Clinical Research and Mentoring in Oral Epidemiology

描述(由申请人提供)：首席研究员的职业生涯强调口腔流行病学中以患者为中心的研究，范围从风险因素评估到评估路径的机械性研究，再到临床试验。她正在资助的研究重点是口腔疾病、炎症标志物、营养和特定心血管疾病之间的关系。她已经将这项工作扩展到包括更多的心血管终点和妊娠结局，并开始在糖尿病方面发挥作用。首席研究员计划通过学习分子和遗传流行病学来获得更多的研究技能，这将大大加强她的研究。首席研究员共同指导名为“新英格兰口腔疾病流行病学培训计划”的综合T32培训基金，该项目由哈佛大学牙医学院和哈佛大学公共卫生学院联合运营。K24奖项将通过提供受保护的时间来加强指导，很好地补充T32。首席调查员在指导不同阶段的受训者方面拥有丰富的经验，包括DMD计划的学生、寻求流行病学博士学位的临床医生和初级临床教师。这些活动已经产生了一笔NIH小额赠款和一个由她的导师领导的K奖，并与她的导师一起审阅了21篇发表的手稿。这一职业生涯中期研究员奖将允许首席研究员花更多的时间指导和留住口腔流行病学研究中的临床医生(牙医和一些医生)，并帮助他们成为独立的临床研究人员。有强大的机构承诺和越来越多的临床医生寻求口腔流行病学方面的培训和指导。因此，K24将在关键时刻提供急需的保护时间和支持，这将使她能够建立一个强大的口腔和系统疾病研究计划，拥有一支以患者为中心的优秀研究团队，首席研究员指导这些研究人员。 候选人：乔希普拉博士是哈佛大学牙科医学院口腔卫生政策和流行病学副教授，哈佛大学公共卫生学院流行病学副教授。1982年，她在印度孟买大学获得牙科外科学位，1982年在哈佛公共卫生学院获得生物统计学硕士学位，并在哈佛大学牙科医学院和哈佛公共卫生学院获得流行病学理学博士学位。她在包括《美国医学会杂志》、《新英格兰医学杂志》、《JNCI》、《内科医学年鉴》以及主要牙科杂志在内的主要期刊上发表了一系列令人印象深刻的论文。她在慢性病、妊娠结局和牙周病领域的资助研究方面有着令人印象深刻的记录。 这位候选人列出了她提供过指导角色的21名学生，从而证明了她能够为初学临床研究人员提供指导。大多数，但不是所有，这些被指导的个体中，牙医。研究的类型多种多样，包括分子流行病学、牙周病和血液生物标记物、氟化物、癌症、肥胖和其他主题。她的长期职业目标是建立一个口腔和系统疾病的研究项目，拥有一个强大的合作者和导师团队。有哈佛大学牙科医学院院长(Bruce Donoff博士)热情的承诺信，承诺她将能够在以患者为导向的研究上花费至少50%；DouGlass博士的信，他推荐她没有资格；Stampfer博士，他同样热情地支持Joshipua博士，并表示她在口腔流行病学培训计划中发挥着重要作用。 研究计划：关于目前得到支持的研究，约希普拉博士在假设和具体目标、背景、意义和原理、初步研究和结果、研究设计和方法等方面提供了足够的信息。她的具体目标是将牙齿状况与全身性疾病联系起来，确定炎症和止血介质以及膳食纤维和抗氧化剂的摄入在多大程度上调节了全身性疾病与牙齿状况的联系。列出了可评估这些目标的不同队列，调查员对这些队列有广泛的熟悉，她的出版物就是例证。她提供了一个具体项目的例子，在这个项目中，牙周病和牙齿脱落之间的联系得到了调查。对于这个具体的项目，她列举了具体的目的、背景、意义和理论基础、初步研究和结果、研究设计和方法。 似乎没有列出这笔赠款特别支持的新研究，因为乔希普拉博士强烈认为，在可行的情况下，被辅导者应该有自由选择他们的论文主题以及额外的项目。 导师：描述了临床医生初级调查员对导师的可用性，并包括T32受训人员。来自代表性不足的种族/族裔群体的个人将成为招募的具体目标。应聘者将提供的教育经验类型包括选择适当的课程工作，确定研究项目和研究导师，指导准备笔试和口试，并使受训者熟悉行政政策和遵守行政指导方针。 环境和机构承诺：支持函表明对候选人科学发展的承诺、研究设施的充分性、提供足够的保护时间以及机构对职业发展的承诺。 预算：不用担心

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The principal investigator's career has emphasized patient oriented research in Oral Epidemiology ranging from evaluation of risk factors, to mechanistic studies evaluating pathways, to clinical trials. Her ongoing funded research focuses on the relationships between oral conditions, inflammatory markers, nutrition and specific cardiovascular diseases. She has expanded this work to include additional cardiovascular endpoints and pregnancy outcomes, and is starting to work in diabetes. The principal investigator plans to gain additional research skills by learning Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology, which would substantially enhance her research. The principal investigator co-directs the comprehensive T32 training grant titled "New England Oral Disease Epidemiology Training Program" which is run jointly across the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health. The K24 award will nicely complement the T32 by providing the protected time to enhance mentoring. The principal investigator has substantial experience in mentoring trainees at different stages including students in the DMD program, clinicians seeking a doctoral degree in Epidemiology, and junior clinical faculty. These activities have resulted in a NIH small grant and a K-award headed by her mentees, and 21 peer reviewed published manuscripts with her mentees. This midcareer investigator award will allow the principal investigator to spend more time in mentoring and retaining clinicians (dentists as well as some physicians) in Oral Epidemiology research, and in helping them to become independent clinical researchers. There is a strong institutional commitment and a growing pool of clinicians seeking training and mentoring in Oral Epidemiology. The K24 will thus provide the much needed protected time and support at a critical time, which will enable her to build a strong research program in oral and systemic disease with an excellent team of patient oriented researchers, whom the principal investigator mentors. Candidate: Dr. Joshipura is an Associate Professor on Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and an Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. She received a degree in dental surgery from Bombay University, India in 1982, a MS in Biostastics from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1982, and ScD in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard School of Public Health. She has an impressive list of publications in leading journals including JAMA, New England J Med, JNCI, Annals of Internal Medicine as well as the leading dental journals. She has an impressive track record of funded research in the area of chronic diseases, pregnancy outcomes, and periodontal disease. The candidate documented the ability to provide mentoring to beginning clinical investigators by listing 21 students to whom she has provided a mentoring role. Most, but not all, of these mentored individuals where dentists. The types of research have varied widely and include molecular epidemiology, periodontal disease and blood biomarkers, fluoride, cancer, obesity, and other topics. Her long-term career goal is built a research program in oral and systemic disease with a strong team of collaborators and mentees. There are enthusiastic letters of commitment from the Dean of Harvard School of Dental Medicine (Dr. Bruce Donoff) who provides a commitment that she will be able to spend at least 50% on patient-oriented research, a letter from Dr. Douglass who recommends her without qualifications, and Dr. Stampfer who similarly enthusiastically supports Dr. Joshipura and indicates the she plays a major role in the Oral Epidemiology training program. Research Plan: With respect to the currently supported research, Dr. Joshipura provides enough information in the areas of the hypotheses and the specific aims, background, significance and rationale, preliminary studies and results, research designs and methods. Her specific aims are to relate dental status to systemic disease, to determine the extent to which the systemic disease-dental status association is mediated by inflammatory and hemostatic mediators, and by intake of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Different cohorts in which these aims can be assessed are listed and the investigator has extensive familiarity with these cohorts as is exemplified by her publications. She provides as an example of one specific project where the association between periodontal disease and tooth loss was investigated. For this specific project she lists the specific aims, background, significance and rationale, preliminary studies and results, research designs and methods. It appears that no new research to be specifically supported by this grant is listed because Dr. Joshipura feels strongly that mentees should have the freedom to choose their thesis topics as well as additional projects to the extent feasible. Mentors: The availability of beginning clinician investigators for mentoring is described and includes T32 trainees. Individuals from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups will be specifically targeted for recruitment. The types of educational experiences the candidate will provide include selecting of appropriate course work, identification of a research project and a research mentor, guidance with respect to preparing for the written and oral qualifying exams, and make the trainee familiar with administrative policies and adherence to administrative guidelines. Environment and Institutional Commitment: The letters of support indicate a commitment to the scientific development of the candidate, an adequacy of research facilities, a provision of adequate protected time, and a commitment of the institution towards career development. Budget: No concerns