In response to Program Announcement PAR-10-170 from the NIDCR to provide Institutional Training for a Dental and Craniofacial Workforce, a T90/R90 Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology is proposed. The proposal builds on twenty years of experience with a highly productive T32 Training Program in Oral Biology at the University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD) and will provide breadth and depth in training to basic and clinician scientists in multiple areas that are designated as high priority by the NIDCR. The scientific areas encompassed in this Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology include Oral Infectious Diseases, Oral:Systemic Health Connections, Autoimmunity, Bone Biology, Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Biology, Oral Cancers, Salivary Gland Biology, and Pain. To accomplish our goals, a team of experienced and well-funded basic and clinical researchers has been assembled to provide an extensive set of training experiences in the biomedical sciences that are directly relevant to oral health and diseases. Established and time-tested interdisciplinary research training programs in the UFCD and the UF College of Medicine will be utilized, with particular emphasis on the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences and the CTSAsupported Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Trainees will include i) traditional PhD students conducting oral health-related research, ii) dual-degree candidates in our newly-developed DMD-PhD program, iii) DMD/DDS holders seeking a PhD and clinical specialty, iv) traditional post-doctoral PhD scientists, and v) DMD-DDS holders seeking advanced post-doctoral training to prepare them for careers in academic dentistry. Formal training in Clinical Investigation will be available to all individuals supported by the program. The use of combinations of our extensive educational, scientific and clinical resources has allowed us to develop highly integrated yet sufficiently flexible training options to meet the needs of a heterogeneous group of trainees. Collectively, these programs will produce a group of highly skilled and interactive scientists who will generate new knowledge and translate discoveries to tangible advances in the detection, prevention, treatment and cure of diseases and abnormalities of the oral and craniofacial complex.
In response to a request from the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research to provide Institutional Training for a Dental and Craniofacial Workforce, the University of Florida College of Dentistry has developed a Comprehensive Training Program in Oral Biology. The proposal builds on twenty years of successful training of basic and clinician scientists in oral health research. Using the extensive educational, scientific and clinical resources at our University, we will provide a comprehensive series of pre- and postdoctoral training opportunities in research areas that directly relate to oral health and diseases. Collectively, these programs will produce a group of highly skilled and interactive scientists who will generate new knowledge and translate their discoveries to advances in the detection, prevention, treatment and cure of diseases and abnormalities of the oral and craniofacial complex.
