顿大学牙科分部、生物医学研究生院、医学院、公共卫生学院和健康信息科学学院的现有项目，以及MD Anderson癌症中心、贝勒医学院和莱斯大学。研究性培训是通过跨越职业发展不同阶段的五个轨道提供的。Track I-面向牙科博士前学生的暑期研究经验短期计划；Track II-生物医学科学个人博士计划；Track III-DDS/PhD综合学位计划；Track IV-为新近毕业的DDS毕业生提供生物医学博士学位和临床研究、卫生信息学或公共卫生硕士学位的博士后培训。还为博士毕业生提供非学位奖学金培训；第五轨道：为牙科教师提供短期研究培训。学员可以从三个研究重点领域中选择项目：(I)生物仿生学：开发、遗传学和生物工程(Ii)分子病理学：免疫学、传染病和癌症(Iii)以患者为导向的研究和健康信息学。建议通过期刊俱乐部、研讨会和研究座谈会提供高度创新和综合的核心和特定学科的课程，以促进不同学科的学生之间的信息交流，并使每个受训人员获得广泛的批判性思维技能。密西西比大学牙科学校的学生和教职员工将有机会通过正式合作伙伴关系获得由UT-TORCH提供的培训机会。这两个机构还将在招募少数民族申请者进入UT-TORCH方面进行合作。与T32学员在另外两所德克萨斯牙科学校(加州大学圣安东尼奥分校和达拉斯贝勒牙科学院)的活动也在计划之中。要求支助共计23名高素质受训人员(8个全职职位)和2名DDS/博士候选人参加第一年的授奖。UT-TORCH将由一个有凝聚力和经验的教职员工团队管理：项目主任Rena D‘Souza博士和联席主任George Stancel博士将与由五名赛道协调员组成的指导团队密切合作。一个由在拟议的培训轨道上拥有丰富经验的教员组成的内部顾问小组以及一个外部审查委员会将为UT-TORCH提供监督。UT-TORCH的研究生实习生将能够(A)从有洞察力的角度解读新的科学信息，并以学术信誉授课(B)与学生和教师临床医生进行有见地的对话(C)在持续的NIH和其他外部支持的研究项目中领导尖端的颅面、牙科和口腔生物学研究(D)在同行评议的期刊上发表报告，以及(E)通过德克萨斯大学休斯顿晋升和终身教职委员会的审查。这一新的牙科努力得到了强有力的机构支持，旨在为颅面和口腔生物学研究导向的职业培训牙科院士。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a new NRSA Institutional Research Training Grant (T32) application that is directly responsive to the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel and the training initiatives of the NIDCR. The program is named the University of Texas Training Program in CraniofaciaI-Oral Biology Research that is Comprehensive and Integrated with the Health Science Center at Houston (UT-TORCH). UT-TORCH builds on our successful predoctoral dental student research program that has been supported by an NIDCR Short-Term Research Training Grant for Health Professional Students (T35) since 1994. Its primary mission is to identify, recruit, train, and retain dental faculty who can become independent investigators with the life-long learning and collaborative skills needed to address emerging opportunities in craniofacial and oral research. UT-TORCH draws from the enriched resources of a highly diverse and research-intensive academic health science center environment. It is comprehensive, integrative, and interdisciplinary in every respect and brings together a core of 52 outstanding and highly committed faculty research mentors from existing programs within the Dental Branch, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, School of Public Health, and the School of Health Information Sciences at UT-Houston as well as from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, and Rice University. Research training is offered through a continuum of five tracks that span various stages of career development. Track I - A short-term program of summer research experiences for predoctoral dental students; Track II - An individual PhD in Biomedical Sciences program; Track III - An integrated DDS/PhD degree program; Track IV- Postdoctoral training for recent DDS graduates that leads to a PhD in Biomedical Sciences and MS degrees in either Clinical Research, Health Informatics or Public Health. Non-degree fellowship training for PhD graduates is also offered; Track V: Short-term research training for dental faculty. Trainees can select projects from three research focus areas (i) Biomimetics: Development, Genetics, and Bioengineering (ii) Molecular Pathology: Immunology, Infectious Diseases, and Cancer (iii) Patient-oriented Research and Health Informatics. A highly innovative and integrative core and discipline-specific curriculum with journal clubs, seminars, and research symposia are proposed to facilitate an exchange of information among students in various disciplines and to allow each trainee to acquire a broad mix of critical thinking skills. Students and faculty at the University of Mississippi Dental School will have access to training opportunities provided by UT-TORCH through a formal partnership. The two institutions will also collaborate on the recruitment of minority applicants into UT-TORCH. Activities with T32 trainees at the two other Texas Dental Schools (UTHSC-San Antonio and Baylor College of Dentistry-Dallas) are planned. Support is requested for a total of 23 highly qualified trainees (8 full-time positions) and two DDS/PhD candidates for Year 1 of the award. UT-TORCH will be administered by a cohesive and experienced group of faculty: The program director, Dr. Rena D'Souza and co-director, Dr. George Stancel will work closely with the Steering Team composed of the five track coordinators. An internal advisory panel of faculty with extensive experience in the proposed tracks of training as well as an External Review Board will provide oversight for UT-TORCH. Graduate trainees of UT-TORCH will be able to (a) Interpret new scientific information from an insightful perspective and teach with scholarly credibility (b) Provide knowledgeable dialog with student and faculty clinicians (c) Lead cutting edge craniofacial, dental, and oral biology research in sustained NIH and other extramurally-supported research programs (d) Publish reports in peer-reviewed journals, and (e) Pass muster with UT-Houston promotion and tenure committees. Strong institutional support exists for this new Dental Branch endeavor that is designed to train dental academicians for craniofacial and oral biology research-oriented careers.