Director's Report to Council: May 2009

ACTIVITIES OF THE NIDCR DIRECTOR

Since the last meeting of the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council, NIDCR Director Lawrence Tabak continued to serve as Acting Principal Deputy Director of NIH while also leading the NIDCR.  Over the past few months the NIDCR Director met with professional organizations and research associations to discuss the future of dental, oral and craniofacial research and also delivered presentations at scientific meetings.  He continued to co-chair the Research Teams of the Future component of the NIH Roadmap and the NIH-wide Pain Consortium and to serve on the NIH Scientific Management Review Board.  

Dr. Tabak held three teleconferences in February to brief constituency groups on the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  On February 17 he spoke with the American Association for Dental Research, the American Dental Association, and the American Dental Education Association to discuss the implications of ARRA for the dental research community.  On February 19 he held a teleconference with the deans and research deans of U.S. dental schools on the same topic.  He then spoke to the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council on February 25 about ARRA and its potential impact on the NIH/NIDCR budget.

On April 27-28, Dr. Tabak attended the inaugural meeting of the NIH Scientific Management Review Board (SMRB), of which he is a member.  The SMRB is made up of 9 NIH Institute/Center directors and 12 non-federal members.  Its mission is to advise the NIH Director and conduct continuous comprehensive organizational reviews of NIH, and report findings to DHHS and Congress.  During this meeting, Dr. Tabak presented a brief overview of ARRA.  He also led the discussion on the “Evolution of NIAAA and NIDA: Science, Structure, and Function.”     

Other meetings in which the NIDCR Director participated include the NIDCR Strategic Plan input session held in Bethesda, MD, on February 9.  He also attended the International Association for Dental Research/American Association for Dental Research (IADR/AADR) General Session in Miami, FL, on March 31-April 1.  While there he took part in the AADR Trainee Poster Session and met with dental students in addition to speaking at a student research forum conducted by the AADR National Student Research Group.  Later in April, the NIDCR Director attended the AADR Legislative Workshop in Washington, D.C., where he gave an update on NIDCR’s scientific progress and plans for FY2010.  In mid-May he will deliver a presentation at the Japanese Society of Periodontology on “The Role of Periodontics for Hospital and Geriatric Medicine” and at Okayama University on “The Perspectives of Dental Education and Research.”

On March 25, Dr. Tabak was interviewed about temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders by “O” Magazine for an article to be published on under-diagnosed health problems.  

Finally, the NIDCR Director will travel to Montreal on May 26-27 when he delivers the convocation address at McGill University and receives an honorary degree. 

ACTIVITIES OF THE NIDCR DEPUTY DIRECTOR

NIDCR Deputy Director Dr. Isabel Garcia continued to lead the development of NIDCR’s Strategic Plan, which is now near completion. On February 9 she convened a Strategic Plan Feedback Session attended by representatives from other federal agencies, professional dental and specialty organizations, patient advocate groups, dental education and research organizations and dental industry.  The participants reviewed the draft NIDCR Strategic Plan and made recommendations.
 
The following day Dr. Garcia participated in the Institute of Medicine’s workshop examining the Sufficiency of the U.S. Oral Health Workforce in the Coming Decade, held in Washington, D.C.

She also attended the American Dental Education Association’s annual meeting in Phoenix, AZ, where she was the invited speaker at a plenary session on gender issues held on March 15.  The title of her presentation was "Leading Change."

On April 9, the NIDCR Deputy Director gave a presentation on “Oral Health Trends and Implications for Care for the Uninsured” to health care providers and administrators of the Healthcare for the Homeless clinic in Baltimore, MD.  Healthcare for the Homeless is a federal qualified health center that provides comprehensive services to nearly 8,000 homeless Marylanders annually at clinic sites in Baltimore City, Frederick, and Montgomery County. 

Dr. Garcia then attended the National Oral Health Conference (April 15-22) in Portland, OR, and completed her final and 6th year of service as an elected member of the American Board of Dental Public Health, the certifying body of the specialty of dental public health.  She also gave a presentation on the new 2009-2013 NIDCR Strategic Plan at the NIDCR Patient Advocates Forum, held April 23 in Bethesda, MD.

On May 8, Dr. Garcia visited the University of Florida, School of Dentistry, in Gainesville, FL, where she met with selected faculty and students and spoke about dental research to members of the Alpha Omega chapter.

Dr. Garcia was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service on February 1, 2009.

BUDGET REPORT

FY 2009
The FY 2009 Appropriation provides $402.7 million for NIDCR; see the table below for the distribution by budget mechanism.  Regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), NIDCR was allotted $101.8 million, which will remain available for obligation through FY 2010.

FY 2010
The President’s Budget Request would provide $408.0 million for NIDCR.  See the table below for the distribution by budget mechanism.  View the complete NIDCR budget justification to Congress.

 

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act Funding Opportunities

NIH has announced funding opportunities that will be supported with funds made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).  For additional details, see the NIH website on ARRA funding opportunities:
http://grants.nih.gov/recovery/

Also see NIDCR's ARRA website:
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Recovery/

Specifically, ARRA funds will be allocated for:

Challenge Grants
NIH has designated at least $200 million in FYs 2009-2010 for a new initiative called the NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research. The grants will support research on topics that address specific scientific and health research challenges in biomedical and behavioral research that would benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds.  The application due date for these grants was April 27, 2009.  NIH anticipates funding 200 or more grants, each of up to $1 million in total costs, pending the number and quality of applications and availability of funds. In addition, Recovery Act funds allocated to NIH specifically for comparative effectiveness research (CER) may be available to support additional grants. 

See NIDCR-specific Challenge Topics

Grand Opportunities ("GO") Grants
NIH has established a new program, Research and Research Infrastructure "Grand Opportunities" (known as the "GO" program), to support projects that address large, specific biomedical and biobehavioral research endeavors that will benefit from significant 2-year jumpstart funds.  The research should have high short-term impact, and a high likelihood of enabling growth and investment in biomedical research and development, public health, and health care delivery.  Applications are due May 29, 2009.

See NIDCR's areas of scientific priority for the "GO" initiative

New Faculty Recruitment to Enhance Research Resources through Biomedical Research Core Centers (P30)
NIH invites applications from U.S academic institutions/organizations to support the hiring of newly-recruited faculty to develop research projects within the context of Biomedical Core Centers.  For this announcement, a Biomedical Core Center is defined as a community of multidisciplinary researchers focusing on areas of biomedical research relevant to NIH, such as centers, departments, programs, and/or trans-departmental collaborations or consortia.  Only U.S. dental training institutions are eligible to apply to NIDCR for this award.  NIDCR expects to make 4-7 awards and to devote up to $10 million in direct costs over a period of 2 years to the P30 program.   Applications are due May 29, 2009. 

See NIDCR guidelines for the P30 initiative

Construction Grants to Build New or Improve Existing Research Facilities
$1 billion of the funds provided to NIH under the Recovery Act will be allocated for federal awards to institutions seeking to construct, renovate, or repair biomedical or behavioral research facilities.  The National Center for Research Resources, a part of NIH, will administer these grants.  Funding will be awarded using two categories of facility construction and improvement grants:

Core Facility, Renovation, Repair and Improvement
Extramural Research Facilities Improvement Program

Shared Instrumentation Grants
$300 million will be allocated to shared instrumentation grants to facilitate the purchase of research equipment that will enable scientists and researchers to complete their critical work. 

See:
Recovery Act Limited Competition: High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (S10)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-118.html

Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (S10)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-028.html

Administrative Supplements
On March 18, NIH announced that Recovery Act funds for administrative supplements will be made available to
investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with active NIH research grants for the purpose of accelerating the tempo of scientific research on active grants.  Applications are due June 1, 2009.

See NIDCR Guidelines for Administrative Supplements Using Recovery Act Funds

Competitive Revision Applications
Recovery Act Funds also will be made available to investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with active NIH-supported research project grants (including SBIR and STTR) to submit revision applications (formerly termed competitive supplements).  The purpose of a Competitive Revision is to add scientifically-related components that significantly expand the scope of the project.  In addition, Recovery Act funds allocated to NIH specifically for comparative effectiveness research (CER) may be available to support supplements.  Applications were due April 21, 2009.

See NIDCR Guidelines for Competitive Revision Applications Using Recovery Act Funds

Administrative Supplements Providing Summer Research Experiences for Students and Science Educators
Investigators and U.S. institutions/organizations with active NIH research grants may request administrative supplements for the purpose of providing summer research experiences.  The aim of these supplements is to encourage students to seriously pursue research careers in the health related sciences, as well as provide elementary, middle school, and high school teachers, community college faculty, and faculty from non-research intensive institutions with short term research experiences in NIH-funded laboratories.  Applications to NIDCR for these supplements were due April 15, 2009.

See NIDCR Guidelines for Administrative Supplements Providing Summer Research Experiences for Students and Science Educators

Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)
The purpose of this award is to stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation's research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of NIH support.  AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH programs, to contribute to the Nation's biomedical and behavioral research effort.  AREA grants are intended to support small-scale health-related research projects proposed by faculty members of eligible, domestic institutions.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-007.html

Enabling National Networking of Scientists and Resource Discovery (U24) 
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to develop, enhance, or extend infrastructure for connecting people and resources to facilitate national discovery of individuals and of scientific resources by scientists and students to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific exchange.  A national prototype must be operational at the end of the project period.  A diversity of institutions must be included to ensure broad applicability and national impact. These could include institutions of varying sizes and levels of existing infrastructure; urban, suburban, and rural settings; and racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity.
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-09-009.html

NIH Fiscal Policy for Grant Awards -- FY 2009
On March 18, NIH issued guidance about the NIH Fiscal Operations Plan for FY 2009 and implementation of the Omnibus appropriation that provided NIH with $30.4 billion.  See additional details about non-competing research awards, competing research awards, and Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-066.html

Also see the Notice of Legislative Mandates in Effect for FY 2009:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-070.html

Announcing the FY 2009 NIH Director's Bridge Awards
The NIH Director's Bridge Awards provide continued but limited bridge funding for meritorious investigators who just miss the funding cutoff and have minimal support from other sources. The continued funding will permit the principal investigator additional time to strengthen a resubmission application.  See the latest updates and expansions to this award:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-068.html

NIH Public Access Policy is Now Permanent
NIH issued a Notice on March 19 stating that the NIH Public Access Policy remains a legislative mandate for FY 2009 and beyond.  All investigators funded by the NIH must submit or have submitted for them to the National Library of Medicine's PubMed Central an electronic version of their final, peer-reviewed manuscripts upon acceptance for publication, to be made publicly available no later than 12 months after the official date of publication.
The Notice is available at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-071.html

Also see the NIH Public Access Policy website:
http://publicaccess.nih.gov/

Stem Cell Research Barrier Removed
On March 9, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Order (EO) entitled "Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells" that  changes the way NIH can support and conduct human stem cell research. The HHS Secretary, through the NIH Director, is required to review existing NIH and other widely-recognized guidelines on human stem cell research and issue new NIH guidance within 120 days.

For additional details, see:

• Notice inviting public comment on the draft stem cell guidelines:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-086.html
• Implementation of Executive Order on Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells:
  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-085.html
• NIH Stem Cell Information website:
  http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/

NIH Clinical and Translational Science Consortium Grows to 39 Members
NIH has announced that the University of Cincinnati will become the 39th member of its Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) consortium.   This national network of medical research institutions is working together to accelerate the process of turning laboratory discoveries into treatments for patients, to engage communities in clinical research efforts, and to train the next generation of clinical and translational researchers. 

A fifth funding opportunity announcement for CTSAs is available; applications are due October 14, 2009 and awards are expected to be made in July 2010. 

Governor Kathleen Sebelius Confirmed as HHS Secretary
Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is the new Secretary of Health and Human Services. Her nomination was confirmed by the Senate on April 28, 2009. Time Magazine named her one of the nation’s top five governors in 2005. Sebelius served as Governor of Kansas since 2003.  In addition she was a member of the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee and co-chair of the National Governors Association’s initiative, Securing a Clean Energy Future. She also is the immediate past chair of the Education Commission of the States and past chair of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA).

Dr. Howard Koh Nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS
President Barack Obama has nominated Dr. Howard Koh, the Harvey V. Fineberg Professor of the Practice of Public Health at Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), to be assistant secretary for health, HHS.  The assistant secretary for health is responsible for the major health agencies, including NIH, the CDC, and FDA, and is the leading health advisor to the Secretary of HHS.  Dr. Koh has served as the principal investigator of multiple research grants related to community-based participatory research, cancer prevention, health disparities, tobacco control, and emergency preparedness.  He also is director of the HSPH Center for Public Health Preparedness, and previously served as Commissioner of Public Health for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1997-2003.    

NIH Pain Consortium to Host 2009 Symposium:  Advances in Pain Research
On May 26 on the NIH campus, the NIH Pain Consortium will hold its fourth annual symposium, “Advances in Pain Research.”  See additional details:
http://guest.cvent.com/EVENTS/Info/Summary.aspx?e=634ee984-9a4f-4385-8df1-2948932d4780
 

NIDCR UPDATE

NIDCR FY 2009 Extramural Funding Plan
Underlying NIDCR's financial management plan is the Institute's goal to provide stable levels of support for high quality scientific research. Non-competing research grants will be funded at the most recently committed levels. The March 18, 2009 Guide notice http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-066.html transmits NIH’s fiscal policy regarding non-competing as well as competing awards. 

Payment of new and competing research project grants will be as close to peer review recommended levels as possible, given overall budgetary constraints.  Funding for new and early stage investigators remains an Institute priority.

The NIDCR provides individual consideration to all applications. As the year progresses, the Institute adjusts its plans to accommodate changes in the projected number of applications, the scientific merit of applications as reflected in the scores assigned during peer review, projected award costs, new scientific opportunities, and other relevant factors.

Meetings, Workshops, and Conferences

NIDCR Patient Advocates Forum
NIDCR hosted the leadership of 13 voluntary health organizations at the 10th annual NIDCR Patient Advocates Forum, held April 23rd at NIH.  The deputy director opened the session by highlighting key elements of the new NIDCR Strategic Plan, to which the advocates had contributed in a listening session at the 2008 Forum.  The director updated participants on the Institute budget and scientific activities and briefed them on NIDCR research opportunities through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  The agenda also included an introduction by NIH staff to the emerging field of nanotechnology and an in-depth presentation on the new NIH Research, Condition, and Disease Categorization (RCDC) system that will provide easy access to NIH research funding information.  The day concluded with a tour of the global health exhibit at the National Library of Medicine.

AADR/IADR Meeting
The American Association for Dental Research annual meeting was held in Miami on April 1-4.  During the meeting, NIDCR program staff consulted with grantees and potential applicants, attended scientific and poster sessions, and took part in NIDCR-sponsored activities.  Many attendees took advantage of the opportunity for individual consultation at the NIDCR booth in the Exhibit Hall.

NIDCR also sponsored several training and career events.  More than 90 students and career awardees participated in the NIDCR Trainees’ poster session.  Over 100 people attended the “Essentials in Grant Writing” workshop.  In addition, Drs. Leslie Frieden, extramural training officer, and Kevin Hardwick, chief of the Research Training and Career Development Branch, presented a session entitled, “NIDCR Research Training and Career Development Opportunities.” 

Workshop on Salivary Gland Tumor Research: Current Status and Future Directions
Dr. Yasaman Shirazi, director of the Epithelial Cell Regulation and Transformation Program, has prepared the meeting summary for the “Workshop on Salivary Gland Tumor Research: Current Status and Future Directions,” which took place on November 17-18, 2008 in Bethesda, MD. This workshop engaged a number of national and international basic and clinical scientists to address urgent needs in salivary gland tumor research.  It also highlighted a number of imminent gaps and research opportunities both in the basic and clinical arenas.
 
NIH Summit: The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities
Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, director of the Health Disparities Research Program, moderated the oral health session at the NIH-sponsored conference titled “The Science of Eliminating Health Disparities.”  The purpose of the conference was to highlight NIH’s research progress regarding health issues among racial/ethnic minority and medically underserved populations, increase awareness and understanding of disparities in health, showcase best-practice models in research, capacity-building, outreach, and integrated strategies to eliminate health disparities, and identify strengths and gaps in health disparities research.  Several NIDCR grantees studying oral health disparities were speakers at the session.  The conference was held December 16-18, 2008 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland.

Other Meetings Attended by NIDCR Staff:

The International Consensus Workshop: Convergence on an Orofacial Pain Taxonomy held March 30- April 1 in Miami Beach, FL, in association with the AADR/IADR Annual Meeting.  At this 2 ½ day workshop, staff helped to identify research needs that might guide development of future initiatives.

The Annual Session Meeting of the American Association of Endodontists held in April in Orlando, FL.  Staff presented a talk entitled “Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research: Opportunities for Endodontics; the NIDCR Perspective” at this 2009 Annual Session Meeting.

The Presidential Symposium; Challenges for Neuroscientists in the 21st Century held on March 26 at DePaul University.  At this one-day symposium sponsored by the Chicago chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, staff gave a talk titled “Challenges at NIH: Funding Opportunities and Peer Review in Stimulating Times.”

The Genetic Architecture of Human Pain Perception held April 27-28 in Milwaukee, WI.  During this 2-day consortium, staff met with individuals from the Medical College of Wisconsin and attended a Town Hall meeting sponsored by the TMJ Association and the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.  Staff gave opening remarks on the interests of NIH in overlapping chronic pain conditions and funding opportunities for pain research.

The American Pain Society annual meeting held May 7-9 in San Diego, CA.   Staff attended platform and poster sessions and met with NIDCR grantees and potential grantees. Staff also participated in a round table discussion on “Successful Grant Writing and Funding Opportunities in Pain Research” and gave a presentation on “NIH Grant Submission, Review, and Funding.”

The FY2011 NIH Plan for HIV Related Research - Etiology and Pathogenesis Planning Committee Meeting held on March 30 in Rockville, MD. Staff  reviewed the document and provided input representing NIDCR’s mission and research priorities based on the NIDCR 2009-2013 Strategic Plan.

The 6th World Workshop on Oral Health and Diseases in AIDS (WW6 meeting), cosponsored by NIDCR, held April 21-24 in Beijing, China. Staff represented NIDCR and spoke with grantees and interested scientists to promote NIDCR’s funding opportunity announcements.  Staff also was invited to speak at the following talks: “Overview on Oral Mucosal HIV Vaccines” in the session on HIV infection and specific mucosal immunity (Basic Science); “Overview and Setting a Research Agenda on Oral HIV/AIDS-related Manifestations” in a plenary session; and “Emergent Research and Issues in Oral and Dental Disease and Management” in a session on education.   

The 2009 Gordon Research Conference on Salivary Glands and Exocrine Secretion held February 8-13 in Galveston, TX.  Staff attended the conference, and Dr. Lillian Shum, director of the Integrative Biology and Infectious Diseases Branch, presented a poster on “Navigating through the NIH Grants System,” detailing new updates on grants policies with an emphasis on the new peer review implementation.  The conference was supported in part by the NIDCR, NIDDK, NEI and ORD through an R13 conference grant.

The Upper Airway Workshop held March 5-6.  This workshop was organized by the NHLBI.  Staff presented a talk titled “FaceBase Consortium, a FY2009 NIDCR Initiative.”

The Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies held April 14-15 in Bethesda, MD.  Staff participated in the conference and a staff member served as a moderator for the session on “Craniofacial Reconstruction.”

Research Training and Career Development Highlights
 

• K99 awardee Viswanathan Palanisamy, PhD, has transitioned to the independent R00 phase of his award by accepting an independent tenure-track position as assistant professor in the Department of Craniofacial Biology at the College of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.  His R00 research project is entitled, “Regulation of mRNA Stability in Human Saliva.”
• Former NIDCR T32 predoctoral trainee, Lorelei Mucci, MPH, ScD, has received her first R01 (R01-CA136578) entitled “Sex-Hormones and the TMPRSS2: ERG Fusion in Prostate Cancer Progression.”  Dr. Mucci is an assistant professor in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health and an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
• Former NIDCR T32 pre- and postdoctoral trainee, Justin Merritt, PhD, has received his first R01 (R01-DE018893) entitled “The irvA-dependent pathway: a link between stress adaptation and virulence.”  Dr. Merritt is an assistant professor in oral biology at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry.  He also has an R03 (R03-DE018725).  Prior to his T32 training, Justin was a pre-IRTA fellow in NIDCR’s Intramural program.
• Former NIDCR K22 awardee, Jason Burdick, PhD, has received his first R01 (R01-EB008722) entitled “Engineering Developmental Microenvironments: Cartilage Formation and Maturation.”  Dr. Burdick is an assistant professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania.
• One of the goals of the Research Training and Career Development Branch is to encourage trainees to move from institutional training positions to independent funding.  This year, two Dentist Scientist Training Program trainees on T32 institutional training grants, Heidi Snider at Ohio State and Jeffrey Kim at UCLA, have successfully applied for and been awarded individual F30 fellowships.  In addition, Rodney Dale, PhD, previously supported on an NIDCR R01 grant through a Research Supplement to Promote Diversity, has been awarded an individual F32 postdoctoral fellowship.

Science Updates, News Releases, and Interviews with Oral Health Researchers
Since the last meeting of the NADCRC, NIDCR communications staff produced a number of “Science News in Brief” summaries of recent research findings.  Topics included a transcription factor that restricts tooth development in mammals, a gene variant associated with aggressive periodontitis in African Americans, a promising assay for rapid and accurate herpes simplex virus detection, an early biomarker for localized aggressive periodontitis, the discovery of a new molecule that may mediate tissue inflammation, and a calcium channel that may be involved in salivary flow.  Staff also wrote a news release about a gene network involved in early tooth development, and interviewed NIDCR grantees about the new Center for Native Oral Health Research, oral health disparities in Appalachia, and the evolutionary biology of teeth for the "Inside Scoop" section of the Institute’s website.

New Toll-free Telephone Number
NIDCR has launched a new toll-free telephone number (1-866-232-4528) to make it easier for the public to contact the Institute’s National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse with inquiries and orders for health education materials.  Calls are received in both English and Spanish.  NIDCR’s main telephone number (301-496-4261) remains active. 

Exhibits
Since the last meeting of the NADCRC, Institute staff exhibited and distributed NIDCR patient and health professional education materials at the following meetings:

• Southwest Dental Conference, January 22-24, Dallas
• Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Conference, February 3-6, Washington, D.C.
• Hinman Dental Conference, March 19-21, Atlanta
• Special Care Dentistry, April 17-18, Baltimore
• NIH Parenting Festival, April 22, NIH Campus
• Developmental Disability Nurses Association Annual Session, May 9-12, Orlando

NIDCR materials were also displayed at the following meetings: 

• Women’s Heart Health Fair, January 30, Washington, D.C.
• Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day, April 6, Washington, D.C.
•  National Women’s Health Week, May 11-15, Bethesda, MD

NIDCR Educational Materials Distributed During National Donate Life Month
National Donate Life Month is celebrated every April by the organ transplant community in events throughout the country.  This special focus on the importance of donated organs provided an opportunity to highlight the Institute’s two publications for dentists and patients on the oral complications of organ transplantation.  NIDCR sent information packets to transplant coordinators at 100 major transplant centers and e-mail blasts to the 59-member Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network featuring the availability of these publications.  Dental Management of the Organ Transplant Patient and Organ Transplantation and Your Mouth can be viewed at
http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OralHealth/Topics/OrganTransplantationOralHealth/

NIDCR’s “Oral Cancer: What African American Men Need to Know” Campaign
NIDCR communications staff are working to promote early detection of oral cancer among African American men, who have the highest oral cancer incidence and the lowest survival rate compared to any other group in the U.S.  The Institute is partnering with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to promote campaign messages and materials to the African American press and to NCI’s 15 regional Cancer Information Service offices, which in turn reach hundreds of community-based partners around the country.  NIDCR is also focusing outreach efforts in Washington, D.C. where oral cancer rates among African American men are especially high.  Through a partnership with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, public service ads were placed in Metro stations and on buses during the month of April (National Cancer Control Month). Campaign materials were also disseminated at events in the District, such as the April 4th Howard University Oral Cancer Walk and the April 7th “Take a Loved One to the Doctor Day” event at Providence Hospital.  The “Take a Loved One to the Doctor” event was promoted by nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner on WMMJ (102.3), the station that serves the adult African American community in Washington, D.C. 

Audience Testing of NIDCR Spanish-Language Website Complete
NIDCR recently tested its new Spanish-language website [http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Espanol/] with Spanish-dominant and bilingual Latinos in Chicago and Los Angeles.  Efforts were made to recruit participants from different countries of origin and with varying levels of education.  The purpose of the testing was to determine if the new website is understandable, credible, and attractive to the intended audience.  Secondary goals were to understand the approach Latinos take when seeking health information online (e.g., what types of health information they typically seek online; which websites and search engines they use; whether their searches are in Spanish or English), what they think of the quality of online health information, and whether there are significant differences between Spanish-dominant and bilingual individuals.  Data analysis is underway; results of the testing will be used to make improvements to NIDCR’s Spanish-language website.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Recent Program Announcements

NIDCR Small Research Grants for Data Analysis and Statistical Methodology (R03)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-182.html

Recovery Act Limited Competition: High-End Instrumentation Grant Program (S10)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-118.html

NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-164.html

Solicitation of Assays for High Throughput Screening (HTS) in the Molecular Libraries Probe
 Production Centers Network (MLPCN) (R03)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-129.html

Manufacturing Processes of Medical, Dental, and Biological Technologies (SBIR [R43/R44])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-113.html

Manufacturing Processes of Medical, Dental, and Biological Technologies (STTR [R41/R42])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-114.html

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy System Technology Research and Development (SBIR [R43/R44])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-100.html

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy System Technology Research and Development (STTR [R41/R42]) 
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-101.html

PHS 2009-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH, CDC, FDA and ACF for Small Business Innovation Research Grant Applications (Parent SBIR [R43/R44])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-080.html

PHS 2009-02 Omnibus Solicitation of the NIH for Small Business Technology Transfer Grant Applications (Parent STTR [R41/R42])
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-09-081.html

Recent Requests for Applications

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-007.html

Recovery Act 2009 Limited Competition:
Enabling National Networking of Scientists and Resource Discovery (U24)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-09-009.html

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Supporting New Faculty Recruitment to Enhance Research Resources through Biomedical Research Core Centers (P30)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-005.html

Recovery Act Limited Competition for NIH Grants: Research and Research Infrastructure “Grand Opportunities (RC2)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-004.html

Recovery Act Limited Competition: NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science Research (RC1)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-OD-09-003.html

Competitive Revision Applications Enabling Selected Individual Investigator Awards to Leverage NCRR
 Center and Center-Like Programs
 
Recovery Act Limited Competition: Core Facility Renovation, Repair, and Improvement (G20)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-09-007.html

Recovery Act Limited Competition: Extramural Research Facilities Improvement Program (C06)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-09-008.html

Novel statistical methods for human gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis (R01)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-006.html

Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (U54)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-004.html

 
SCIENCE ADVANCES

Scientists Report Gene Network in Early Tooth Development
In the February issue of the journal PLoS Biology, scientists report they have deduced a network of dental genes in fish that likely was present to build the first tooth some half a billion years ago. The researchers say their finding lays out a core evolutionary list of molecules needed to make a tooth.  The discovery should provide useful information for researchers attempting to coax diseased teeth back to health with biology rather than the traditional hand-held handpiece.   "To truly understand any part of the body, you must know how it was originally designed," said Todd Streelman, Ph.D., a scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta and senior author on the study.  "This is especially important when it comes to teeth.  The teeth of fishes not only develop distinct sizes and shapes, they are also repaired, shed, and replaced throughout life."   "But these characteristics, once intertwined, have been decoupled through the ages in higher organisms, and the ability to repair and regrow teeth has been largely lost," he added.  "If we could learn to selectively restore these traits in the dentist's office, it would mark a major step forward in helping people protect and repair their teeth.  I think this gene network provides a nice evolutionary clue on how best to proceed."  Collaborating with Dr. Streelman on the study were Fraser GJ, Hulsey CD, Bloomquist RF, Uyesugi K, and Manley NR.  

Researchers Discover Why Teeth Form in a Single Row
In the February 27 issue of the journal Science, NIDCR grantees report they may have solved the mystery about why most mammals have a single row of teeth, while nonmammalian vertebrates have teeth in multiple rows.  Teeth normally form early in embryonic development from a well-recognized mode of tissue induction in which a cell layer called the mesenchyme interacts with another known as the epithelium.  This dynamic give-and-take activates the needed genetic programs within each layer to precisely pattern a tooth.  Orchestrating the process are DNA-binding proteins called transcription factors.  They determine which genes get turned on and off. In the current paper, the scientists found in mice that the transcription factor Osr2 restricts the spatial field in which a tooth can form in the mesenchyme.  Remove Osr2, and extra teeth form adjacent to the molars.  The scientists found that when present, Osr2 counters the field-expanding actions of the Msx1-Bmp4 pathway in mesenchyme.  “In mammals, Osr2 suppresses this pathway along the buccolingual axis [straight across from cheek to tongue] to restrict molar development to one tooth row,” the researchers concluded.  “Diversity in dentition patterns in other vertebrates is likely due, at least in part, to evolutionary changes in antagonistic interactions regulating this pathway across the tooth morphogenetic field.”  The research was conducted by Zhang Z, Lan Y, Chair Y, and Jiang R at the Center for Oral Biology and the Department of Biomedical Genetics, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY.
 
Likely Early Biomarker for LAP Identified
Dentists today can easily diagnose periodontal disease in its advanced symptomatic stages; but the subtle beginning stages of infection and inflammation remain mostly a blank molecular diagnostic slate.  Greatly needed are informative biomarkers of early, asymptomatic chronic periodontitis that would allow for immediate intervention and change the all-too-predictable outcomes of advanced disease and tooth loss.  This is now beginning to happen for localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP), a leading cause of tooth loss in adolescents, particularly among young African Americans. 

As reported in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Periodontology, NIDCR grantees have provided biannual dental exams to a cohort of 96 healthy students (ages 11 to 17) at risk for LAP.  Included in this examination is the collection of a saliva sample from each student.  When seven students subsequently developed LAP, the scientists examined their saliva samples over the course of the study to evaluate levels of 21 distinct immune system-signaling molecules, or cytokines.  Although 19 molecules were not detectable or present at extremely low levels, the scientists found that the cytokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α) was quite elevated in the saliva samples of all seven students.  In fact, compared to the 21 students who remained LAP free, the levels of the cytokine were 50-fold higher from six to nine months prior to radiographic-detected bone loss, a precursor of tooth loss.  Moreover, the increased MIP-1α levels were related to increased probing depth and number of pockets greater than 6 millimeters between tooth and gum, standard measures of advancing periodontal disease.  Taken together, the authors suggest that MIP-1ά might be a biomarker of LAP that emerges from pocket sites, makes its way into saliva, and appears to parallel increasing pocket depth before radiographic evidence of bone loss.  In the current study, MIP-1α had a specificity of 96.8 percent and a sensitivity of 100 percent for bone loss.   Collaborating on this study were Fine DH, Markowitz K, Furgang D, Fairlie K, Ferrandiz J, Nasri C, McKiernan M, Donnelly R, and Gunsolley J, at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the School of Dentistry, Virginia Commonwealth University.

Assay Shows Promise for Rapid and Accurate HSV Detection
As a scan of the scientific literature shows, today’s herpes simplex virus (HSV) tests certainly have their diagnostic strengths.  But all have their diagnostic weaknesses, too.  Most frequently cited are poor quantitative results, which make tracking a patient’s viral load over time difficult or impossible; inability to distinguish between cold sore-inducing HSV-1 and HSV-2, a common cause of genital herpes; and labor intensive protocols that make rapid testing of multiple patient samples wishful thinking.   But as reported in the March issue of the journal Clinical and Vaccine Immunology, improvements could be on the way with an investigational system called LIPS.  It’s short for luciferase immunoprecipitation system, and this emerging technology has already proven extremely rapid, sensitive, and accurate at measuring antibody responses associated with various infectious agents, including HIV, hepatitis C virus, human T-cell leukemia virus type 1, and, now HSV-1 and HSV-2.

Using plasma samples from patients known to be positive for HSV-1 and/or HSV-2, NIDCR scientists and colleagues found that LIPS was just as good – but much faster - at distinguishing between the viruses than Focus Plexus and Western blot immunoassays, the latter being the clinical gold standard.  Interestingly, LIPS also opened an unusually wide quantitative window.  The system detected antibody concentrations in HSV-2-infected samples that were over 1,000 times higher than in HSV-2 negative or HSV-1 positive samples.  Such a high signal may possibly allow for tracking of HSV disease progression and better monitoring of the effectiveness of treatment and future vaccines.   The authors of the study are Burbelo PD, Hoshino Y, Leahy H, Krogmann T, Hornung RL, Iadarola MJ, and Cohen JI in the NIDCR Neurobiology and Pain Therapeutics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology.  

NIDCR PERSONNEL UPDATE

Dr. Amit Chattopadhyay Appointed OSPA Epidemiologist
Dr. Amit Chattopadhyay has been appointed as an epidemiologist in the Office of Science Policy and Analysis (OSPA).  Before coming to the NIDCR, Dr. Chattopadhyay served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Dental Ecology and an adjunct assistant professor in the Division of Dental Public Health at the University of Kentucky.  He received his Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is board certified by the U.S. National Board of Public Health Examiners and the American Board of Dental Public Health. 

Dr. Nancy McDermott Joins DIR Clinical Research Core
Nancy McDermott, D.M.D., M.D., has joined the Clinical Research Core in the Division of Intramural Research.  Dr. McDermott received her D.M.D. from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and her M.D. from the Harvard School of Medicine.  She then completed an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.  Dr. McDermott also was a fellow in the Head and Neck Oncology Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore.  She received the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Senior Award in 2002, and has performed clinical research and published on the risks associated with dental implants. 

Dr. Steven Scholnick Joins Division of Extramural Research
In March, Dr. Steven Scholnick was appointed as a health scientist administrator in the Translational Genomics Research Branch, Division of Extramural Research.  Dr. Scholnick will head up the Developmental Biology and Genetics Program.  Previously, he was with the NIH Center for Scientific Review where he had served as a scientific review officer since 2006.  Dr. Scholnick received his Ph.D. in genetics and development from Cornell University. 

Dr. Pamela Robey Receives IADR Distinguished Scientist Award
On April 1, Dr. Pamela Gehron Robey, chief of NIDCR’s Craniofacial and Skeletal Diseases Branch, received the 2009 Distinguished Scientist Isaac Schour Memorial Award from the International Association of Dental Research.  The award was presented during the 2009 IADR annual meeting, held in Miami, FL.

Dr. Matthew Hoffman Receives IADR Salivary Research Award
Dr. Matthew Hoffman, chief of the Matrix and Morphogenesis Unit, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, received the 2008 Salivary Researcher of the Year Award from the IADR Salivary Research Group.  This award also was presented during the annual IADR meeting in Florida.  
 
Dr. Kelly Ten Hagen Elected to Society for Glycobiology Board of Directors
Dr. Kelly Ten Hagen, chief of the Developmental Glycobiology Unit, Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Biology, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Glycobiology.  She will serve as a Federal Liaison.

PUBLICATIONS

Division of Extramural Research: Staff Publications

Butler DL, Lewis JL, Frank CB, Banes AJ, Caplan AI, De Deyne PG, Dowling MA, Fleming BC, Glowacki J, Guldberg RE, Johnstone B, Kaplan DL, Levenston ME, Lotz JC, Lu EY, Lumelsky N, Mao JJ, Mauck RL, McDevitt CA, Mejia LC, Murray M, Ratcliffe A, Spindler KP, Tashman S, Wagner C, Weisberg EM, Williams CS, Zhang R  (2008). Evaluation criteria for musculoskeletal and craniofacial tissue engineering constructs: a conference report1. Tissue Engineering Part A, 4(12), 2089-104.

Division of Intramural Research: Selected Publications

Bassim CW, Wright JT, Guadagnini JP, Muralidharan R, Sloan J, Domingo DL, Venditti CP, Hart TC. Enamel defects and salivary methylmalonate in methylmalonic acidemia: Occurrence and microstructural analysis.  Oral Dis. 15:196-205, 2009
BassimCWetal2009

Bhirde AA, Patel V, Gavard J, Zhang G, Sousa AA, Masedunskas A, Leapman RD, Weigert R, Gutkind JS, and Rusling JF. Targeted killing of cancer cells in vivo and in vitro with EGF-directed carbon nanotube-based drug delivery.  Am. Chem. Soc. Nano, 3:307-316, 2009.
BhirdeAAetal2009

Czerninski R, Amornphimoltham P, Patel V, Molinolo AA, and Gutkind JS. Targeting mammalian target of rapamycin by rapamycin prevents tumor progression in an oral-specific chemical carcinogenesis model. Cancer Prevention Research, 2:27-36, 2009.
CzerninskiRetal2009

Domingo DL, Trujillo MI, Council SE, Gordon LB, Merideth MA, Introne WJ, Gahl WA, Hart TC. Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome: oral-craniofacial phenotypes.  Oral Dis. 15:187-95, 2009
DomingoDLetal2009

Doyle AD, Wang FW, Matsumoto K, Yamada KM. One-dimensional topography underlies three-dimensional fibrillar cell migration.  J Cell Biol. 184:481-90, 2009
DoyleADetal2009

Gavard J, Hou X, Qu Y, Masedunskas A, Martin D, Weigert R, Li X, and Gutkind JS. A Role for a CXCR2/PI3Kγ signaling axis in acute and chronic vascular permeability. Mol. Cell Biol., Mar 2, 2009
[Epub ahead of print].
GavardJetal2009

Green JA, Berrier AL, Pankov R, Yamada KM. β1 integrin cytoplasmic domain residues selectively modulate fibronectin matrix assembly and cell spreading through talin and AKT-1. J Biol Chem. 284:8148-59, 2009
GreenJAetal2009

Hart PS, Becerik S, Cogulu D, Emingil G, Ozdemir-Ozenen D, Han ST, Sulima PP, Firatli E, Hart TC. Novel FAM83H mutations in Turkish families with autosomal dominant hypocalcified amelogenesis imperfecta. Clin Genet. Feb 11., 2009 [Epub ahead of print]
HartPCetal2009 

Mani V, Chikkaveeraiah BV, Patel V, Gutkind JS, Rusling JF. Ultrasensitive immunosensor for cancer biomarker proteins using gold nanoparticle film electrodes and multienzyme-particle amplification. Am. Chem. Soc. Nano, 3:585-594, 2009.
ManiVetal2009

Martin D, Galisteo R, Gutkind JS. CXCL8/IL8 stimulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and the autocrine activation of VEGFR2 in endothelial cells by activating NFkappaB through the CBM (Carma3/Bcl10/Malt1) complex. J. Biol. Chem, 284:6038-42, 2009.
MartinDetal2009

Molinolo AA, Amornphimoltham P, Squarize CH, Castilho RM, Patel V, and Gutkind JS. Dysregulated molecular networks in head and neck carcinogenesis. Oral Oncology, Sept 2008 [Epub ahead of print]
MolinoloAetal2009

Nares S, Moutsopoulos NM, Angelov N, Rangel ZG, Munson PJ, Sinha N, Wahl SM. Rapid Myeloid Cell Transcriptional and Proteomic Responses to Periodontopathogenic Porphyromonas gingivalis. Am J Pathol. 174: 1400-1414. 2009
NaresSetal2009

Németh K, Leelahavanichkul A, Yuen PS, Mayer B, Parmelee A, Doi K, Robey PG, Leelahavanichkul K, Koller BH, Brown JM, Hu X, Jelinek I, Star RA, Mezey E. Bone marrow stromal cells attenuate sepsis via prostaglandin E(2)-dependent reprogramming of host macrophages to increase their interleukin-10 production. Nat Med. 15:42-9, 2009.
NemethKetal2009

Neubert JK, Mannes AJ, Karai LJ, Jenkins AC, Zawatski L, Abu-Asab M, Iadarola MJ. Perineural resiniferatoxin selectively inhibits inflammatory hyperalgesia. Mol Pain. 4:3, 2008.
NeubertJKetal2008

Nishimura T, Kubosaki A, Ito Y, Notkins AL. Disturbances in the Secretion of Neurotransmitters  in IA-2/IA-2ß  Null  Mice: Changes in Behavior, Learning  and Lifespan. Neuroscience 159: 427–437, 2009.
NishimuraTetal2009

Utreras E, Futatsugi A, Rudrabhatla P, Keller J, Iadarola MJ, Pant HC, Kulkarni AB. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha regulates cyclin-dependent kinase 5 activity during pain signaling through transcriptional activation of p35. J Biol Chem. 284:2275-84, 2009.
UtrerasEetal2009

Publications from K Awardees:

Ramoni RB, Himes BE, Sale MM, Furie KL, Ramoni MF. Predictive genomics of cardioembolic stroke. Stroke 2009 Mar;40(3 Suppl):S67-70.

Menezes R, Marazita ML, Goldstein McHenry T, Cooper ME, Bardi K, Brandon C, Letra A, Martin RA, Vieira AR.  AXIS inhibition protein 2, orofacial clefts and a family history of cancer.  J Am Dent Assoc 2009 Jan;140(1):80-4.

Fisher MA, Taylor GW. A prediction model for chronic kidney disease includes periodontal disease. J Periodontol 2009 Jan;80(1):16-23. PMCID: PMC2649736

Kim RH, Kim R, Chen W, Hu S, Shin KH, Park NH, Kang MK. Association of hsp90 to the hTERT promoter is necessary for hTERT expression in human oral cancer cells. Carcinogenesis 2008 Dec;29(12):2425-31. PMCID: PMC2639246

Oliveira SM, Amaral IF, Barbosa MA, Teixeira CC. Engineering endochondral bone: in vitro studies. Tissue Eng Part A. 2009 Mar;15(3):625-34.

Oliveira SM, Mijares DQ, Turner G, Amaral IF, Barbosa MA, Teixeira CC. Engineering endochondral bone: in vivo studies. Tissue Eng Part A 2009 Mar;15(3):635-43.

Nicodemus GD, Shiplet KA, Kaltz SR, Bryant SJ. Dynamic compressive loading influences degradation behavior of PEG-PLA hydrogels. Biotechnol Bioeng 2009 Feb 15;102(3):948-59.

Villanueva I, Klement BJ, von Deutsch D, Bryant SJ. Cross-linking density alters early metabolic activities in chondrocytes encapsulated in poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels and cultured in the rotating wall vessel. Biotechnol Bioeng 2009 Mar 1;102(4):1242-50.

Chung C, Burdick JA. Influence of three-dimensional hyaluronic Acid microenvironments on mesenchymal stem cell chondrogenesis. Tissue Eng Part A. 2009 Feb;15(2):243-54.

Gong D, Qi J, Arumugaswami V, Sun R, Deng H. Identification and functional characterization of the left origin of lytic replication of murine gammaherpesvirus 68. Virology 2009 Mar 11. [Epub ahead of print]

Limesand KH, Said S, Anderson SM. Suppression of radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction by IGF-1. PLoS ONE 2009;4(3):e4663. Epub 2009 Mar 2. PMCID: PMC2646143

Avila JL, Grundmann O, Burd R, Limesand KH. Radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction results from p53-dependent apoptosis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2009 Feb 1;73(2):523-9. PMCID: PMC2631421

Sroussi HY, Köhler GA, Agabian N, Villines D, Palefsky JM. Substitution of methionine 63 or 83 in S100A9 and cysteine 42 in S100A8 abrogate the antifungal activities of S100A8/A9: potential role for oxidative regulation. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol 2009 Jan;55(1):55-61.

Chen J, Sorensen KP, Gupta T, Kilts T, Young M, Wadhwa S. Altered functional loading causes differential effects in the subchondral bone and condylar cartilage in the temporomandibular joint from young mice. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 2009 Mar;17(3):354-61. PMCID: PMC2646810

Coolidge T, Heaton LJ, Milgrom P. The challenge of sedation with adolescents: case studies and clinical recommendations. SAAD Dig 2009 Jan;25:29-36.

Recent publications from F fellows:

ten Berge D, Brugmann SA, Helms JA, Nusse R.  Wnt and FGF signals interact to coordinate growth with cell fate specification during limb development.  Development 2008 Oct;135(19):3247-57.

Eames, BF, Schneider, RA.  The genesis of cartilage size and shape during development and evolution.  Development 2008  Dec;135(23):3947-58.

Lamani E, Wu Y, Dong J, Litaker MS, Acevedo AC, MacDougall M. Tissue- and cell-specific alternative splicing of NFIC. Cells Tissues Organs 2009;189(1-4):105-10.