This Mid-Career Investigator Award in patient-Oriented Research application would allow Dr. Gregg Gilbert, who has established a successful research program in oral epidemiology, dental behavioral sciences, and minority oral health, to meet three specific aims: (1) to intensify career development by expanding ongoing research into new areas and learning new clinical research skills, following his K02 Independent Scientist Award period; (2) to provide protected time to mentor junior faculty and other beginning clinician-scientists; and (3) to develop a comprehensive mentoring program. The long-term mentoring goal is to reach a critical mass of investigators who can make major contributions to our understanding of oral health, oral health-related quality of life, how and why persons use dental care, and what long-term benefits are derived from this care (with a special interest in minority and dentally high-risk populations). The mentoring programs would most immediately center around two existing projects: (1) an NIDCR-funded 6-year longitudinal study of oral health, oral health-related quality of life, and dental care use; and (2) an NIDCR-funded study of private practice dental care, variations in practice characteristics, and treatment tendencies. This expanded mentoring role would come at a time when NIDCR has recognized a severe shortage of clinician-scientists entering academic research careers. Having already demonstrated mentoring success, Dr. Gilbert is committed to his part in helping reverse this trend by establishing a formal mentoring program in his fields of interest at UAB. UAB provides a strong research-intensive environment in which trainees can develop not only the skills in their immediate areas of interest, but also an appreciation for interdisciplinary collaborations, which will be so necessary for their future research success. The mentoring program will have 4 key components: (1) intensive practical training through participation in research described in the research plan, and development of an independent research project; (2) didactic coursework funded by existing NIH-funded programs at UAB; (3) ongoing review of trainee progress by a committee of internationally-recognized patient-oriented research experts; and (4) participation in """"""""tiered mentoring,"""""""" in which trainees participate in mentoring those junior to them.
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