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Executive Director's Report The year is off to a great start! The Friends will continue to focus on the oral healthcare and research patient advocacy community. As Congress reviews its priorities, listing SCHIP Reauthorization, prescription medication payment schedules, and health information technology (HIT) legislation, the Friends will provide appropriate information to our champions and coalition partners. With so many new faces on Capitol Hill, it is more important than ever to have Friends advocating for oral health research. Sincerely, Alec Stone NIDCR News NIDCR Launches Pathway to Product Development Web Page FY 2008 NIDCR Congressional Justification Available NIDCR Participates in High Priority Short-Term Project Award (R56) NIDCR Support for Meetings and Scientific Conferences (R13/U13) NIH Update NIH Director's New Innovator Awards NIH Director Selects Krensky as NIH Deputy Director for the Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives (OPASI) "We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Krensky join the National Institutes of Health," said Dr. Zerhouni. "He will play a key leadership role as the Office of Portfolio Analysis and Strategic Initiatives provides an 'incubator space' to address critical research efforts in cross-cutting areas of NIH priorities." "I am pleased and honored to join the NIH leadership team at this most important time. OPASI will facilitate interactions across NIH activities, including systems for portfolio analysis, new 'roadmap' and trans-NIH strategic initiatives, and program evaluation. Such institutional planning and assessment is critical as the interdisciplinary nature of biomedical science evolves," said Dr. Krensky. OPASI was built on the success of the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research and 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. OPASI provides new opportunity for more trans-NIH dialogue, decision-making, and funding for scientific priorities and opportunities that would be difficult to support otherwise. Dr. Krensky graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1973, and received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1977. At the Stanford University School of Medicine, Dr. Krensky 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. Dr. Krensky's research interests are in human cellular and molecular immunology, transplantation immunology, and tumor immunology. He is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of American Physicians and is a co-author of more than 240 research papers. Dr. Krensky has received numerous awards, including the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Pediatric Research, the Young Investigator Award from the American Society of Nephrology/American Heart Association, the Joseph A. Shankman Award from the National Kidney Foundation of Massachusetts, the Young Investigator Award from the American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, the Award for Excellence in Pediatric Research from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Scholar in Experimental Therapeutics Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the E. Mead Johnson Award from the Society for Pediatric Research, and the Novartis Established Investigator Award from the American Society for Transplantation. Patient Advocacy Spotlight: The Children’s Craniofacial Association Children's Craniofacial Association is a national, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with facial differences and their families. Nationally and internationally, CCA addresses the medical, financial, psychosocial, emotional, and educational concerns relating to craniofacial conditions. CCA's mission is to empower and give hope to facially disfigured children and their families. CCA envisions a world where all people are accepted for who they are, not how they look. Family Networking is a program of Children’s Craniofacial Association in which family members are connected with other family members to share emotional support, discuss problems and identify resources. Many families that have a member with a craniofacial condition feel alone and secluded. Being able to communicate with other parents, siblings, or patients can help family members feel part of a larger community with others who are ready to help them through rough times, work through decisions and just "be there" for one another. CCA disseminates information to educate craniofacial patients and their families, health care providers and the general public regarding craniofacial conditions. CCA also promotes public awareness of craniofacial conditions and social acceptance of individuals with facial disfigurement. Craniofacial patient families often call CCA seeking emotional support and to discuss problems, and to identify resources. Through our database we are able to network families with support groups and/or others who have similar conditions and experiences. We also keep a list of helpful resources and are always willing to listen and offer emotional support to family members who need a shoulder to lean on. Getting networked is just a phone call or key stroke away, or call 800-535-3643 and ask for Annie Reeves. CCA maintains a list of moms, dads and children interested in communicating with others. We will match you as closely as we can to someone having the same experiences. For more information on CCA, please visit: www.ccakids.org Folic Acid May Prevent Cleft Lip and Palate A new study finds that women who take folic acid supplements early in their pregnancy can substantially reduce their baby's chances of being born with a facial cleft. Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that 0.4 milligrams (mg) a day of folic acid reduced by one third the baby's risk of isolated cleft lip (with or without cleft palate). Folic acid is a B vitamin found in leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, and whole grains. It can also be taken as a vitamin supplement, and it is added to flour and other fortified foods. The recommended daily dietary allowance for folate for adults is 400 micrograms or 0.4 mg. "These findings provide further evidence of the benefits of folic acid for women," said Allen J. Wilcox, M.D., Ph.D., lead NIEHS author on the new study published online in the "British Medical Journal." "We already know that folic acid reduces the risk of neural tube defects, including spina bifida. Our research suggests that folic acid also helps prevent facial clefts, another common birth defect." In the United States, about one in every 750 babies is born with cleft lip and/or palate. "Folic acid deficiency causes facial clefts in laboratory animals, so we had a good reason to focus on folic acid in our clefts study," said Wilcox. "It was one of our main hypotheses." The researchers examined the association between facial clefts and mothers' intake of folic acid supplements, multivitamins, and folates in diet. The researchers found that folic acid supplementation of 400 micrograms or more per day reduced the risk of isolated cleft lip with or without cleft palate by one-third, but had no apparent effect on the risk of cleft palate alone. "A mother's nutrition during pregnancy is clearly an environmental factor that can affect the health of her fetus," said NIEHS Director David A. Schwartz, M.D. The NIEHS researchers are continuing to analyze their data for evidence of other environmental exposures that increase the risk of facial clefts. This population-based study was conducted in Norway, which has one of the highest rates of facial clefts in Europe and does not allow foods to be fortified with folic acid. The investigators contacted all families of newborn infants with clefts (either cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CLP) or cleft palate only (CPO)) born between 1996 and 2001 in Norway. The study included 377 babies with CLP and 196 with CLO; as well as 763 control babies randomly selected from all live births in Norway. The researchers mailed two questionnaires to each of the mothers participating in the study. The first questionnaire mailed soon after delivery focused on general health information, including demographics, reproductive history and information about environmental exposures including smoking, alcohol and vitamins; whereas the second questionnaire focused on nutrition and diet during the pregnancy. Mothers who reported taking folic acid supplements and or multivitamins were asked to send in their empty bottles or labels to confirm dosage. The nutrition questionnaire included questions on mothers' fruit and vegetable consumption during the first three months of pregnancy. The researchers estimated that 22 percent of isolated CLP cases in Norway could be averted if all pregnant women took 0.4 mg of folic acid per day. In addition to funding from NIEHS, this research was supported by the Johan Throne Holst Foundation for Nutrition Research, and the Thematic Perinatal Nutrition at the Medical Facility of University of Oslo, Norway. Researchers at the University of Bergen, the University of Oslo, and the Departments of Plastic Surgery in Oslo and Bergen, Norway, also contributed to this study. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), a component of the National Institutes of Health, supports research to understand the effects of the environment on human health. For more information on environmental health topics, please visit our website at www.niehs.nih.gov. TMJ Disorders Publication Now Available from the NIDCR The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has just released an updated patient education brochure on temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders. TMJ Disorders focuses on current knowledge of the causes, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of this group of painful conditions. The brochure also cautions about treatments that may not be necessary, as well as some that may be harmful. The content of the 16-page illustrated booklet parallels information in The TMJA's own educational brochures, but adds a brief summary of current NIDCR research. In addition to pain and gender studies, the Institute is supporting a large long-term study of healthy men and women to identify risk factors for TMJDs. TMJ Disorders is produced and distributed by the NIDCR in partnership with the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health. Copies can be ordered online from the National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse at https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/OrderPublications, or by contacting: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research World No Tobacco Day 31 May 2007 WHO launched a new web site announcing the theme for World No Tobacco Day 2007: Smoke-Free Environments. The site invites people to claim their right to clean air, free from tobacco smoke, by getting involved in different ways to push for smoke-free policies and join in the celebration of World No Tobacco Day (31 May 2007). The scientific evidence is highlighted, including WHO policy recommendations for 100% smoke-free environments, and the most common tobacco industry myths are dispelled and explained. More on World No Tobacco Day 2007 The Integral Role of Behavioral and Social Sciences in a Systems Approach to Oral Health Research: A Tribute to Dr. Lois K. Cohen National Institutes of Health Bethesda, Maryland -- The behavioral and social sciences are integral to oral health research and in a system approach to address health issues. No one who attended the NIH honorary symposium for Dr. Lois K. Cohen on December 11, 2006, would dispute this fact. Indeed, the symposium was a tribute to Dr. Cohen for her leadership in engaging the social sciences in dental research and expanding interdisciplinary oral health research around the globe. This summary conveys the importance of behavioral and social sciences in oral health and directions for future research. Lois K. Cohen, Ph.D., founded and directed the NIDCR Office of International Health. When she retired from NIDCR in June 2006, she had served the Federal government for 42 years. At NIDCR for 30 years, she advised five NIDCR directors and two interim directors about the relationship between oral health and the social and behavioral sciences. Early on, she directed the NIDCR Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Communications. In 1989, she became director of the NIDCR Extramural Research Program. At the same time, she was named the first NIDCR associate director for international health, a position she held until her retirement. Approximately 100 people came to hear eight oral health researchers and public health experts describe the development and future directions of behavioral and social science research in oral health. The aim of the symposium, at Dr. Cohen’s request, was to address and stimulate integration of the behavioral and social sciences into a systems approach to oral, dental, and craniofacial health and research. As the speakers noted, Dr. Cohen leaves a substantial legacy of both fostering interdisciplinary research collaborations among scientists and engaging national and international partners in the construction of programs to support and encourage this research. The Social Sciences Are Intertwined with Dentistry The Social and Behavioral Sciences Are Integral to Health Research For the full story, visit: www.nidcr.nih.gov/.../LoisCohenSymposium.htm Funding Opportunities Notice of Extension for Request for Information (RFI): Tools and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in the Nervous System (Neuroscience
Blueprint) (NOT-DC-07-001) Pilot and Feasibility Studies on Oral Health Promotion Research across the Life Span (R21) (PA-07-223) Oral Health Promotion Research across the Lifespan (R01) (PA-07-225) Planning Grant for Oral Health Promotion across the Life Span (R21) (PAR-07-224) |