Director's Report to Council: May 2006

During the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research/American Dental Education Association (AADR/ADEA) held in Orlando, FL, in March, Dr. Tabak was honored as a recipient of a 2006 ADEA Presidential Citation.  Dr. Tabak also gave a presentation as part of the Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program on "Think You Know about an Academic Career:  Do You Really Know?  Research in Academics," and met with NIDCR-sponsored trainees (see story p.11).  Later in the month, he delivered the opening remarks at the Practice Based Research Network Advisory committee meeting.
 
In April, Dr. Tabak delivered a plenary talk about work from his own laboratory entitled “The Role of O-Glycans in Development and Disease” at the annual American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting held in San Francisco.  On behalf of NIH, he gave a presentation on “Accelerating Biomedical Discovery: The NIH Roadmap for Medical Research” at the Biotechnology Industry Organization Annual Convention (BIO2006) that took place in Chicago.  In addition to speaking at Southern Illinois University’s annual research day, he presented the keynote talk at the Practitioners Engaged in Applied Research and Learning (PEARL) Network annual meeting in Washington, D.C. where he addressed the topic of “Advancing Dentistry Through Research Participation.”  On April 18 he gave opening remarks at the NIH Pain Consortium’s First Annual Symposium: Advances in Pain Research” (see story p. 5).

Finally, Dr. Tabak spoke at the American Board of Dental Public Health Symposium at the National Oral Health Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, in May.   Dr. Tabak was awarded the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) Public Service Award that he accepted on behalf of all his colleagues at NIDCR.

ACTIVITIES OF THE NIDCR DEPUTY DIRECTOR

In her role as acting director of the Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research, Dr. Kleinman continued to work with staff in developing research initiatives that will be presented at the May Council meeting.  She also continues to serve as the NIH liaison to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is facilitating NIH’s participation in an upcoming CDC meeting related to the agency’s Health Protection Research Guide.  Since the last Council meeting, Dr. Kleinman attended the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry’s research day and presented an overview of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research and its relevance to dental research.  In March she gave the keynote presentation at the University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Dentistry’s conference, ”The Dental Monologues: Evolution of Women in Dentistry.”  In May she delivered commencement speeches at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry and the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine.

On April 30, RADM Kleinman completed her term as the Chief Dental Officer, USPHS.  During her term, the nation and the Public Health Service faced national disasters ranging from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina.  Dentistry’s role in responding to these events, both in the public and private sectors, is evolving.  In addition, the National Call to Action to Promote Oral Health was released, following the recommendation of the first Surgeon General’s report on oral health to develop a national action plan to improve oral health and eliminate health disparities.   RADM (Select) Christopher Halliday, acting director, Division of Oral Health, Indian Health Service has been selected as the incoming USPHS Chief Dental Officer (see story p.4). 

BUDGET UPDATE

FY 2006
Including the effect of Department-wide reductions, NIDCR’s appropriation is $389.3 million.  Of this amount, $3.4 million is reserved to fund NIH Roadmap projects, leaving $385.9 million to support NIDCR activities.  This translates to a 0.9 percent decrease from the comparable FY 2005 level.  A budget of $231.9 million for research project grants (RPGs) would support an estimated 658 awards.   Note that NIH policy for FY 2006 mandates that all non-competing RPGs receive awards at 97.65 percent of committed levels.  NIDCR’s research centers program would be maintained at 7 awards; an estimated 87 Research Career Development Awards (RCDA) and 340 full-time training positions would also be funded. 

FY 2007
President’s Budget
The FY 2007 President’s budget request for the NIDCR is $386.1 million, including $4.7 million for support of NIH Roadmap projects.  The request represents a decrease of $3.24 million or 0.8 percent below the FY 2006 appropriation of $389.4 million.  The FY 2007 President’s budget request for the NIH is $28.6 billion, the same as the FY 2006 program level.
Exclusive of Roadmap-associated funding, the FY 2007 request for NIDCR provides support for an estimated 169 competing RPGs and 451 non-competing RPGs - a total of 620 awards.   The FY 2007 request includes funding for 8 research centers.  NIDCR will support approximately 90 RCDA awards and 337 full-time training positions.

See NIDCR’s Congressional Justification.  


Budget Hearings
The Fiscal Year 2007 House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on NIH’s budget request was held on April 6, 2006; the Senate hearing is scheduled for May 29.  At both the House and Senate hearings, Dr. Zerhouni testified on behalf of the entire NIH. 

See the NIDCR Director’s Statement for the House Appropriations Subcommittee. 

HHS/NIH UPDATE

HHS Secretary Announces Initiative to Transform U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps
On January 18, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced an initiative to transform the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, enabling this critical emergency response resource to address public health challenges more quickly and efficiently.  The Commissioned Corps will increase the number of officers by 10 percent to a total of 6,600 members, streamline its assignment and deployment process, and increase its ability to recruit the best and the brightest to defend the nation’s public health.  The USPHS is one of the seven uniformed services and is dedicated to protecting, promoting, and advancing health and safety.  USPHS officers work around the world to help in times of disaster and to provide day-to-day health care for underserved populations in the U.S.   

U.S. Surgeon General Announces Selection of Next Chief Dental Officer
U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., announced the selection of RADM (Select) Christopher G. Halliday, as the next Dental Chief Professional Officer, effective May 1.  Dr. Halliday is acting director of the Indian Health Service (IHS) Division of Oral Health and the principal dental consultant for the IHS.  He replaces Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, who served as Chief Dental Officer since 2001.

RADM (Select) Halliday received his dental degree from Marquette University and his MPH from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  He began his PHS career with the Indian Health Service in Barrow, Alaska as a staff dental officer and then its chief dental officer.  After serving in several IHS locations, he did a brief assignment with the Health Resources and Services Administration managing dental grant programs before going to IHS headquarters as the assistant headquarters dental consultant.  He has been in his current position as acting director since 2000. 

Surgeon General Urges Spanish-Speaking Americans to Know their Family Health History
Calling on Spanish-speaking Americans to know their family health history, Surgeon General Carmona announced the availability of a free, web-based tool to help Spanish speakers create a portrait of their family’s health.  The tool focuses on six common diseases—heart disease, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer—and also helps users compile information about other conditions of particular interest to their family.   See the Spanish version of “My Family Health Portrait.”

More than One PrincipaI Investigator Allowed on Individual Research Awards
In 2006, NIH will begin to implement a Federal-wide policy that allows more than one principal investigator (PI) on individual research awards. The multiple PI model presents an opportunity for investigators seeking support for projects or activities that require a “team science” approach and do not fit the single PI model.  The multiple PI approach is intended to supplement, and not to replace, the traditional single PI model.  NIH will make the multiple-PI option available for applications submitted in response to a select group of Requests for Applications (RFAs) and Program Announcements (PAs) with May-June 2006 receipt dates.  Additional initiatives may be selected with October 2006 receipt dates.  Based on experience from these pilot initiatives, it is expected that the multiple-PI option will become available for most investigator-initiated research grant mechanisms submitted for January 2007 and later application receipt dates.  Find general information on the new principal investigator policy.

Change in Timeline for Electronic Submission of R01s
The timeline for submission of R01 grant applications has been shifted from October 1, 2006 to February 1, 2007.  The R21 and R03 timeline remains unchanged; these applications must be submitted electronically beginning June 1, 2006.  See additional information about the R01 change.

Change in Time of Submission/Receipt of NIH Electronic Grant Applications to Grants.gov
On March 16, NIH announced a change in the time that electronic grant applications must be successfully received by Grants.gov in order to be considered “on time.”  Effective April 1, 2006, applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization) on the submission date(s) described in a funding opportunity announcement.  See additional details about the change in time for submission of grants. 

NIH Roadmap Inventory and Evaluation of Clinical Research Networks Meeting
On May 31-June 1, the NIH Leadership Forum is presenting findings from the NIH Roadmap-sponsored Inventory and Evaluation of Clinical Research (IECRN) Networks Descriptive Survey and Best Practices Study.  The forum provides a venue for attendees to critically review and discuss the IECRN survey and best practice assessments.  Clinical research principal investigators, epidemiologists, behavior scientists, clinical study coordinators, pharmacists, biostatisticians, clinicians, data managers, and bioinformatics and information technologists are encouraged to attend.  The forum is open to the public and registration is free.  See registration and webcast information about the IECRN forum.

NIH Pain Consortium Holds First Annual Symposium on Advances in Pain Research
NIDCR co-sponsored the first annual NIH Pain Consortium symposium, “Advances in Pain Research,” held April 17-18 on the NIH campus.  The purpose of the symposium was to highlight recent advances in pain research conducted by NIH supported investigators.  A broad range of topics was presented describing basic and clinical research of interest to the NIH pain community.  Dr. Tabak delivered opening remarks.   Dr. John Kusiak, director of the NIDCR Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Program, co-chaired the symposium and was a member of the organizing committee. 

Initiatives Launch Intensive Efforts to Determine Genetic and Environmental Roots of Common Diseases
DHHS has announced the creation of two initiatives to speed up research on the causes of common diseases such as asthma, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.  One initiative boosts funding at NIH for a multi-institute effort--called the Genes and Environment Initiative (GEI)--to identify the genetic and environmental underpinnings of common illnesses.  The other initiative launches a public-private partnership among NIH, the Foundation for NIH (FNIH), and major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, especially Pfizer Global Research & Development of New London, CT, and Affymetrix Inc. of Santa Clara, CA.  The partnership, called the Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN), aims to accelerate genome association studies to understand the genetic factors influencing risk for complex diseases. 

Peer-Reviewed Research Articles Available Free to Public
Selected peer-reviewed medical research articles are available to the public through patientINFORM.org, an online tool developed by participating voluntary health organizations and journal publishers.  The voluntary health organizations choose which articles relevant to their disease areas to include on patientINFORM.org.  The web site provides consumers with links to the full text of the journal articles as soon as they are published, as well as materials created by the voluntary health organizations to help the patient or family member more fully understand the implications of the research. 

Dr. Glass Named Director of Fogarty International Center 
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni has named Dr. Roger I. Glass to be the next director of the Fogarty International Center and Associate Director of NIH for international programs.  Dr. Glass comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where he directed the Viral Gastroenteritis Section. His work in developing and introducing rotavirus vaccines in the developing world is recognized as a significant contribution towards the elimination of health disparities worldwide. He succeeds Dr. Gerald Keusch who left FIC at the end of 2003 and Dr. Sharon Hrynkow who has served as acting director.  Dr. Hrynkow will resume her position as deputy director; Dr. Glass begins his tenure in May.

NIDCR UPDATE

NIDCR Hosts Patient Advocates Forum
NIDCR hosted its seventh Patient Advocates Forum on April 25 on the NIH campus.  The meeting welcomed 17 patient advocates representing 13 organizations with a common interest in the oral health effects of their respective disorders and conditions.  Participants were updated on NIDCR budget and research activities and briefed about the implementation of the NIDCR Strategic Plan. Institute staff also offered a primer on pre-testing health education materials and presented an overview of the Practice-Based Research Networks.  The day concluded with tours of the new Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center and the Children’s Inn.
 
NIDCR Requests Input on Development of FY 2008 Research Initiatives
As part of its budget planning process for Fiscal Year 2008, NIDCR is identifying topical themes for development into research initiatives.  During this process, the Institute welcomes input from its scientific advisory boards, the extramural community, interested organizations, and the public at large.  The proposed research themes are: dental composites; oral health disparities centers—competitive renewal; oral mucosal vaccination against HIV infection; osteoimmunology-crosstalk between immune system and bone; the SBIR pilot program to fast-track translational research; systems biology approach to salivary gland physiology; and translational application of gene silencing to oral and craniofacial diseases and disorders.

Availability of Software Program to Assess Total Fluoride Exposure
NIDCR and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have announced the availability of the Nutrition Data System for Research with Fluoride (NDS-R Fluoride), the first software designed to assess total fluoride exposure of humans from both dietary and non-dietary sources.  The module was developed collaboratively by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Laboratory and the University of Minnesota’s Nutrition Coordinating Center.  The software is suitable for epidemiological, clinical, and health promotion studies assessing issues such as the relationship of individual fluoride intake from all sources to dental caries, dental fluorosis, and bone health.  See additional information about the software to assess fluoride exposure. 

SCIENCE ADVANCES

Evaluating Health Effects of Dental Amalgam Fillings in Children
NIDCR-supported scientists reported April 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association the results of the first-ever randomized clinical trials to evaluate the safety of placing amalgam fillings, which contain mercury, in the teeth of children.  Both studies—one conducted in Europe, the other in the United States—independently reached the conclusion:  Children whose cavities were filled with dental amalgam had no adverse health effects.  The findings included no detectable loss of intelligence, memory, coordination, concentration, nerve conduction, or kidney function during the 5-7 years the children were followed.  The researchers looked for measurable signs of damage to the brain and kidneys because previous studies with adults indicated these organs might be especially sensitive to mercury. The authors noted that children in both studies who received amalgam, informally known as “silver fillings,” had slightly elevated levels of mercury in their urine.  But after several years of analysis, they determined the mercury levels remained low and did not correlate with any symptoms of mercury poisoning.  See the news release about dental amalgams in children. 

Novel Device Shows Potential in Better Detecting Oral Cancer
NIDCR-supported researchers report their initial success using a customized optical device that allows dentists to visualize in a completely new way whether a patient might have a developing oral cancer.  Called a Visually Enhanced Lesion Scope (VELScope), this simple, hand-held device emits a cone of blue light into the mouth that excites various molecules within cells, causing them to absorb the light energy and re-emit it as visible fluorescence. Remove the light, and the fluorescence of the tissue is no longer visible.  Because changes in the natural fluorescence of healthy tissue generally reflect light-scattering biochemical or structural changes indicative of developing tumor cells, the VELScope allows dentists to shine a light onto a suspicious sore in the mouth, look through an attached eyepiece, and watch directly for changes in color. Normal oral tissue emits a pale green fluorescence, while potentially early tumor, or dysplastic, cells appear dark green to black.  Authors on the study are Miriam Rosin, Calum MacAulay, Pierre Lane, Terence Gilhuly, Peter Whitehead, Haishan Zeng, Catherine Poh, Samson Ng, Michelle Williams, and Lewei Zhang from the British Columbia Cancer Agency, University of British Columbia, Vancouver General Hospital, and Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, and LED Medical Diagnostics Inc., in White Rock, British Columbia.

Signaling Pathway Defined in Common Head and Neck Cancer
Scientists have known for years that the p53 protein is frequently inactivated in squamous cell carcinoma cells of the head and neck.  Given this finding, many of the initial attempts to treat the molecules underpinning these cancers have targeted p53 in hopes of turning on the apoptotic, or cell suicide, signaling pathway that it oversees in normal cells - and which tumor cells tend to deactivate to ensure their survival.  The problem is that not all so-called “p53-negative tumors” respond to treatments that aim to restore the apoptotic signal.  This finding has led researchers to assume that glitches in other signaling pathways might help the tumor cells survive.  In the January issue of the journal Cancer Cell, NIDCR grantees and colleagues define one of these confounding pathways.  They found that a protein often overproduced in squamous cell carcinoma cells called ΔNp63 seems to repress the apoptosis-mediating p73 protein.  When the scientists reduced the levels of ΔNp63 in the tumor cells, they found that p73 triggered a specific program of apoptosis that was independent of p53.  With further validation, this new pathway will help scientists to define more accurately the underlying molecular features of squamous cell carcinoma biopsies and help doctors to better tailor treatment to these protein signatures.  The study was conducted by JW Rocco, CO Leong, N Kuperwasser, MP DeYoung, and LW Ellisen at the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Cancer Research and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Study Explores Salivary Mitochondrial DNA Levels and Cancer
A team of NIDCR grantees reported last year that people with oral squamous cell carcinoma have elevated levels of mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA, in their saliva.  Following up on this discovery, the scientists wondered whether cells with altered mtDNA remain in the body’s aerodigestive tract and continue to be found in the saliva after the primary squamous cell carcinoma tumor has been surgically removed.  To find the answer, they examined the saliva of 76 head and neck cancer patients before and after treatment for the common mtDNA genes called Cox I and Cox II.  As published in the March 1 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, the scientists reported the salivary mtDNA content was significantly decreased in these patients after treatment, which one would expect following the removal of their tumors.  They found that the decrease was most pronounced in those who had never smoked and in patients who had undergone postoperative radiation therapy.  However, the mtDNA continued to be harvested in the saliva, an indication that some of these altered cells are still present postoperatively and most commonly in current smokers.  The study was conducted by WW Jiang, E Rosenbaum, M Zahurak, B Masavesva, AL Carvalho, S Zhou, WH Westra, AJ Alberg, D. Sidransky, W Koch, and JA Califano from the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Head and Neck Cancer Division, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD.

Nature Suggests a Promising Strategy for Artificial Bone
NIDCR-supported researchers report they have harnessed the unique physics of sea water as it freezes to guide the production of what could be a new generation of more biocompatible materials for artificial bone.  As published in the January 27 issue of the journal Science, the researchers used this novel technique to produce a thinly layered composite, or hybrid, structure that more closely mimics the natural scaffolding of bone.  The scientists said their initial, proof-of-principle scaffolds are desirably ultra lightweight and up to four times stronger than current porous ceramic implant materials.  According to Dr. Antoni Tomsia, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif. and senior author on the paper, the still nameless freezing technique, with further technical refinements, could churn out even stronger materials and could be scaled up to fabricate larger structures, such as replacement hips and knees and a variety of dental materials.  In addition to Dr. Tomsia, the investigators on the study were S. Deville, E. Saiz, and R. K. Nalla at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. 

Imaging Technique Shows Promise in Detecting Early Signs of Tooth Decay
When dentists notice teeth with tiny “white-spot” lesions, or areas of mildly decalcified enamel, they usually ask themselves the obvious questions:  How deep is the lesion?  Will it progress to full-blown decay?  Or will the lesion remineralize on its own?  The problem is there are no obvious answers.  Currently available dental imaging technologies cannot provide high enough resolution to answer any of these questions, and this shortcoming has led to attempts to adapt powerful industrial imaging tools to the everyday needs of the dentist’s office.  Among the technologies now under development is optical coherence tomography, or OCT.  A product of the telecommunications industry, OCT measures the optical reflection of low coherence light sources focused on the tooth enamel.  A team of NIDCR grantees has published a series of papers over the past few years on OCT imaging of tooth enamel and, in the March issue of the journal Caries Research, they provide new data on a variant technique called polarization-sensitive OCT (PS-OCT).  This technique records spatially resolved changes in polarized light backscatter from the tooth enamel.  Studying artificial caries on the tooth’s occlusal surfaces, the scientists show that PS-OCT has a number of advantages over conventional OCT.  One advantage is an increased contrast to differentiate between areas of normal and demineralized enamel.  Another is its more straightforward approach to quantifying caries lesions, which is more insensitive to the varied surface topography of the tooth.  Investigators on the study are RS Jones, CL Darling, JD Featherstone, and D Fried from the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA.
 
New Clues into Onset of Chronic Periodontitis
One of the more fascinating issues in oral immunology is why immune cells attack certain microbes but coexist with others.  For the so-called gram negative bacteria, the answer seems to lie in a large structural molecule called lipopolysaccharide, or LPS, which interestingly also houses the chain-like chemical endotoxin that can make people sick.  Studies show our immune cells have surface proteins called toll-like receptors that recognize gram-negative species by the unique chemical signature of their LPS.  Depending upon the bacterium, immune cells can selectively learn to respond strongly or tolerate their endotoxin.  Given the fundamental nature of this interaction to human health, a team of NIDCR grantees has hypothesized that chronic periodontitis might arise from subtle modifications in the LPS- immune cell interaction.  In essence, the immune cells become tricked into tolerating the oral bacteria associated with chronic periodontitis.  This occurs by repeated exposure to LPS in dental plaque, which reduces the toll-like receptors that identify the LPS signatures.  Thus, by biochemical default, the immune cells become tolerant of these suspicious, endotoxin-bearing bacteria and allow them to invade oral mucosa cells.  In the February issue of the journal Infection and Immunity, these grantees add two important pieces of evidence to bolster their hypothesis.  They show for the first time that people with chronic periodontitis overproduce a molecule known as SHIP, which plays an important regulatory role in telling immune cells to tolerate an endotoxin.  They also determined, based on the reduction of certain toll-like receptors, key oral immune cells isolated from people with chronic periodontitis are in a tolerized state.  Taken together, these data suggest a possible biochemical mechanism to target in preventing or treating chronic periodontitis.  The study was conducted by M. Muthukuru and CW Cutler in the Department of Periodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Stony Brook University-SUNY, NY.

Study Finds Periodontal Care Not Linked to Low Birthweight Babies
Over the past 25 years, researchers have gathered an intriguing but somewhat circumstantial body of evidence to suggest that women with severe periodontal disease during pregnancy are at risk of delivering low birthweight babies.  Left unanswered is whether treating women for periodontal disease during pregnancy will help them both reach full term and give birth to healthy babies.  In the February issue of the European Journal of Oral Sciences, NIDCR grantees and colleagues report that patterns of periodontal care alone are unrelated to a woman’s risk of delivering low birthweight babies.  They reached their conclusion based on a systematic review of dental care utilization records and matched birth certificate data for nearly 4,000 pregnancies in Washington State from 1993 to 2000.  Of these pregnancies, there were 793 low birthweight deliveries and 3,172 normal births.  The researchers found that women who sought treatment for periodontal disease were more than twice as likely to be self-reported smokers, diabetic, of older maternal age, or African American.  After adjusting their analysis for these risk factors, they determined that women who discontinued periodontal treatment during pregnancy had no increased risk of delivering a low birthweight infant compared to women who did not receive periodontal treatment. The authors on the study are PP Hujoel, M Lydon-Rochelle, PB Robertson, and MA del Aguila in the Department of Dental Public Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Seattle.


MEETINGS AND WORKSHOPS

NIDCR Participation in American Association for Dental Research/American Dental Education Association (AADR/ADEA) Meeting
During the annual AADR/ADEA meeting held in Orlando, FL, in March, NIDCR sponsored several symposia, a workshop on grant writing, and consultations with staff at the NIDCR booth.  Many participants at the meeting came to the booth to obtain information about the NIH Roadmap, NIDCR research opportunities, research training and career development programs, and intramural opportunities. The Institute also sponsored the following activities:

• NIDCR held a meeting for T32 training directors on March 7.  The meeting was followed by a poster session and reception for NIDCR funded trainees sponsored by four T32 grantee institutions (Buffalo, Harvard, Minnesota, and Rochester).  More than 60 trainees presented scientific posters representing a wide range of research topics.  Immediately following the poster session, Dr. Tabak met with trainees, without program directors or mentors present, to discuss various issues of concern to the trainee community.  

• Dr. Kevin Hardwick, extramural training officer, participated in a session entitled “Models for Integration of Research and Scholarship Within the Dental Curriculum.”  The session featured three NIDCR R25 grantees, as well as representatives from two other schools, who discussed models for incorporating science into the dental school curriculum.  Dr. Hardwick provided an introductory overview of the intent of the R25 Curriculum Development Grant Program and discussed the revised R25 PA.

• Principal investigators from each of the seven grantees of the program for Enhancing Research Infrastructure and Capacity Building for U.S. Dental Institutions met during the meeting and presented overviews of their project goals and progress.  Several of the grantees have used the U24 funds and structure to bring in talented investigators, many with R01 funding.  These grants have provided recognition and new collaborations for the dental schools on their respective academic health center campuses and provided leverage for gaining increased space and other resources for research in the dental school. 

• Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom, acting director of the Center for Clinical Research, gave presentations on the electronic submission of grant applications and ethics of data sharing.

• Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, director of the Health Disparities Research Program, participated as a panelist at a technical assistance workshop.  Her presentation focused on the Health Disparities Research Program and solicitations regarding community-based participatory research and special needs and older populations.

• Dr. Maria Canto, director of the Health Promotion and Community-Based Research Program, gave a presentation at the session on “NIDCR and NIH Health Promotion, Behavioral and Social Science Research Funding Opportunity Announcements.”

• Alice Horowitz, from the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program, was a participant in two panels.  One was organized by the Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research for the purpose of providing information about the new center, who to contact, and current grant announcements.  The second panel was on Healthy People 2010 and the midcourse review.

American Dental Association (ADA) Dental Students’ Conference on Research
Drs. Alice Horowitz and Kevin Hardwick, together with Deborah Philp, director of the NIDCR intramural Office of Education and Research Training, attended the ADA Dental Students’ Conference on Research held March 19-21 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD.   Dr. Horowitz gave a presentation on the role of the dental professional in prevention and early detection of oral cancer and the importance of educating the public about oral cancer.  Dr. Hardwick discussed recent research advances in oral health and provided information on NIDCR extramural funding opportunities.  Dr. Philp spoke about intramural research opportunities.  Ann Layvey and Samuel Cowherd, both NIDCR post baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Awardees (IRTAs), presented posters at this conference, as did two former Summer Dental Student Awardees:  Jessica Shireman (2005) and Colin Kong (2004).

International Workshop on Skeletal Growth
NIDCR will co-support the International Workshop on Skeletal Growth that will take place June 11-15 in Portland, OR.  The workshop provides a forum for the exchange of ideas about the role of the growth plate in skeletal growth, repair, and pathogenesis. 

American Society for Microbiology Conference on Candida and Candidiasis
NIDCR sponsored the American Society for Microbiology Conference on Candida and Candidiasis held March 13-17 in Denver, CO.  The conference covered basic and clinical aspects of pathogenesis, host immunity, and antifungal drug resistance.

NIH Health Disparities Conference
Dr. Nowjack-Raymer is serving on the planning committee for the Health Disparities Conference to be convened by NIH’s Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences.  The conference will be held October 23–24 at NIH and will focus on individual and community approaches to eliminating health disparities through health policy, health care and preventive strategies. 

2007 Society of Clinical Trials Meeting
Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom has been appointed program chair of the 2007 meeting of the Society of Clinical Trials.  This is the first time a dentist will be program chair for the annual meeting of this international organization.  The meeting is attended by clinical trialists and biostatisticians from around the world. 

Other Meetings Attended by Staff
Accomplishments of Mouse ENU Mutagenesis for Developmental and Reproductive Genes 
Cambridge Healthtech Institute’s “Molecular Marketplace”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention meeting of the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors
Global Oral Health: Why Does It Matter
Gordon Research Conference on Composites
Head and Neck Specialized Program for Research Excellence (SPORE) annual Intergroup Meeting
Keystone Symposium on HIV Pathogenesis and HIV Vaccines  
Keystone Symposium on Innate Immunity
Keystone Symposium on Microbial Community Genomics in Animals and in the Environment
Keystone Symposium on Tolerance, Autoimmunity and Immunoregulation
National Coalition for Health Professional Education in Genetics 9th Annual Meeting
NIH Mammalian Gene Collection Program (MGC) External Steering Committee Meeting
State of the Science Health Communication Research Meeting
Trans-NIH NHANES Committee meetings

RESEARCH TRAINING, CAREER DEVELOPMENT, RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

Recently Issued Program Announcements (PAs)

• NIH Pathway to Independence Award
The NIH Pathway to Independence Award K99/R00 (PA-06-133) was released on January 27, 2006.  This new career transition mechanism was discussed in detail at the last Council meeting.  Because of overlap in intent, NIDCR has terminated its K22 program and is no longer accepting K22 applications, effective March 2, 2006.

• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for Individual Postdoctoral Fellows (F32)

• Curriculum Development Program
NIDCR has revised its R25 curriculum development program.  The revised Program Announcement, “Oral Health Research Education Grants” (PAR-06-160), was published in the NIH Guide on February 24, 2006.

The new PA brings more focus to the integration of research and science into the entire dental school curriculum, but also allows for projects that provide research exposure/experiences for dental students or clinical specialty residents.  The R25 also can be used for dental schools to collaborate with science departments at undergraduate colleges and universities to develop a pipeline for science students who may consider dental school as a pathway to a career in oral health related research.

K22 Awardees
NIDCR encourages recipients of the Individual Scholar Development and Faculty Transition Award (K22) to apply for Research Project (R01) grants during the Faculty Transition phase of the K22.  NIH Policy allows K awardees to continue to receive career development salary support if they are awarded an R grant within the final two years of the K award.  Recent K22 awardees who have successfully applied and been awarded R01 grants include:
• Artinger, Kristin  K22-DE014200  R01-HD050698  The Role Of Prdm1 In Neural Cell Fate Specification
• Lovine, Mary K   K22-DE014863   R01-HD047737  Gap Junctional Communication During Zebrafish Fin Growth
• Lewis, Janina P   K22-DE014180   R01-DE016124   Molecular Basis of Oral Microbial Adhesion

Careers in Oral Health Research
NIDCR is partnering with the American Dental Education Association to present a session on careers in oral health research at the national meeting of the National Association for Advisors in the Health Professions, to be held June 25-29, in Portland, OR.  Dr. Hardwick and Dr. Paul Krebsbach will speak at this session, which is geared toward undergraduate premedical/predental advisors.

CENTER FOR BIOTECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Recently Issued RFAs
Nanostructured Dental Composite Restorative Materials (R21) (RFA-DE-07-005)

Responses to RFAs
Development and Validation of Technologies for Saliva-Based Diagnostics
(RFA-DE-06-003)
The review of the six applications received in response to this RFA is complete and the applications have been brought to Council for secondary review.  The purpose of the RFA is to support the continuation of the saliva-based diagnostics U01 awards to accelerate the technological advances needed for rapid, reliable, non-invasive identification of biomarker signature patterns in saliva indicative of local and systemic health status.

Professional Activities
Dr. Eleni Kousvelari, acting director of the Center for Biotechnology and Innovation, presented a talk on the Saliva-Based Diagnostic Technologies Program at the NIBIB/NHLBI/NSF Workshop on “Improving Health Care Accessibility Through Point-of-Care Technologies,” April 11-12 in Arlington, Va.    

CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Recently Released PAs
Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders: Pathophysiological Mechanisms Linking Comorbid Conditions (R01, R21, R03) (PA-06-188) 

Pharmacogenetics of Fluoride (R01)

Pharmacogenetics of Fluoride (R21)

Protein Biomarkers of Infection-Associated Cancers

Protein Biomarkers of Infection-Associated Cancers (R21)

Simian Models for the Oral Biology of HIV Infection and AIDS-Related Oral Complications (R21)

Research on Malignancies in AIDS and Acquired Immune Suppression

Recently Released RFAs
Ontogeny of Host Innate Immune Recognition of and Response to Oral Microbes (R21)

Ontogeny of Host Innate Immune Recognition of and Response to Oral Microbes (R01)

Effects of Long Term Use of Antiretroviral Therapy on the Oral Mucosa (R21)

Effects of Long Term Use of Antiretroviral Therapy on the Oral Mucosa (R01)

Presentations
• Dr. Kusiak attended the 25th annual meeting of the American Pain Society held in San Antonio, TX on May 3-6.  He represented the NIDCR at the NIH Pain Consortium booth and spoke with grantees and potential grantees about new initiatives and funding opportunities.  In addition, he participated in a special interest group symposium entitled “Genetics and Pain” where he presented information on funding opportunities in pain research at the NIDCR and NIH and described strategies for writing successful grant applications.
• Dr. Yasaman Shirazi attended the 97th annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research held in Washington, D.C. on April 1-5.  She delivered a presentation at a session designed to inform the extramural community about cancer research funding opportunities at NIH. 

CENTER FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH

General Dentistry Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) Update
A meeting of the PBRN stakeholders committee was held in March. The committee made recommendations regarding possible community participation and recommended that various reports be made available so it can assess progress of the PBRNs.  The committee was established to assist the NIDCR in evaluating the PBRNs.  It includes representation from the following groups: American Dental Association (ADA), the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD), the National Dental Association (NDA), the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA), American Indian/Alaskan Native Dentists, American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), American Association for Dental Research (AADR), American Dental Education Association (ADEA), patient advocates, biomedical informatics representatives, medical PBRN directors, and NIDCR staff.

PBRN annual practitioner meetings were held by the University of Washington PRECEDENT PBRN and the New York University PEARL PBRN. 

Roadmap Initiative: Re-engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise Feasibility of Integrating and Expanding Clinical Research Networks
Dr. Pihlstrom serves as the NIDCR representative on this Roadmap initiative to ensure that that the General Dental PBRNs are included in this effort.  Four abstracts were accepted from the PBRNs for poster presentations at the upcoming May 31-June 1 Roadmap meeting on “Inventory and Evaluation of Clinical Research Networks (IECRN)” to be held in Rockville, MD (see story p. 5).

Presentations
• Dr. Pihlstrom was a featured plenary speaker at the 2006 research and education forum held April 4-7 at the University of Puerto Rico.  He spoke about “Challenges and Opportunities in Oral Health Research.”
• He also presented a lecture on the role of the NIDCR in supporting oral health research at the Queen’s County Dental Society meeting on May 2.

Publications
Evaluating oral health promotion: need for quality outcome measures. Watt RG, Harnett R, Daly B, Fuller SS, organ A Munday P, Nowjack-Raymer R, Treasure ET. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 2006;34:11-7.    
 

CENTER FOR HEALTH PROMOTION AND BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH

Responses to PAs
Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R01)

Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R21)

Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health (R03)

The first round of applications was received and will be reviewed at the September 2006 Council meeting.  The research solicitations will be active through 2009.    

Hispanic Community Study
Dr. Jeffrey Hyman, Health Data and Analysis Program, continues to serve as the NIDCR project officer for the oral health component of the Hispanic Community Study led by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.  He participated in the primary and secondary reviews of the coordinating and field centers.  The reviews are now complete and the competitive range has been established.  He will now be involved in analyzing the responses and participating in negotiations before the awards are made this summer. 

Presentations
Dr. Alice Horowitz gave the following presentations:
• A lecture on dental caries prevention for students and faculty at the University of Colorado.  She also consulted with faculty members regarding a community-based project they are working on in a Denver school and gave a presentation on school-based caries prevention regimens for educators, parents, nurses and dental professionals during the meeting of the coalition that will steer the school-based caries prevention program.
•  A lecture on “Health Literacy and Elder Care: Potential Impact on Oral Health Outcomes” at the New York State Dental Foundation’s Elder Oral Health Care Summit. 
 
Publications
Cannick GF, Horowitz AM Reed SG, Drury TF, Day TA. Opinions of South Carolina dental students toward tobacco use interventions. J Public Health Dent 2006;66:44-8.

Hyman JJ, Reid B, Mongeau SW, York AK. The military oral health care system as a model for eliminating disparities in oral health. J Am Dent Assoc 2006;137:372-8.

Hyman JJ.  Guest Editorial. The importance of assessing confounding and effect modification in research involving periodontal disease and systemic diseases.  J Clin Periodont 2006;33:102-3.

Stancil T, Reichman M, Hyman J, Reid B, Li C. Dental insurance and clinical dental outcomes in NHANES III.  J Public Health Dent 2006;65(4):189-95.

DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH

Intramural Program Reviewed by Blue Ribbon Panel
In 1993, NIDCR’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) was the first IRP at NIH to undergo a comprehensive review by a “Blue Ribbon Panel”.  On February 26-28, NIDCR became the first NIH institute or center to conduct a second review.  The review was carried out by a panel of ten experts representing relevant disciplines.  The panel was co-chaired by Drs. Phil Stashenko and Brigid Hogan.   In addition to Dr. Stashenko, the NADCRC was represented on the panel by Dr. Linda Griffith.  Whereas the research of individual branches and laboratories is reviewed retrospectively on a quadrennial cycle by the NIDCR Board of Scientific Counselors, the Blue Ribbon Panels analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the entire program and provide advice on balance and research areas of opportunity for the future. 

John A. Chiorini Receives Tenure
Dr. John A. (Jay) Chiorini, chief of the Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Biology Unit (AAVBU) in NIDCR’s Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch (GTTB), was approved for tenure on April 3.  Dr. Chiorini joined the NIDCR in 1999 after an international search.  He was recruited to NIDCR specifically to head a new program on AAV biology with emphasis on developing new vectors for efficient gene transfer.  His pioneering research on the biology of AAV has led to fundamental changes in our understanding of this genus of virus and on the potential utility of AAV vectors for human gene therapy. The NIDCR many years ago recognized that gene therapy could have a potentially significant impact on the future treatment of oral and craniofacial disorders.  In particular, gene therapy studies with salivary glands have shown exceptional promise.

2006 Summer Dental Student Award Selections
Nine dental students from U.S. dental schools across the country have been selected as recipients of the 2006 NIDCR Summer Dental Student Award (SDSA).  The NIDCR SDSA program is an eight-week internship designed to expose dental students to cutting-edge research in oral health.  Representatives from the following schools will participate in the program this summer:  Baylor College of Dentistry; Columbia University College of Dental Medicine; Howard University College of Dentistry; Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine; University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; University of Puerto Rico School of Dentistry; and University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston Dental Branch.  

Woodrow Wilson Senior High School Adopt-a-School Program
On February 2, NIDCR researchers and staff participated in the Groundhog Job Shadow for Science, Math, and Technology students from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, Washington, D.C.  Students toured the NIDCR and learned about being a scientific researcher. In addition to shadowing NIDCR staff, students had lunch with Dr. Deborah Philp, director of the intramural NIDCR Office of Education and Research Training, and discussed their research experience, their career goals, and research opportunities at NIDCR.   

Publications
Ambudkar, Indu S. Ca2+ signaling microdomains:platforms for the assembly and regulation of TRPC Channels. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2006 Jan;27(1):25-32. Epub 2005 Dec 7

Diaz, P. I., N. Slakeski, E. C. Reynolds, R. Morona, A. H. Rogers, and P. E. Kolenbrander.  2006.   Role of oxyR in the oral anaerobe Porphyromonas gingivalis.  J. Bacteriol. 188:2454-2462.

Fukumoto, S., Miner, J.H., Ida, H., Fukumoto, E., Yuasa, K., Miyazaki, H., Hoffman, M.P., Yamada, Y. Laminin alpha-5 is required for dental epithelium growth and polarity and the development of tooth bud and shape. J. Biol. Chem. 281(8): 5008-5016, 2006.

Hatakeyama, J., Philp, D., Hatakeyama, Y., Haruyama, N., Shum, L., Aragon, M.A., Yuan, Z., Gibson, C.W., Sreenath, T., Kleinman, H.K., Kulkarni, A.B. Amelogenesis-mediated regulation of osteoclastogenesis, and periodontal cell proliferation and migration. J. Dent. Res. 85(2): 144-149, 2006.

Hobson J.P., Liu S., Rono B., Leppla S.H., and Bugge T.H.  Imaging specific cell-surface proteolytic activity in single living cells. Nature Methods, 4: 259-261, 2006

Liu X, Bandyopadhyay BB, Nakamoto T, Singh BB, Liedtke W, Melvin JE, Ambudkar IS. A role for AQP5 in activation of TRPV4 by hypotonicity: concerted involvement of AQP5 and TRPV4 in regulation of cell volume recovery.  J Biol Chem. 2006 Mar 29; [Epub ahead of print]

Mankani MH, Kuznetsov SA, Shannon B, Nalla RK, Ritchie RO, Qin Y, Robey PG.  Canine cranial reconstruction using autologous bone marrow stromal cells. Am J Pathol. 2006 Feb;168(2):542-50.

Montaner S., Sodhi A., Ramsdell A.K., Martin D., Hu J., Sawai E.T., and Gutkind J.S., The Kaposi’s sarcoma associated herpesvirus G protein-coupled receptor as a therapeutic target for the treatment of Kaposi’s sarcoma. Cancer Research., 66:168-174, 2006.

Ozdemir D, Hart PS, Ryu OH, Choi SJ, Ozdemir-Karatas M, Firatli E, Piesco N, Hart TC. MMP20 active-site mutation in hypomaturation amelogenesis imperfecta.  J Dent Res. 2005 Nov;84(11):1031-5.

Pareek, T.K., Keller, J., Kesavapany, S., Pant, H.C., Iadarola, M.J., Brady, R.O., Kulkarni, A.B. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activity regulates pain signaling. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 103: 791-796, 2006.

Peng G, Lei KJ, Jin W, Greenwell-Wild T, Wahl SM.
Induction of APOBEC3 family proteins, a defensive maneuver underlying interferon-induced anti-HIV-1 activity.  J Exp Med. 2006 Jan 23;203(1):41-6. Epub 2006 Jan 17.

Ryu OH, Atkinson JC, Hoehn GT, Illei GG, Hart TC.
Identification of parotid salivary biomarkers in Sjogren's syndrome by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2006 Mar 7 (Epub ahead of print)

Wahl SM, Wen J, and Moutsopoulos NM.The kiss of death: interrupted by NK-cell close encounters of another kind.  Trends Immunol. 2006 Feb 24; [Epub ahead of print]

Zudaire, E., Martinez, A., Garayoa, M., Pio, R., Kaur, G., Woolhiser, M.R., Metcalfe, D.D., Hook, W.A., Siraganian, R.P., Guise, T.A., Chirgwin, J.M., and Cuttitta, F.
Adrenomedullin is a cross-talk molecule that regulates tumor and mast cell function during human carcinogenesis. American J Pathology 168:280-291, 2006.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

New Program Announcement
Since the last NADCRC meeting, the following Program Announcement was released:
International Collaborative Oral Health Research Planning Grant (R21)

Global Oral Health Delivery Systems
Dr. Lois K. Cohen, associate director for international health, was invited to a meeting of the Dental Economics Advisory Group (DEAG) of the American Dental Association, held February 9-10 in Chicago. The DEAG is an external advisory group composed of members and invited consultants with expertise in epidemiology, health care delivery and health policy.  The group is developing a monograph on the economic and policy considerations of various oral health care delivery systems around the globe.  The intent is to consider future trajectories of such systems as well as novel approaches that are emerging to meet the needs of the world’s populations.

Meeting of Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR)
Dr. Cohen attended the meeting of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health & Arthritis (IMHA), CIHR, in Ottawa, Canada on March 1-3.  Oral health research and research training largely falls within the mandate of the IMHA.  The Canadian Institutes for Health Research is a virtual version of the NIH and has 13 Institutes, each of which is based in a different Canadian university.  NIH continues to learn how business can be done through CIHR’s experiment in virtual operations; CIHR is studying how NIH manages its extramural programs.

Presentations
• On April 7, Dr. Cohen gave a summary of her career as a U.S. Federal government professional to the students and faculty of the Philadelphia High School for Girls, a college preparatory public school operated by the Philadelphia Board of Education
• On April 10 she presented “Science Knows No Country” to students at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Dental Medicine
• On May 1, she served as a reactor on a session devoted to international health, with a particular emphasis on the United Kingdom.  The session was organized by the 2006 National Oral Health Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Disease Control Priorities Project Releases Books
On April 3, the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCPP) released three new books--Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition; Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors; and Priorities in Health--that will help countries establish their own priorities, choose the best interventions, and strengthen the capacity of health systems to deliver those interventions. The dental chapter was prepared with the assistance of the NIDCR and authors from WHO-Geneva, the University of Lund Dental Faculty and the American Dental Association.

Lancet Essay on Global Health
The Lancet recently published an Essay Focus on stigma and its impact on global health (Volume 367, No. 9508, 11, February 2006). The papers were originally part of a Fogarty International Center sponsored conference to which the NIDCR and others contributed.  
 
COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

News Releases and Science Updates
Since the last NADCRC meeting, Office of Communications and Health Education (OCHE) staff produced three news releases: one reported the findings from clinical trials of amalgam safety, one described a device that allows dentists to visualize a developing oral cancer, and one described the discovery of a possible cause of infertility.  See NIDCR's news releases.

In addition, staff produced 15 Science News in Brief writeups and An Inside Scoop on “Bringing the Promise of Molecular Medicine to Oral Cancer Screening.”   This interview with NIDCR grantee Dr. Miriam Rosin describes a novel oral cancer screening program that integrates telltale molecular features of a developing tumor with more traditional cancer screening tools.  See the interview with Dr. Rosin.

Institute Staff Member Receives NIH Plain Language Award
Office of Communications and Health Education (OCHE) science writer Bob Kuska received an Honorable Mention at the April 2006 NIH Plain Language Award ceremony for “Meet the 2005 Kreshover Lecturer: Dr. Charles Serhan.”  The Q&A gives readers the opportunity to hear about Dr. Serhan’s work on inflammation and about the evolution of his research career.  The Plain Language Awards are part of the larger NIH Plain Language Initiative, which is meant to improve communication between the government and the public.

NIDCR Patient and Health Professional Education Publications Disseminated Around the Country
OCHE staff exhibited and distributed NIDCR patient and health professional education materials at the following meetings:  Chicago Dental Society annual session, February 24-26; and the National WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Association meeting in Houston, April 30-May 2.

NIDCR materials were also displayed at the annual meeting of the National Hispanic Dental Association in Washington, D.C., March 24-25; and the NIH Parenting Festival, held May 10.

PERSONNEL

Dr. George Hausch, acting director of the NIDCR Division of Extramural Activities (DEA), retired on March 3 after more than 43 years of Federal service.  Dr. Hausch began his government career in 1963 at the Langley Research Center at NASA.   He then came to the NIDCR in 1972 as a health scientist administrator and later was named chief of NIDCR’s Scientific Review Branch.  In 2001 he was appointed DEA acting director.  

Dr. Lynn King was selected to be chief of the Scientific Review Branch, effective April 2.  Dr. King joined the NIDCR in July 2000 as a research fellow in the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, DIR.  The following year she moved to the Scientific Review Branch as a health scientist administrator.  Previously she was a research fellow in the National Human Genome Research Institute and held positions at the University of Miami, Harvard, and Boston University.  Dr. King received her Ph.D. in Population Biology from Washington University.

Jim Lipton, D.D.S., Ph.D., retired from the U.S. Commissioned Corps on May 1, ending a career of 30 years in the Public Health Service.  Since 1985, he held leadership positions at the NIDCR involving planning and evaluation, scientific development, research training and career development, and research infrastructure and curriculum development.  Dr. Lipton was instrumental in starting the first oral molecular epidemiology laboratory at NIH.  He also helped initiate the development and implementation of several new NIDCR/NIH research training programs and two new grant programs involving research infrastructure in dental schools and oral health research curriculum development.  From 2004 until his retirement he served as senior advisor to the Chief Dental Officer (CDO), U.S. Public Health Service, assisting the CDO in all PHS dental public health activities. 

Ms. Lorrayne Jackson retired in February after more than 40 years of Federal service, all of which were with the National Institutes of Health.  Ms. Jackson worked in several Institutes before joining the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in 1985 where she served as the EEO manager, a minority program specialist and finally as an extramural recruitment and outreach program specialist.  In this role she worked to increase diversity by encouraging members of underrepresented populations to pursue careers in science.   

Dr. Nadya Lumelsky joined the Center for Biotechnology and Innovation in April as program director of the Tissue Engineering Program.  Most recently she was an investigator in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.  Prior to that she was a special expert and staff scientist with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for two years.  Dr. Lumelsky received her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the State University of New York and a combined M.S. and B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Basic Organic Synthesis from the D. Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology, in Moscow, Russia.  Her research on embryonic and adult stem cells has been published in Science, Nature, Nature Biotechnology, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, Stem cells, and others.  Dr. Lumelsky combines the biology and engineering expertise necessary to direct NIDCR’s Tissue Engineering/Regenerative Dental Medicine research programs.

Mr. Thomas Murphy was appointed as the Institute’s deputy executive officer, effective April 2.  Since joining NIH and NIDCR in 1992, Mr. Murphy has held progressively responsible positions in the information technology area.  He now serves as NIDCR’s chief information officer and a key member of the management team.  In his new role, he will work with the executive officer to co-manage the Institute’s administrative management operations while continuing to oversee the Institute’s information technology activities.   

 Dr. Dennis Torchia, chief of the Structural Biology Unit, retired from the Federal government on April 3, ending a career of more than 34 years of service.  After spending several years at the Department of Commerce, he joined the NIDCR as a research physicist in 1974 and became a senior investigator in 1998.  Dr. Torchia established an internationally recognized research program, which characterized the molecular dynamics of fibrous proteins and proteoglycans to better understand their mechanical properties and functions.

Dr. Soheyla Saadi, a scientific review administrator in the Scientific Review Branch, left the NIDCR on April 3.  She had served in this position since May 2005.  Dr. Saadi returned to the NIH Center for Scientific Review where she previously worked.