Director's Report to Council: May 2007

In February, the NIDCR Director took part in the American Association for Dental Research/American Dental Education Association (AADR/ADEA) Field Advocacy Workshop held in Las Vegas where he provided an update on NIDCR initiatives and activities.  Later in the month, he spoke about “Facing the Future” at a symposium celebrating the 40th anniversary of the dedication of the Dental Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  The symposium highlighted how past achievements have paved the way for future discoveries in oral health research.   

During the 85th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) held in New Orleans in March, Dr. Tabak gave a special presentation on “Facing the Future: The State of NIDCR.”  The presentation included an overview of the NIDCR and how Institute priorities are reached.  Dr. Tabak also highlighted current national and international funding opportunities.  In addition, he spoke about a “Framework for Discovery, Translation to Practice” at the joint AADR/ADEA symposium on “Dental Education at the Crossroads + 12 Years: Taking Stock,” which was held during the IADR meeting. 

In April, the NIDCR Director participated in the Macy Foundation Study Convocation on “New Models in Dental Education,” held in Atlanta.  The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, which is located in New York City, funds programs to improve the education and training of health professionals to better serve and improve the health of the public.  The purpose of the Atlanta meeting was to increase the awareness of major stakeholders about critical issues confronting the dental education system in the U.S. over the next decade, discuss strategies to address the issues that threaten the vitality of dental education, and create an action agenda for sustainable change.   Dr. Tabak was one of two individuals invited to respond to a presentation on “Revitalization of U.S. Dental Education.” 

On May 3, Dr. Tabak delivered the keynote address at the 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Pain Society, held in Washington, D.C.  His presentation on “Pain Research: A View from the NIH Pain Consortium,” highlighted the consortium’s efforts and recent research advances made by the NIH institutes and centers that participate in the consortium.  The American Pain Society is the leading multidisciplinary professional organization in the United States dedicated to advancing pain-related research, education, treatment and team-oriented professional practice. Some 2,000 researchers and clinicians specializing in pain and pain management attended the annual meeting.

ACTIVITIES OF THE NIDCR DEPUTY DIRECTOR

NIDCR deputy director Isabel Garcia, a Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, was deployed on a 6-week tour of duty from March 25-May 4 to prepare for the USNS Comfort mission to Latin America and the Caribbean this summer.  President Bush announced in March that he will send the USNS Comfort—A Navy hospital ship—to make port calls in Belize, Guatemala, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname.  Its doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals are expected to provide on shore medical care and perform surgeries aboard the ship.  Included in this health diplomacy mission is a new initiative to provide oral care to the region’s poor.  While the ship will be primarily staffed with U.S. Navy personnel, it also will have personnel from the Commissioned Corps whose main involvement will be with the oral health component.  As a member of the advance team for the mission, Dr. Garcia was responsible for conducting a dental needs assessment in each of the countries that the USNS Comfort will visit.  She met with health, education, agriculture and security and other officials in each of the host nations and served as the primary translator and presenter for the team.   

The USNS Comfort will depart June 15 and return October 15.  It will remain at each port it visits for 7-8 days. 

BUDGET UPDATE

FY 2007
NIDCR is funded for the fiscal year by a Joint Resolution that provides the Institute $389.4 million without requirement to transfer funding for NIH Roadmap projects, which will be funded in FY 2007 entirely by funds appropriated directly to the Office of the Director, NIH.   For comparison purposes, the President’s Request for FY 2007 was $386.1 million for NIDCR, including $4.6 million for the support of NIH Roadmap activities.  

FY 2008
The President’s Budget for FY 2008 budget would provide $389.7 million for NIDCR, with the requirement that $5.1 million would be transferred to the Office of the Director, NIH for the support of NIH Roadmap activities.  Dr. Zerhouni testified in support of the President’s Budget before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on March 6th and before the Senate Subcommittee on March 19th.

HHS/NIH UPDATE

NIH Director’s New Innovator Award
Dr. Zerhouni has announced a special program to fund new investigators who propose highly innovative research projects that could have an exceptionally great impact on biomedical or behavioral science. The NIH Director’s New Innovator Award offers grants of up to $1.5 million in direct costs over five years.  The application period is open April 25 - May 22, 2007. NIH expects to make at least 14 awards in September 2007.  New investigators who have not yet obtained an NIH R01 or similar grant are eligible to apply.  Also see the press release about the New Innovator Award.

Third Round of Requests for Applications for Clinical and Translational Science Awards Released
The third round of Requests for Applications for Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) was released March 22.  The total funds available for the new awards are approximately $38 million.  It is anticipated that up to 8 awards will be made with an expected start date of June 1, 2008.  Partnerships with schools of dentistry are strongly encouraged in the CTSA applications. 
A new feature of this CTSA funding announcement opportunity is that applications that name multiple principal investigators will be accepted after October 1, 2007. 

New Roadmap Initiatives for FY 2008
The following five topics are under consideration as major NIH Roadmap Initiative proposals for FY 2008:
• Microbiome
• Protein capture/proteome tools
• Phenotyping services and tools
• Inflammation as a common mechanism of disease
• Epigenetics
In addition, the Genetic Connectivity Map and Transient Molecular Complexes have been designated for development through smaller pilot study proposals.

Plans for the above initiatives will be developed over the next few months with input from a Council of Councils, which is an NIH Director's advisory council composed of members from advisory councils for all NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and the Council of Public Representatives. Plans will then be reviewed by IC Directors to determine Roadmap funding priorities beginning in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. 

NIH Director’s Newsletter
See the Spring 2007 message from Dr. Zerhouni.    

NIH Pain Consortium Holds Second Annual Symposium
The NIH Pain Consortium held its second annual symposium, Advances in Pain Research, May 1 on the NIH campus. The symposium presented new and exciting advances in pain research and pain management featuring work done through NIH support. Topics included mechanisms and management of neuropathic pain, visceral pain, inflammatory pain, and treatment-induced pain.  The symposium was attended by members of the extramural scientific community, the NIH scientific community, health care providers, and the public.  The NIH Pain Consortium is co-chaired by Dr. Tabak together with Story Landis, director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and Patricia A. Grady, director, National Institute of Nursing Research.  Dr. John Kusiak, director of NIDCR’s Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Program, was on the planning committee for the symposium and also chaired a session. 

NIH Leads Effort to Help Women in Science and Medicine Fulfill Potential
Dr. Zerhouni has created the Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers to examine issues raised in the recent National Academies report, "Beyond Bias and Barriers, Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering," and to respond to the challenges issued to government funding agencies to maximize the potential of women scientists and engineers. Dr. Zerhouni and Dr. Vivian Pinn, associate director for research on women's health and director of the Office of Research on Women's Health, will co-chair the working group, which will carefully consider the recommendations in the National Academies report.

Appointment of Director, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Griffin P. Rodgers, M.D., has been appointed director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), effective April 1, 2007.  Dr. Rodgers, a physician-scientist and molecular hematologist, is internationally recognized for his contributions to the development of the first effective and FDA-approved therapy for sickle cell anemia and other genetic diseases of hemoglobin.  He served as NIDDK's acting director since March 2006 and deputy director since 2001and also headed the Institute's Molecular and Clinical Hematology Branch.

Appointment of Director, National Center for Research Resources
Barbara Alving, M.D., has been appointed director of the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), effective April 1, 2007.  Dr. Alving, who served as NCRR's acting director since March 2005, oversaw the launch of the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program.  Previously, she was deputy director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) since 2001 and acting director from 2003 through 2005.  She joined NIH in 1999 when she came to NHLBI as director of the Division of Blood Diseases and Resources.

Appointment of Deputy Director, Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives
Alan M. Krensky, M.D., has been appointed to be the first NIH deputy director for the Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives (OPASI).  OPASI, which was built on the success of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, has two goals: to identify important areas of emerging scientific opportunities or rising public health challenges, and to help accelerate investments in these areas to make sure new ideas have a chance to develop.  Dr. Krensky comes from the Stanford University School of Medicine, where he most recently served as professor of pediatrics, chief of the Division of Immunology and Transplantation Biology, associate chair for research in the Department of Pediatrics, and associate dean for children's health.  He will assume his new position on July 8.

NIDCR UPDATE

Updated FY 2007 Extramural Funding Plan
See NIDCR's updated funding plan.

NIDCR Requests Input on Development of FY 2009 Research Initiatives
As part of its budget planning process for Fiscal Year 2009, 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: Behavioral and Social Sciences Research on Oral Health and Disease; Craniofacial Construction: Functional Genomics of Development and Disease; and Harnessing Inflammation for Reconstruction of Oral and Craniofacial Tissues. 

NIDCR Hosts Patient Advocates Forum
NIDCR hosted its eighth Patient Advocates Forum on April 23rd on the NIH campus.  The meeting welcomed 18 patient advocates representing 14 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 NIH Reform Act of 2006.  Staff primed the visitors on the Institute’s extramural organizational components, research highlights, and ongoing studies of particular interest to the group, and detailed the life of a grant application from submission to award.  The day concluded with a tour of the forensic medicine exhibit at the National Library of Medicine.

SCIENCE ADVANCES

Salivary Diagnostic Device Shows Promise
NIDCR-supported researchers have engineered a portable, phone-sized test that in minutes measures proteins in saliva that may indicate a developing disease in the mouth or possibly elsewhere in the body.  The point-of-care test, one of several saliva-based diagnostic devices now under development with NIDCR support, one day could become a common sight in the dentist’s office.  As envisioned by the researchers, a dentist would collect a small saliva sample with a patient’s consent, load it into the diagnostic cartridge, start the assay, and have a read out waiting after a cleaning or a dental procedure has been completed.  Called IMPOD-- short for Integrated Microfluidic Platform for Oral Diagnostics-- the device is described in the March 27 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  In the report, the scientists offer the results of proof of principle experiments in which IMPOD reliably measured the concentrations of MMP-8, an enzyme associated with chronic inflammation of the gums called periodontitis.  The research was conducted by A. E. Herr, A. V. Hatch, D. J. Throckmorton, H. M. Tran, J. S. Brennan, W. V. Giannobile, and A. K. Singh at Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA and the Michigan Center for Oral Research, School of Dentistry, University of Michigan.

Scientists Discover How Maternal Smoking Can Cause Cleft Lip and Palate
NIDCR-supported scientists report that women who smoke during pregnancy and carry a fetus whose DNA lacks both copies of a gene involved in detoxifying cigarette smoke substantially increase their baby’s chances of being born with a cleft lip and/or palate.  According to the scientists, about a quarter of babies of European ancestry and possibly up to 60 percent of those of Asian ancestry lack both copies of the gene called GSTT1.  Based on their data, published in the January issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, the scientists calculated that if a pregnant woman smokes 15 cigarettes or more per day, the chances of her GSTT1-lacking fetus developing a cleft increase nearly 20 fold.  Globally, about 12 million women each year smoke through their pregnancies.  Dr. Jeff Murray, a scientist at the University of Iowa and senior author of the study, noted that parents who are considering having a child and need added motivation for the mother to quit smoking might one day be tested to determine their GSTT1 status.  Because the fetus inherits its genes from both mother and father, the test would determine the likelihood of the baby developing without the GSTT1 gene to detoxify the cigarette smoke.   Dr. Murray’s collaborators on the paper are M. Shi, K. Christensen, C. R. Weinberg, P. Romitti, L. Bathum, A. Lozada, R. W. Morris, and M. Lovett from the University of Iowa, the University of Southern Denmark, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Duke University and the Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis.

More Mutations Contribute to Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate
In the search for genes that contribute to nonsyndromic cleft lip and/palate, scientists once followed the long road.  They performed lengthy and always complex linkage analyses of DNA from large families and populations of people with histories of this common birth defect.  But in recent years, the scientists have begun to pursue a more technologically direct road.  They collect the DNA samples per usual but now directly sequence certain genes suspected of contributing to cleft lip and/or palate.  A few years ago, NIDCR grantees and colleagues used this approach with the MSX1 gene and identified mutations that might account for 2 percent of cleft lip and/or palate cases. In 2005, they sequenced 20 genes and found mutations that contribute to 6 percent of cases.  Now, in the March 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists sequenced the coding regions of 12 members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and FGF receptor gene families and found seven mutations that may contribute to as much as 5 percent of nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate.  The group followed up its findings by generating three-dimensional computer models of the FGF proteins that predicted how the altered amino acids would affect their normal shape and function.  The research was conducted by B. M. Riley, M. A. Mansilla, J. Ma, S. Daack-Hirsch, B. S. Maher, L. M. Raffensperger, E. T. Russo, A. R. Vieira, C. Dode, M. Mohammadi, M. L. Marazita, and J. C. Murray at the University of Iowa, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Institut Cochin et Laboratoire de Biochimie et Genetique Moleculaire, Hopital Cochin, in Paris, France. 

Scientists Complete Full Sequence of Opportunistic Oral Bacterium
Over the last decade, scientists have assembled the complete DNA sequences of several important members of the oral biofilm, from Streptococcus mutans to Porphyromonas gingivalis to Treponema denticola.  In the April issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, NIDCR-funded investigators have added another big name to the list.  It is the bacterium Streptococcus sanguinis, an early colonizer of the dental pellicle and a key player in the formation of the oral biofilm.  Although not regarded as a pathogen in the mouth, S. sanguinis is known to enter the bloodstream, where it has a propensity to colonize the heart valves and contribute to bacterial endocarditis, a condition the kills an estimated 2,000 Americans each year.  With the bacterium’s genetic blueprint now publicly available online, scientists can better study the dynamics of biofilm formation and possibly tease out new leads to prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease.  They also now can systematically identify and exploit the weak spots written into the DNA of S. sanguinis, invaluable information in designing more effective treatments for endocarditis.   Collaborating on the study were P. Xu, J. M. Alves, T. Kitten, A. Brown, Z. Chen, L. S. Ozaki, P. Manque, X. Ge, M. G. Serrano, D. Puiu, S. Hendricks, Y. Wang, M. D. Chaplin, D. Akan, S. Paik, D. L. Peterson, F. L. Macrina, and G. A. Buck at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Key Interaction Elucidated in Fetal Bone Development
As a human embryo forms, most of its bones begin as cartilage and are converted into bone. This developmental transition is orchestrated by a complex network of proteins known as transcription factors, which activate the appropriate genes at the appropriate time and duration to carry out the ossification process. One of the most-studied of these transcription factors is called Runx2. Without its transcriptional oversight in the ossification process, cartilage-producing chondrocytes will not fully mature, nor will bone-producing osteoblasts differentiate. What has intrigued scientists is Runx2 is expressed in fetal progenitor cells as early as embryonic day 10, or well before its curtain call to orchestrate chondrocyte and osteoblast differentiation. This has led some to wonder if during early skeletal development other transcription factors inhibit the activity of Runx2 and hold it in check until needed. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, NIDCR grantees and their colleagues identify this inhibitory transcription factor as Sox9. They show in laboratory and animal studies that Sox9 directly interacts with Runx2 and dominantly represses its activity. The scientists also show that this repression likely takes place early on as precursor cells commit to cartilage-producing lineages and later during the development of cartilage. Further delineating the Sox9/Runx2 interaction will help to explain the biochemical underpinnings of several human skeletal malformations and will be useful in learning to engineer replacement bone.  Investigators on the study were G. Zhou, Q. Zheng, F. Engin, E. Munivez, Y. Chen, E. Sebald, D. Krakow, and B. Lee at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, the Medical Genetics Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

New Mechanism Guiding Cell Migration Discovered
Not only is cell migration important for successful embryonic development and wound healing, but it also contributes to cancer cell invasion.  In the February 16 issue of Science, NIDCR intramural researchers together with an NIH collaborator report the discovery of a dynamic mechanism used by cells to probe their local environment to find paths for migration.  Cells were found to explore ahead using “sticky fingers” -- tiny cell extensions containing clustered receptors, called integrins--that are activated to bind to extracellular matrix.  These “sticky fingers”, which are generated by focal actin polymerization, move side-to-side at the leading edges of cells, searching for sites favorable for local cell attachment by the binding of the primed integrins to matrix molecules, such as fibronectin.  This mechanism allows cells to send out highly dynamic feelers to locate an optimal path for efficient migration of the main cell body.  These findings identify new targets for developing drugs that potentially can selectively promote or disrupt specific elements of cell migration.  Investigators on the study are C. Galbraith and K. Yamada from the NIDCR Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology and J. Galbraith from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.    

MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS, AND LECTURES

Upcoming Lectures and Meetings:
2007 David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture
Dr. Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, will deliver this year's David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture on December 10 at 3:30 pm. in the Masur Auditorium, Building 10 on the NIH campus.  The annual lecture, jointly sponsored by NIDCR and the Fogarty International Center, honors the late David E. Barmes, a long-standing World Health Organization employee, special expert for international health in the NIDCR Office of International Health, and ardent spokesman for global health.

2008 Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) Meeting
Dr. Donald DeNucci, program director of NIDCR’s Practice-Based Research Networks, is planning a symposium on Dental Practice-Based Research Networks that will be held during the 2008 FDI meeting in Stockholm.  The symposium, to be jointly sponsored with FDI, will feature an international program of speakers engaged in dental practice-based research.  

Gordon Research Conference on Bones and Teeth
Dr. Pamela Gehron Robey, chief of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, Division of Intramural Research (DIR), will chair this year’s Gordon Research Conference on Bones and Teeth, to be held July 15-20 at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine.  The conference includes sessions on epigenetics, skeletal development, dental biology, stem cell biology, osteoimmunology, metastatic bone disease, calcium and phosphate metabolism and current therapies for the treatment of bone disorders, all of which are emerging areas of relevance to skeletal homeostasis in health and disease.  The conference is supported jointly by NIDCR and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. 

Previous Meetings:
International Association for Dental Research (IADR) Meeting
During the 85th General Session of the IADR held in New Orleans in March, NIDCR staff organized the following activities:
• A symposium on the role of dental schools in the NIH Roadmap Clinical and Translational Science Awards
• A symposium on the Practice-Based Research Networks
• A presentation on NIDCR Small Research Grants for Data Analysis and Statistical Methodology
• A presentation on Getting Started with Health Disparities Research: What New Investigators Need to Know 
• A workshop on The Nutrition Data System for Research with Fluoride: A New Software for Assessing Fluoride Intake
• An NIDCR trainees poster session, attended by 58 students and career awardees
• An Essentials in Grant Writing workshop, attended by more than 100 people
• A presentation on NIDCR Research Training and Career Development Opportunities 
• A presentation on Bridging the Biological and Material Science Disciplines to Build the Tooth

American Dental Association (ADA) Dental Students’ Conference on Research
Dr. Kevin Hardwick, chief of the Research Training and Career Development Branch, together with Dr. Deborah Philp, director of the DIR Office of Education, attended the ADA Students’ Conference on Research, held April 15-17 at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD.  Dr. Hardwick gave an overview of NIDCR’s research priorities and extramural training opportunities.  Dr. Philp discussed intramural research opportunities.

Gordon Research Conference on Salivary Glands and Exocrine Secretion
NIDCR and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases cosponsored the 2007 Gordon Research Conference on Salivary Glands and Exocrine Secretion, held February 11-16 in Ventura, CA.  The conference brought together investigators to discuss groundbreaking discoveries in salivary, lacrimal and pancreatic biology, including molecular mechanisms underlying glandular development and secretion, development of salivary stem cells and proteomic approaches on salivary secretion, and signalplexes, platforms and transport processes in epithelia.

Dr. Kenneth Yamada, chief of the Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, DIR, presented the keynote lecture at the conference.  His presentation entitled “Molecular and Cellular Dynamics in Salivary Gland Development," described recent advances by his laboratory and opportunities for future research.   Dr. Lillian Shum, director of the Mineralized Tissue and Salivary Gland Physiology Program, presented the NIDCR initiative on “A Systems Approach to Salivary Gland Biology” and updated the research community on the new NIH Roadmap Initiatives for 2008.

Dissemination and Implementation Research Workshop: Harnessing Science to Maximize Health
The videocast of the “Dissemination and Implementation Research Technical Assistance Meeting,” held March 26 on the NIH campus, is now available.  This trans-NIH initiative in which NIDCR participates, encourages innovative approaches to overcome barriers to the adoption of evidence-based interventions. Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, director of NIDCR’s Health Disparities Research Program, participated in the workshop.

Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials
Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom served as program chair for the May 2007 Annual Meeting of the Society for Clinical Trials, which was held in Montreal. 

National Oral Health Conference
NIDCR staff members gave several presentations at the National Oral Health Conference, held April 30-May 2 in Denver.  Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer spoke about “NIDCR and NIH Community-Based Initiatives: Opportunities for Health Disparities Research” as part of a workshop on health promotion-related funding opportunities.  She also discussed an “Introduction to NHANES: New Measures for Oral Health Quality of Life, and Latest Trends, 1999-2004: A Panel Discussion.”  As part of the pre-conference workshop, Dr. Maria Canto, director of the Epidemiology and Health Promotion Research Program, moderated and spoke about “Health Promotion Research: NIDCR/NIH Funding Opportunities.” The National Oral Health Conference is sponsored by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

American Pain Society Meeting
Dr. John Kusiak, director of the Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Program, spoke at a symposium on “New Investigator Guide to the NIH Grant Process, Training Programs, and Funding Opportunities” at the 26th annual meeting of the American Pain Society, held May 2-5 in Washington, D.C., The NIDCR Director gave the keynote address at this meeting (see Activities of the NIDCR Director).

Tissue Engineering Meetings
Dr. Nadya Lumelsky, director of the Tissue Engineering and Dental and Craniofacial Regenerative Medicine Program, recently participated in several tissue engineering meetings:
• A workshop on “Stem Cell Research for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering” that she helped plan was held February 1-2 at the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The workshop was organized by the NSF, NIH, and the Multi-Agency Tissue Engineering Science (MATES) Interagency Working Group.
• A workshop on “The Future of Tissue Engineering and How to Get There” that she co-chaired at the Keystone Symposium on Tissue Engineering and Developmental Biology, was held April 12-17 in Snowbird, UT.
• A conference on Tissue Engineering Evaluation Criteria for Musculoskeletal Tissue Repair, was held April 26-29 in Hilton Head, SC. Dr. Lumelsky gave a talk about the goals and priorities of the tissue engineering programs at NIDCR, NIBIB, and NIAMS.
• At the Research Summit of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), held May 16-17, in Rosemont, IL, she presented a keynote address and discussed the overall goals and specific areas of interest of NIDCR’s Tissue Engineering and Dental and Craniofacial Regenerative Medicine Research Program.

Slides and Audio Available from NIH Conference on Understanding and Reducing Health Disparities: Contributions from the Behavioral and Social Sciences
The audio and slides from this behavioral and social sciences conference, held October 23-24 on the NIH campus, are now available.

Other Meetings Attended by NIDCR Staff:
14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections
ADEA taskforce meeting on Diagnostic Coding for Dentistry
Advances and Challenges in Aerodigestive Epiethelial Cancer: Genetics, Diagnosis, and Therapy
American Association of the Colleges of Pharmacy Conference
Current TMJ Research Workshop (sponsored by the Forsyth Institute and the Jaw Joints & Allied Musculo-Skeletal Disorders Foundation)
Expanding the Chemical Space for Carbohydrates: Synthetic Strategies, High Throughput Technologies & Standards
Gordon Research Conference on Cartilage Biology and Pathology
New York Academy of Sciences discussion group on “Active Resolution of Inflammation: A Promising and Innovative Therapeutic Approach”
NIH Clinical Trials Networks Meeting

RESEARCH TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT UPDATE

New Program Announcement
Dental School Joint DDS or DMD/Masters Degree NRSA Research Training Program (T32)
This program, which increases opportunities for dental students to participate in research, was developed from an idea proposed by the NADCRC.

Outreach Activities
Over the past few months, Dr. Kevin Hardwick, chief of the Research Training and Career Development Branch, was involved in several outreach activities.  He participated in the University of Puerto Rico’s Annual Research and Education Forum that included all health professions schools on the academic health science center campus.  He presented a keynote plenary talk on “Oral Health Research: Emerging Science” and met with faculty, students, K awardees, and potential training applicants at the School of Dentistry.  He also visited the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio on April 18 and spoke at the dental school’s annual Dental Science Symposium. 

Dr. Albert Avila, extramural training officer, visited the dental schools at Loma Linda University, University of Southern California, and the University of California, Los Angeles, where he met with dental students, research students, postdocs and faculty members.  He presented information about NIDCR scientific initiatives and NIH and NIDCR opportunities for research training and career development.  In addition, he met individually with other faculty and research trainees to discuss issues and opportunities in depth.

Highlights
NIDCR K22 awardee Xiaofeng Zhou (K22-DE014847) was the lead author of a paper that reported proof of principle success with two signatures comprised of genes that are broadly known to be involved in tumor metastasis.  The publication was highlighted in a December 11 Science News in Brief on the NIDCR website.

In addition, since moving to the University of Illinois at Chicago for the faculty phase of his K22 award, Dr. Zhou is the corresponding author of a new manuscript accepted for publication: 
Ye H, Pungpravat N, Huang BL, Muzio LL, Mariggiò MA, Chen Z, Wong DT, Zhou X. Genomic assessments of the frequent LOH region on 8p22-p21.3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 2007. (accepted for publication).

Other recent publications from K22 awardees include:
Tseng AS, Adams DS, Qiu D, Koustubhan P, Levin M. Apoptosis is required during early stages of tail regeneration in Xenopus laevis. Dev Biol. 2007 Jan 1;301(1):62-9.
 
Brickhouse TH, Rozier RG, Slade GD. The effect of two publicly funded insurance programs on use of dental services for young children. Health Serv Res. 2006 Dec;41(6):2033-53.

Gyurko R, Siqueira CC, Caldon N, Gao L, Kantarci A, Van Dyke TE. Chronic hyperglycemia predisposes to exaggerated inflammatory response and leukocyte dysfunction in Akita mice. J Immunol. 2006 Nov 15;177(10):7250-6.

Jabra-Rizk MA, Shirtliff M, James C, Meiller T. Effect of farnesol on Candida dubliniensis biofilm formation and fluconazole resistance. FEMS Yeast Res. 2006 Nov;6(7):1063-73.

Kang MK, Kim RH, Kim SJ, Yip FK, Shin KH, Dimri GP, Christensen R, Han T, Park NH. Elevated Bmi-1 expression is associated with dysplastic cell transformation during oral carcinogenesis and is required for cancer cell replication and survival. Br J Cancer. 2007 Jan 15;96(1):126-33.

Wu H, Bu S, Newell P, Chen Q, Fives-Taylor P. Two gene determinants are differentially involved in the biogenesis of Fap1 precursors in Streptococcus parasanguis.  J Bacteriol. 2007 Feb;189(4):1390-8.

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Responses to Request for Applications
Building the Tooth: Bridging Biology and Material Sciences. (Limited Competition)[U54]
This initiative, which invites Specialized Center-Cooperative Agreement (U54) applications to establish a national center focused on Building a Tooth by Bridging Biology and Material Sciences (BTBBMS), was a limited competition among the three investigators who were supported by a P20.  Applications were due January 29, 2007; their review was completed on April 5.  

Professional Activities
Dr. Kousvelari organized and chaired the annual meeting of the NIDCR U01 grantees of “The Human Salivary Proteome Project.”  The meeting was held February 7-8 in San Diego, CA.

CENTER FOR INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES

New Requests for Applications
A Systems Approach to Salivary Gland Biology (R01)

NIDCR Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award in a Systems Approach to Salivary Gland Biology (K25)

Oral Mucosal Vaccination Against HIV Infection (R01)

Oral Mucosal Vaccination Against HIV Infection (R21)

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

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG) (R01)

Notice
Administrative Supplements for Making Knockout Mice

The trans-NIH Knockout Mouse Project (KOMP) announces the opportunity for investigators to apply for administrative supplements to have mouse knockouts made from existing mutant embryonic stem (ES) cell resources available from both the public and private sectors.

Salivary Gland Tumor Bio-Repositories
In collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, NIDCR arranged a first organizational meeting to discuss the status of the salivary gland tumor bio-repositories.  The goal of the meeting, held March 1, was to identify a core of investigators who would participate in identifying, cataloguing, and storing research materials linked to diagnostic, pathologic, treatment, and outcome data for all salivary gland tumors.   

CENTER FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH

New Requests for Applications
Centers for Research to Reduce Disparities in Oral Health (U54)
This is a competitive renewal and is open to current centers as well as to new applicants.  The alleviation of disparities in dental caries, oral and pharyngeal cancer, and periodontal disease are priorities of the initiative.  Letters of intent are due by October 15; applications are due by November 15. 

Responses to RFAs
Twenty-two proposals were received in response to the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Health Promotion Research Directed to Improving the Oral Health of Women and Their Infants (R21).  The special emphasis panel will review the proposals on May 22.

Practice Based Research Networks (PBRNs)
The three NIDCR PBRNs continue to recruit new practitioners and expand the repertoire of studies proposed and approved.  The PBRNs now include nearly 500 practitioners in 24 states and 3 countries in Scandinavia.  The following are studies in progress and have preliminary results:
• DBPRN: Caries Diagnosis and Treatment Survey
• DBPRN: Reasons for Placing the First Restoration
• DBPRN: Longitudinal Study of Dental Restorations
• PEARL: Post-Operative Hypersensitivity
• PRECEDENT: Oral Disease Prevalence Survey

The following are studies approved and awaiting implementation into PBRNs:
• DPBRN: Reasons for Replacement of Dental Restorations
• PEARL: Endodontic Treatment Outcomes
• PRECEDENT Salivary Markers in Caries Risk
• Trans-PBRN: Osteonecrosis of the Jaws

Oral Cleft Prevention Program
The initial Data Safety and Monitoring Board meeting for the Oral Cleft Prevention Program (a clinical trial) was held January 5th.  Dr. Jane Atkinson, director of the Clinical Trials Program, was the NIDCR representative to that meeting.  She also participated in a program visit February 24-28 to evaluate this trial, which is taking place in Bauru, Brazil.  She met with the local principal investigators from the five clinic sites in Brazil.  On May 1, NIDCR assumed exclusive funding for this trial, which began as part of the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research. 

Publications
Imanguli MM, Atkinson JC, Harvey KE, Hoehn GT, Ryu OK, Wu T, Kingman A, Barrett AJ, Bishop MR, Childs RW, Fowler DH, Pavlectic SZ, Hart TC. Changes in salivary proteome following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  Exp Hematol. 2007 Feb;35(2):184-92.

Baccaglini L, Atkinson JC, Patton LL, Glick M, Ficarra G, Peterson DE.  Management of oral lesions in HIV-positive patients. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2007 Mar;103 Suppl:S50.e1-S50.e23.

Atkinson JC, Imanguli MM, Challacombe S.  Immunologic Diseases. In Greenberg MS, Glick M, Ship JA. Burket’s Oral Medicine, Eleventh Edition. BD Decker, Inc. Ontario, Canada, in press.

DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH

Congressional Visit to the DIR
On January 22, Congressman Mike Castle (R-DE), author of H.R. 810, The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, toured the stem cell culture facilities of the Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch.  He and his aides were updated by branch chief  Dr. Pamela Gehron Robey on progress in using post-natal bone marrow stromal cells for bone regeneration.  Dr. Robey also highlighted the differences between human embryonic and post-natal stem cells and the need to study both populations to advance their use in regenerative medicine. 

Board of Scientific Counselors Retreat
The NIDCR Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) held a retreat December 6-7, 2006, which was attended by the NIDCR Director, the scientific director, and BSC executive secretary.  The meeting was devoted to a discussion of all aspects of the review process, including information provided for review to the BSC and ad hoc reviewers, site visit procedures, format and content of reports, and criteria for evaluating individual research programs.  Working from a draft initially developed by the scientific director in consultation with the intramural investigators, members of the BSC discussed critical issues for oversight of intramural research and developed final procedures. 

2007 NIDCR Summer Dental Student Award Selections
Twelve students from dental schools across the U.S. have been selected as recipients of the 2007 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, University of California at San Francisco School of Dentistry, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Howard University College of Dentistry, Meharry Medical College, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and University of Texas Health Science Center- Dental Branch at Houston.  

Dr. Mark Hoon Appointed as a Tenure Track Investigator
Mark A. Hoon, Ph.D., has been appointed as a tenure track Investigator, effective December 24, 2006.  Dr. Hoon is head of the Molecular Genetics Unit in the Laboratory of Sensory Biology.  He joined the NIH in 1992 as a visiting fellow in the Taste and Smell Unit, in the then Laboratory of Immunology, NIDR.  While working there, he made important contributions to discoveries about the molecular mechanisms of taste.  Dr. Hoon has played a major role in the collaboration between this unit and Dr. Charles Zuker's group at the University of California, San Diego which has defined the cells and receptors (or candidate receptors) for 4 of the 5 taste modalities –sweet, bitter, umami and sour.  Dr. Hoon’s scientific interests focus on understanding sensation, from the mechanism of reception at the periphery, through the logic of neural coding in the brain to the ultimate perception and behavioral consequences. 
 
Selected Publications: 
Basile J.R., Holmbeck K., Bugge T.H., and Gutkind J.S.  MT1-MMP controls tumor-induced angiogenesis through the release of Semaphorin 4D. J. Biol. Chem., 282:6899-6905, 2007.

Cutler CM, Lee JS, Butman JA, FitzGibbon EJ, Kelly MH, Brillante BA, Feuillan P, Robey PG, DuFresne CR, Collins MT.  Long-term outcome of optic nerve encasement and optic nerve decompression in patients with fibrous dysplasia: risk factors for blindness and safety of observation. Neurosurgery. 2006 Nov;59(5):1011-7; discussion 1017-8.

Dorsam R. and Gutkind J.S. G protein-coupled receptors and cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 7:79-94, 2007.
 
Even-Ram S, Doyle AD, Conti MA, Matsumoto K, Adelstein RS, Yamada KM. Myosin IIA regulates cell motility and actomyosin-microtubule crosstalk. Nat Cell Biol. 2007;9:299-309.

Galbraith CG, Yamada KM, Galbraith JA. Polymerizing actin fibers position integrins primed to probe for adhesion sites. Science. 2007;315:992-995.

Imanguli MM, Atkinson JC, Harvey KE, Hoehn GT, Ryu OH, Wu T, Kingman A, Barrett AJ, Bishop MR, Childs RW, Fowler DH, Pavletic SZ, Hart TC.  Changes in salivary proteome following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.  Exp Hematol. 2007 Feb;35(2):184-92.

Kang KR, Kim YS, Wolff EC and Park MH.  Specificity of the deoxyhypusine hydroxylase-eIF5A interactions: Identification of amino acid residues of the enzyme required fro binding of its substrate, deoxyhypusine-containing eIF5A. J. Biol. Chem. 2007:282:8300-8 

Notkins AL. New predictors of disease. Molecules called predictive autoantibodies appear in the blood years before people show symptoms of various disorders. Tests that detected these molecules could warn of the need to take preventive action. Scientific American. 2007 Mar;296(3):72-9.
 
Ong HL, Cheng KT, Liu X, Bandyopadhyay BC, Paria BC, Soboloff J, Pani B, Gwack Y, Srikanth S, Singh BB, Gill D, Ambudkar IS. Dynamic Assembly of TRPC1-STIM1-Orai1 Ternary Complex Is Involved in Store-operated Calcium Influx: evidence for similarities in store-operated and calcium-release-activated channel components. J Biol Chem. 2007, 282(12):9105-16.

Ong HL, Liu X, Sharma A, Hegde RS, Ambudkar IS. Intracellular Ca(2+) release via the ER translocon activates store-operated calcium entry. Pflugers Arch. 2007, 453(6):797-808.
 
Pareek TK, Keller J, Kesavapany S, Agarwal N, Kuner R, Pant HC, Iadarola MJ, Brady RO, Kulkarni AB. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 modulates nociceptive signaling through direct phosphorylation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007;104(2):660-665

Peng G, Greenwell-Wild T, Nares S, Jin W, Lei KJ, Rangel ZG, Munson PJ, Wahl SM. Myeloid differentiation and susceptibility to HIV-1 are linked to APOBEC3 expression. Blood. 2007 Mar 19; [Epub ahead of print]

Song, H., Zhang, J., Chiang, Y. J., Siraganian, R.P. and Hodes, R.J.:  Redundancy in B cell developmental pathways: c-Cbl inactivation rescues early B cell development through a BLNK-independent pathway. Journal of Immunology 178:926-935, 2007.

Tan W., Martin D., and Gutkind J.S. The Galpha13-Rho signaling axis is required for SDF-1 induced migration through CXCR4. J. Biol. Chem., 281:39542-39549, 2006.

Tran SD, Kodama S, Lodde BM, Szalayova I, Key S, Khalili S, Faustman DL, Mezey E.  Reversal of Sjögren's-like syndrome in non-obese diabetic mice. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006 Dec 19; [Epub ahead of print]

Wahl SM. Transforming growth factor-beta: innately bipolar. Current Opinion Immunology. 2007 Feb;19(1):55-62.

Warburton G, Nikitakis NG, Roberson P, Marinos NJ, Wu T, Sauk JJ Jr, Ord RA, Wahl SM. Histopathological and lymphangiogenic parameters in relation to lymph node metastasis in early stage oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007 Mar;65(3):475-84.

COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES

News Releases and Science Updates
Since the last NADCRC meeting, Office of Communications and Health Education (OCHE) staff produced eight summaries of recent oral health research findings.  Staff also wrote a news release titled "Salivary Diagnostic Device Shows Promise," (see Science Advances) which reports on a portable test that in minutes measures proteins in saliva that may indicate a developing disease in the mouth or possibly elsewhere in the body.  Visit the NIDCR web site to read the latest "Science News in Brief" summaries and news releases.

Inside Scoop Interview 
OCHE staff also produced a "Q&A" interview for the Inside Scoop section of the web site.  The interview with NIDCR's Dr. Bruce Baum (in addition, see item about Dr. Baum in Personnel Update) focuses on his research efforts to discover whether gene transfer might help restore adequate salivary flow in salivary glands damaged by radiation treatment for cancer.  After more than a decade of systematically working out the science of gene transfer to the salivary glands, Baum and colleagues are ready to move the science into the clinic. See this and other NIDCR Inside Scoop interviews.  

NIDCR Science Writer Honored
Bob Kuska, who writes the science summaries, news releases and Inside Scoop interviews, was recently honored with an NIH Plain Language Award.  He was recognized for a 2006 news release titled "Studies Evaluate Health Effects of Dental Amalgam Fillings in Children," which reported on the results of the first-ever randomized clinical trials to evaluate the safety of placing amalgam fillings in the teeth of children.  The NIH Plain Language Awards recognize writers who develop products of exceptional clarity and focus.

Exhibits
Since the last meeting of the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council, OCHE exhibited and distributed NIDCR patient and health professional education materials at the following meetings:

• Southwest Dental Conference in Dallas, January 17-20
• Hinman Dental Conference in Atlanta, March 14-17
• National Head Start Association annual conference in San Antonio, April 18-20
• Office of Head Start Hispanic and Emergent Population Institute in San Antonio, April 19-20
• National Oral Health Conference/Special Care Dentistry Association Joint Meeting in Denver, May 1-4

NIDCR materials were also displayed at the Sjogren’s Syndrome National Patient Conference in Reston, Va., April 20-21, and in San Diego, Phoenix, San Antonio and Atlanta as part of the 2007 Celebra la Vida con Salud (Hispanic health fair tour) from April 21 – June 3.  Upcoming fairs in Denver and Boston will complete the spring Hispanic health fair schedule.

Jackson Medical Mall
OCHE is supplying oral health education materials to the new NIH Health Information Center that opened in October at the Jackson Medical Mall in Jackson, Miss.  An off-shoot of the NIH Public Trust Initiative, the center was developed after NIH representatives met with Jackson residents in early 2006 to discuss how people in the area viewed participating in NIH research studies. The center features health information materials from many of NIH’s 27 institutes and centers.

Special Olympics Special Smiles
NIDCR’s partnership with Special Olympics Special Smiles is now in its fourth year and continues to thrive.  This collaboration began in 2004 with the launch of NIDCR’s Practical Oral Care for People with Developmental Disabilities, a series of publications designed to equip dental professionals in the community with the basic information they need to deliver quality oral health care to people with special needs. 

To help reach this target audience, NIDCR partnered with the Special Smiles program, a component of Special Olympics aimed at increasing the number of dental professionals willing to serve people with developmental disabilities.  Special Smiles encourages community dentists and dental hygienists to volunteer their time conducting screenings at local Special Olympics events in an effort to break down the barriers that too often prevent dentists from treating this population.  In 2006, the Special Smiles program conducted dental screenings at 96 Special Olympics venues throughout the United States and distributed over 4,000 sets of Practical Oral Care materials to volunteer dentists and dental hygienists. 

PERSONNEL UPDATE

Dr. Bruce J. Baum Receives IADR Award
Dr. Bruce J. Baum, chief of NIDCR's Gene Transfer Section, Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch, received the Oral Medicine & Pathology Award from the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) in March.  The award is one of the Distinguished Scientist Awards given annually by the IADR and represents the highest honor the association can bestow.  Dr. Baum was cited for his major scientific contributions to research on the pathogenesis and management of salivary glands and related medical disorders.  See an interview with Dr. Baum.
 
Dr. R. Dwayne Lunsford Named Head of NIDCR's Microbiology Program
R. Dwayne Lunsford, Ph.D., recently joined NIDCR's extramural program as director of the Microbiology Program, Center for Integrative Biology and Infectious Diseases.  Dr. Lunsford is a nationally recognized molecular microbiologist with over 15 years experience in the genetics and physiology of human bacterial pathogens, particularly those involving the oral cavity and community acquired pathogens.  From 1992-1997 he was a senior staff fellow in NIDCR's intramural program. He then left NIH for a position at GlaxoSmithKline.  In the private sector he was involved in new target identification for antibacterial drug discovery, biological and genetic support for target-to-lead compound development, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessment of antibiotic dosing regimens, mammalian molecular biology, and scientific team management in both large and small pharmaceutical companies. 


Dr. Alice Horowitz Retires
Dr. Alice Horowitz, a health education specialist who joined the NIDCR in 1976, retired in February, ending a career of 31 years at the Institute.  Dr. Horowitz' research contributed extensively to the knowledge base of key dental diseases and oral conditions, with a focus on health promotion, health education, disease prevention and early diagnosis.  She was instrumental in managing a number of consensus development conferences, the most recent of which included the management and diagnosis of dental caries across the life span. Her work in early diagnosis and prevention of oral cancer created new survey instruments and educational materials, and was the impetus for state-wide models for oral cancer prevention.  Dr. Horowitz served as the NIDCR lead for the Healthy People 2010 national objectives, and through collaborative work with the DHHS Office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and with the Surgeon General, she played a major role in the progress review reports for the Surgeon General and Assistant Secretary for Health.  Most recently, the focus of her work was health literacy.  She took the lead in developing a research agenda for oral health literacy, founded the NIH Interest Group on Health Literacy, and contributed to the development of currently active Program Announcements on this topic.  In addition to her research, Dr. Horowitz served as NIDCR's liaison to numerous organizations and routinely mentored dental public health residents and visiting scientists from all over the world.  Her contributions have been recognized by federal, professional and voluntary organizations domestically and internationally.  These include, among others, the NIH Director's award, the Surgeon General's exemplary medal and most recently, the American Association of Public Health Dentistry's President's award, and Honorary Diplomate status of the American Board of Dental Public Health. 

Dr. Patricia Bryant Retires
Dr. Patricia Bryant, program director of the Basic and Applied Behavioral/Social Science Research Program and a psychologist, Center for Clinical Research, retired in March, ending a 30-year career as a health scientist administrator with the NIDCR.  Dr. Bryant joined the institute at the very beginning of the emergence of the introduction of behavioral and social sciences into the then “NIDR” research portfolio.  She was the driving force within the extramural research program area in nurturing and managing grant applications and awards in this field.  Together with Dr. Lois Cohen, Dr. Bryant and others co-authored sentinel books on the state-of-the-science of social sciences in dentistry and set the stage for bringing together the many disciplines comprising the social and behavioral sciences with those already active in addressing oral health conditions.  Her more recent efforts focused on integrating the behavioral sciences with basic biomedical research, with a focus on assessing the effects of stress on oral and craniofacial diseases and conditions.  One of many examples of Dr. Bryant's work includes her involvement with the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research's initiative on Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, a system aimed at facilitating measures of functioning across disease categories.  Her research portfolio was extremely diverse and included studies related to tobacco cessation, temporomandibular muscle and joint disorders, and quality of life studies, among others.   In addition, Dr. Bryant served as the NIDCR liaison to many NIH and PHS committees and was a major contributor to the overall scientific agenda of the NIDCR throughout her career.  Dr. Bryant was recognized by federal and professional organizations for her work. 

Dr. Rosemarie Hunziker Takes New Position at NIH
Dr. Rosemarie Hunziker, former director of the Technology Development and Industrial Relations Program, left the NIDCR in January 2007 and joined the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering.    A search is currently underway to recruit a replacement.

Dr. Martin Kriete Takes New Position at NIH
Martin Kriete, D.V.M., left the NIDCR after ten years of service as the Institute animal program director to assume a new position at NIH in the Comparative Medicine Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.  During his NIDCR tenure, the Veterinary Research Core in Building 30 was renovated and is now one of the premier facilities within the NIH.  Dr. Kriete helped create and implement numerous Animal Care and Use Protocols and Standard Operating Procedures and facilitated the use of animal research within the Institute.  A nationwide search has been initiated to identify a new animal program director.