Funds are requested in this revised application to continue support for the Training Program in Oral Science. Additional clinician-scientists must be generated for society to take advantage of the rapid and dramatic advances being made in the biomedical sciences. The Center for Oral Biology's training programs have been highly successful in recruiting, training and retaining Oral Science researchers over the past 30+ years. The University of Rochester Medical Center has recently committed substantial resources to recruit new faculty, to improve our physical plant, and to acquire novel technologies. This enhanced commitment to our research environment expands the depth and breadth of training necessary to excel in the biomedical sciences. The University of Rochester has a distinguished history and commitment to training graduate dentists. The overall goal of the Training Program in Oral Science (TPOS) is to provide enhanced training opportunities for dentist-scientists and oral biologists that will enable them to pursue research careers in dentistry and medicine at academic, federal and industrial organizations. Cross-disciplinary training will focus on the general fields of oral infectious diseases and the cellular, developmental and molecular biology of craniofacial structures with an emphasis on understanding the basic mechanisms that underlie the clinical manifestations of oral disease. TPOS focuses on the recruitment of dentists who wish to pursue a PhD and dentist-PhDs who want to engage in postdoctoral level training. We will also recruit PhDs and baccalaureate degree-holders pursuing a PhD. In this manner, PhD level scientists will be recruited to the field of Oral Science. Our program also features a DST Program for dental students who wish to coordinate clinical studies with PhD training. Our novel program partners the excellent clinical programs at Marquette University and the University of Puerto Rico with the PhD programs at the research-intensive University of Rochester Medical Center. Dental students will complete 8-week research and 4-week clinical rotations at Rochester each summer beginning prior to their first year, culminating with the entire fourth year of dental school completed at Rochester. The various components of TPOS are integrated through various mechanisms including a signature Oral Biology curriculum. TPOS trainees are expected to be highly prepared for successful and productive careers in Oral Science research. ? ? ?
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