The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) Clinical Research Fellowship is a two-year or greater full-time program designed to train health professionals in the latest clinical research methodologies. Qualified applicants must have an interest in dental/oral/craniofacial research and a DDS/DMD or MD/DO degree. Fellows work in the Clinical Research Core (CRC), which conducts varied clinical research projects and offers oral medicine and dental consultation services for the unique Clinical Center patient population. Clinical research fellows work in the Clinical Center (Building 10) on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland and must have U.S. or Canadian licensure. Fellowships traditionally begin on July 1st of each calendar year.
The goal of the CRC is to advance the clinical applications of laboratory research that benefit oral and systemic health. Clinical research studies are conducted that complement ongoing basic science laboratory projects. Current protocols focus on salivary proteomics, craniofacial imaging of genetic diseases, and the genetic regulation of gingival overgrowth. Patients evaluated at the Clinical Center--including those with primary immunodeficiencies, those with inherited genetic disorders that frequently affect the craniofacial structures, and those undergoing cancer therapy, --are included in CRC clinical research projects. Fellows work with investigators in the CRC, the Human Craniofacial Genetics section, as well as clinicians from other NIDCR branches and NIH institutes to carry out these studies.
The CRC also is committed to using new technologies to evaluate craniofacial structures. One example is stereo photogrammetry, which evaluates soft tissue facial features via three-dimensional images. Images from individuals with a known genetic disease can be combined to generate a "morphed" facial image. This image is compared to a morphed image from controls matched for sex and age. Comparisons of facial images and controls could evolve into a new screening method for genetic diseases. This technology will also be applied to studies of normal facial growth and development to discover how genes control craniofacial growth processes.
Fellows are provided with a generous stipend (starting at $47,000 / year for PGY1, escalating with the number of post-doctoral years experience), and may be eligible for NIH Loan Repayment Programs that pay up to an additional $35,000 / year plus a supplement for taxes. Other benefits include eligibility for the NIH-Duke Training Program in Clinical Research. The program leads to a Master of Health Sciences in Clinical Research, a professional degree awarded by the Duke University School of Medicine. If accepted, NIDCR will provide tuition for this degree. For more information contact Demetrio L. Domingo, DDS, MS, Program Coordinator, 301-594-9726, ddomingo@mail.nih.gov