Dear Colleagues:
As part of the NIH and NIDCR budget planning process, each year we identify research initiatives for three years forward. In developing these initiatives, we rely on input from our scientists, scientific advisory boards and extramural community. We also invite input from the public.
What are Initiatives?
"Initiatives" are a vehicle used by the Institutes and Centers to showcase future research goals to NIH, the Department of Health and Human Services, and Congress. Our initiative development process first involves the identification of broad research themes; subsequently, specific initiatives within the themes are proposed. The areas we have identified for FY 2006 are listed below.
How can you provide input?
Please note that NIDCR staff team leaders and contacts for each of the areas are listed under each heading. Please contact the team leaders directly if you would like to respond to a specific initiative. If you have additional suggestions about the process, or if you have a new initiative that you would like to suggest, please contact Dr. Isabel Garcia or (301) 594-8774. Please forward your comments to the respective team leaders listed below no later than Friday, March 19, 2004.
Proposed NIDCR FY 2006 Research Initiatives
Clinical Research on Osseointegrated Dental Implants. Research initiative would focus on various aspects related to dental implants such as the clinical performance of different osseointegrated implants, patient preferences regarding treatment outcomes, and appropriateness and effectiveness of various surgical protocols. Team Leaders/contacts: Maria T. Canto, Bruce Pihlstrom.
Research on Temporomandibular Joint and Muscle Disorders (TMJDs). Research related to TMJDs from the perspective of TMJDs as multi-symptom diseases. This research initiative would focus on the elucidation of physiological mechanisms that connect the various syndromes/co-morbid conditions (e.g., chronic fatigue, irritable bowel, cardiovascular, multiple chemical sensitivity, trigeminal neuralgia, hormonally related conditions) that accompany TMJDs. Team Leaders/contacts: Norm Braveman, John Kusiak, Patricia Bryant.
Research on Model Complex Diseases: Sjogren's Syndrome. Research to elucidate interactions among infectious agents, host predisposition and susceptibility factors and the environment in the pathogenesis of Sjogren's syndrome. Team Leaders/contacts: Bruce Baum, Eleni Kousvelari.
Bioengineering Approaches for the Regeneration of Tooth Structure. Research aimed at understanding the tooth structure and the surrounding tissues as a system with the goal of describing the directed, self-regulatory assembly of biological structures in physical and quantitative terms based on advances made in biological systems research. Team Leaders/contacts: Eleni Kousvelari, Ken Yamada, Pam Robey.
New Approaches Towards the Understanding of Complex Oral Microflora: Metagenomics. Research using approaches that study the total microbiota found in an ecological niche (metagenomics) to understand the microflora of the oral cavity. Team Leaders/contacts: Dennis Mangan, Tom Hart.
Identifying New Mechanisms Underlying Orofacial Pain. Examples of this initiative would include the role that CNS neuronal/non-neuronal cell interactions play in inflammatory/neuropathic orofacial pain. The initiative would stimulate basic studies on the role that glial cells of the CNS play in chronic pain states that could identify new mechanisms underlying chronic pain and therapies that center on new targets. Team Leaders/contacts: John Kusiak, Mike Iadarola.
HIV/AIDS: Future Opportunities and Initiatives. Research initiatives that focus on :
a) research utilizing a proteomic approach to characterize the protein profiles of the oral mucosal tissues in the context of HIV/AIDS and,
b) research to improve our understanding of the genetic basis associated with the development of AIDS-related oral complications among immunocompromised individuals including persons with HIV/AIDS . Team Leaders/contacts: Mostafa Nokta, Sharon Wahl.