The goal of this application is to obtain partial support for the upcoming 10th International Symposium on Dental Enamel (Enamel 10) in May, 2020, near Pittsburgh, PA. The requested grant will fund Travel Awards supporting the attendance of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from the United States. This Enamel 10 Symposium builds on a successful series of international symposia on tooth enamel that began in London in 1964. Historically the Symposia have covered a broad range of topics and have had tremendous international participation bringing together researchers from diverse fields of study. The purpose of the proposed Symposium is to promote open discussion and exchange of ideas amongst an international group of scientists from across the career spectrum working in the field of dental enamel research and in related fields. Specifically, the proposed conference is designed to: 1) critically address significant advances in enamel research that have taken place since the 2016 Enamel IX Symposium; 2) promote the further understanding of the properties of tooth enamel and mechanisms of its formation and destruction in vivo; 3) encourage communication and collaboration among attendees from clinical, basic and translational science disciplines. 4) stimulate new ideas that will serve as the basis for the development of novel biomimetic and therapeutic approaches for the repair and/or regeneration of the enamel tissue, as well as strategies for the prevention of enamel decay; and 5) encourage the involvement of new investigators, minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in this growing area of research. 6) support participation and mentoring of early-stage investigators, and support of trainees though Travel Awards, providing them with a platform to present their work and to engage in personal and scientific interactions with seasoned researchers; and 7) disseminate the presented new knowledge through a published Enamel 10 meeting proceedings in a peer-reviewed journal, thus broadening national and global accessibility of critical findings. The planned symposium will have emphasis on enamel pathology (acquired and genetic), including demarcated opacities/molar-incisor hypomineralization, on novel strategies of remineralization, repair and regeneration of enamel and on how current animal, ex vivo and in vitro models reflect and advance understanding of human enamel. The symposium will have a profound impact on enhancing research activities, promoting international and interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists and providing networking and training to early-stage investigators. leading to improvements in oral health in line with the basic mission of the NIDCR.
The purpose of this application is to obtain partial support for the Tenth International Symposium on Tooth Enamel (Enamel X) to be held in May, 2020, which will provide a venue for scientific debate and dissemination of the latest unpublished findings on the formation, homeostasis and destruction of enamel tissue in physiological and pathological conditions. It will facilitate exchange of ideas and collaboration among clinicians, basic and translational scientists, and between early- career investigators and experts in the field. The conference is highly relevant to public health, as it addresses mechanisms of enamel disorders and potential therapeutic approaches, including novel biomaterials and strategies for regeneration and repair of enamel.
