13th Edition: September 30, 2005

NIDCR Invites Comments on Draft Implementation Plan
We are pleased to announce that the steps NIDCR will take to achieve the goals identified in our Strategic Plan are now available. We invite your comments on this draft Implementation Plan through October 31, 2005.

NIDCR will finalize the Implementation Plan in late 2005 and submit it for approval by the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council in January 2006.

Reorganization of NIDCR’s Extramural Programs
The reorganization of NIDCR’s extramural programs has been approved by the Office of the Director, NIH. As of October 1, extramural programs are now organized within the following Centers:

*Center for Integrative Craniofacial Research – Acting Director, Dr. Ann Sandberg

*Center for Biotechnology and Innovation – Acting Director, Dr. Eleni Kousvelari

*Center for Infectious Diseases and Immunology – Acting Director, Dr. Dennis Mangan

*Center for Clinical Research – Acting Director, Dr. Bruce Pihlstrom

*Center for Health Promotion and Behavioral Research – Acting Director, Dr. Dushanka Kleinman

Also see a list of contacts by research area. 

NIDCR’s Practice-Based Research Networks Launch Websites
Last March, NIDCR awarded three seven-year grants totaling $75 million to establish practice-based research networks that investigate with greater scientific rigor everyday issues in the delivery of oral healthcare. The impetus behind the networks is the frequent lack of research data to guide treatment decisions in the dentist’s office. Each regional network will conduct approximately 15 to 20 short-term clinical studies over the next seven years, comparing the benefits of different dental procedures, dental materials, and prevention strategies under a range of patient and clinical conditions.  See additional information about the practice-based research networks.

In addition, see the networks’ web sites:
*Practitioners Engaged in Applied and Research and Learning (PEARL) Network (administered by the New York University College of Dentistry)

*Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) (administered by the University of Alabama at Birmingham)

*Northwest PRECEDENT (administered by the University of Washington)

NIDCR Announces Availability of Research Materials Through the NIDCR Temporomandibular Joint Implant Registry and Repository
NIDCR has announced the availability of clinical data, retrieved implants, and biological specimens through its Temporomandibular Joint Implant Registry and Repository (TIRR):
The materials, which are available to basic and clinical researchers, will help in understanding the pathology of TMJD and provide information for the development of new TMJ implants.

Dr. Rita Colwell to Deliver Barmes Lecture
Dr. Rita Colwell, former Director of the National Science Foundation, will deliver the 2005 NIH David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture on November 15 at 3:30 p.m. on the NIH campus. Dr. Colwell is currently Distinguished University Professor at the Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University of Maryland. Her talk is entitled, “Global Climate, Environmental Pathogens, and Human Health: a New Paradigm.” The NIDCR and the Fogarty International Center jointly sponsor the annual Barmes Lecture. See the Barmes lecture web cast. 

NIDCR Grantee Receives Prestigious Award
Dr. Paul Yager, a NIDCR grantee and scientist at the University of Washington, recently was awarded a $15.4 million grant from the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative to develop a small, easy-to-use device to test for health conditions common in developing countries. These conditions include various bacterial infections, nutritional status, and HIV-related diseases. Dr. Yager and colleagues envision that health care workers would load a small blood sample onto a disposable test card, about the size of a credit card, which would contain all of the necessary test reagents. The test would be inserted into a small device, and the results would be available in 10 minutes. Launched in 2003, the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in partnership with NIH, to harness the power of science and technology to dramatically improve health in the world’s poorest nations. In addition to the above-mentioned blood-based test, Dr. Yager continues to receive support from NIDCR’s Center for Biotechnology and Innovation to develop a portable, hand-held device for saliva-based diagnostic tests.

Job Opening
NIDCR has a job opening for a health scientist administrator in its Division of Clinical Research and Health Promotion (now the Center for Clinical Research).

Surgeon General Issues Health Tips for “Year of the Healthy Child”
As part of “The Year of the Healthy Child,” U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., has issued a series of “Healthy Dozen” health tips for mothers, toddlers and fathers, including tips on oral health. For example, one tip is “Encourage good oral health. Cavities are the second-most common chronic disease among U.S. children. Supervise your child’s toothbrushing twice a day with a soft toothbrush. As he or she gets older, teach your child to floss and brush his or her teeth unsupervised. Talk with your dentist about fluoride and dental sealants. Make sure your child has dental appointments on a regular basis, and learn dental emergency care.” Reference was made to health information on the NIDCR web site.

Healthy People 2010 Activities Undergo Mid-Course Review
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Federal agencies, and other experts are conducting a mid-course review of Healthy People 2010. The purpose of the review is to assess data trends during the first half of the decade, consider new science and available data, and make changes to ensure that Healthy People 2010 remains current, accurate, and relevant. The NIDCR, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Indian Health Service, as well as the Office of the Secretary, are responsible for reviewing the Oral Health focus area. The draft of the Oral Health focus area was made available for public review for a 30-day period, beginning August 15.  Public comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the draft prior to final approval of the document.

2005 NIH Director's Pioneer Award Recipients Announced
On September 29, NIH Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., named 13 new recipients of the NIH Director's Pioneer Award (NDPA).  The NDPA supports individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose pioneering approaches to major contemporary challenges in biomedical research.  See information about the Pioneer Award Program, including the press release announcing the winners.

NIH Roadmap Grants Establish Nine Screening Centers in Seven States
NIH is awarding $88.9 million in grants to nine institutions over three years to establish a collaborative research network that will use high-tech screening methods to identify small molecules that can be used as research tools. Certain small organic chemical compounds, also referred to as small molecules, can be valuable tools for understanding the many important cellular events involved in health and disease, which is key to identifying possible new targets for diagnosis, treatment and prevention. To date, most useful small molecules have been found serendipitously. The molecular libraries screening program is an effort by NIH to take an efficient, high-throughput approach toward the discovery of many more useful compounds.

Meeting Held on NIH Roadmap Interdisciplinary Research Consortium Program
On September 19, NIH sponsored a meeting on the NIH Roadmap Interdisciplinary Research Consortium Program to enable potential applicants to ask questions about the program. As part of the NIH Roadmap, more than $36 million was awarded over three years to fund 21 Exploratory Centers for Interdisciplinary Research. NIH intends to announce a follow-on program for Interdisciplinary Research Consortia in FY 2007.  See the web cast of the meeting on the Interdisciplinary Research Consortium Program. 

Metabolomics Standards Workshop Held
NIH and the Metabolomics Society sponsored a Metabolomics Standards Workshop on August 1-2, 2005 in Bethesda, MD. See the web cast of the metabolomics standards workshop.