Comprehensive Oral Health Research Training Program

University Of California San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests a substantial supplement to the current Comprehensive Oral Health Research Training (COHORT) Program (T32 DE07236) at UCSF. The major motivation is to unify and strengthen the existing training programs in the UCSF School of Dentistry, forming a single larger comprehensive program, COHORT+. We propose to incorporate two existing training programs into the current COHORT: T32 DE07204, The Cell and Molecular Basis of Oral Biology (OB T32), now in its 15th and final year, and T35 DE07103, Short-Term Training: Health Professional School, now in its 24th year. OB T32 was the foundation training grant in the School of Dentistry. It has traditionally emphasized rigorous PhD training focused on cell and molecular biology for BS/BA and DDS graduates, and postdoctoral research training for post-DDS-PhD and post PhD trainees. In 2001, in response to new training initiatives at NIDCR, the second, more comprehensive training program, COHORT (DE07306), was launched. This program includes a broader range of training emphasis (e.g., Biomaterials/Bioengineering) and target groups (e.g., DSTP, midcareer faculty development). In recent years, COHORT and the OBT32 training programs have worked increasingly closely together to improve curriculum development, recruiting, website development and program identity. In fact this collaboration has led to a name change for our Graduate Group from Oral Biology to Oral and Craniofacial Sciences (OCS). In OCS there is now a unified graduate student organization: the Oral and Craniofacial Sciences Student Association (OCSSA), joint retreats, and a single faculty Steering Committee that oversee trainees in both the current COHORT and the OB-T32. In this context, it makes great sense to merge these programs to form COHORT+. However, the current COHORT cannot adopt OBT32 without supplemental funding. We are motivated further by the launch of a new campus wide research program in Craniofacial and Mesenchymal Biology (CMB) based in the School of Dentistry. The opportunity to recruit new faculty and the transfer of new space to the School for this program provides both the means and the necessity to enhance program quality and enrollment in a unified COHORT+ training environment. Short-term summer training for UCSF and outside minority, dental students, as supported by our T35, also plays important roles in the context of a potential unified COHORT+. Positive experiences in the T35 program have promoted enrollment in our DSTP program, and are critical in building both a positive research culture in the School of Dentistry and the pipeline for the future of academic dentistry. This T35 will expire after 2004. Thus, we request supplemental funds to support continuation of summer training as part of a successful, cohesive and enlarged COHORT + training program at UCSF. [unreadable] [unreadable]