The UCLA School of Dentistry requests funds for the development of the Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology (WCRB), with the express purpose of addressing the substantial challenges of restoring the craniofacial complex facing both patients and health professionals. Specifically, we are requesting matching funds for the conversion of 5,386 gross square feet of newly-acquired space in the UCLA Center for Health Sciences into a research complex that houses the WCRB in one central facility. The WCRB has been formed out of recognition that defects in the head and neck secondary to tumor ablation, injury, or congenital malformation can result in severe functional impairment and facial disfigurement. The WCRB's primary research objective, i.e., restoration of the craniofacial complex, involves the study of cellular and molecular biology of wound healing, tissue remodeling and regeneration, biomaterials and bioengineering, a range of translational research, and clinical outcome studies. The existing programs at UCLA in implant and maxillofacial prosthodontics, plastic and reconstructive surgery, head and neck surgery, orthopedic surgery, radiation oncology and dermatology are the strength for our unique capabilities and offer outstanding potential for rapid continued growth. Building on the clinical and basic research in areas related to acquired defects of the head and neck by scholars at UCLA, the WCRB will become a regional and national resource for collaborative research, education, and patient care relevant to the treatment of these defects. In 1998, the School of Dentistry purchased and assumed ownership of 11,000 gross square feet of non-research space on two underground levels in the Center for Health Sciences complex. One of these levels is expressly dedicated as physical research space for the WCRB. This grant will provide matching funds for the construction of WCRB laboratories and core facilities and core facilities in support of research, as well as research training and education, within this dedicated space. The requested NCRR funding represents 35% of the total of the cost for the design, demolition, and construction of this facility, as well as for fixed core equipment necessary for the WCRB to attain its research, training and educational goals. The proposed laboratories will provide space for primary investigators, their research teams, and research collaborators, all of whom are conducting interdisciplinary investigation for craniofacial reconstruction.
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