The Friends of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (FNIDCR) online newsletter is a membership benefit. Permission is granted to repost this publication only with inclusion of the header. Past issues are posted on www.fnidcr.org/news.html

Executive Director's Report

As the hot summer kicks in early in Washington, DC, there is much to report on potential legislation. In particular, oral healthcare is receiving a big push from the community and seeing the rewards of advocacy in two Congressional bills.

Congressmen Albert Wynn (D-MD) and Mike K. Simpson's (R-ID) introduction of H.R. 2472, the Essential Oral Health Care Act of 2007 is meant to improve the delivery of dental services in state Medicaid and SCHIP programs, provide grants for Community Dental Health Coordinator training programs and volunteer dental projects, and provide tax credits for donated dental services. Wynn and Simpson said, "Tooth decay remains the most common disease affecting children in America. It is five times as common as asthma and seven times as common as hay-fever. Tooth decay is a preventable disease caused by bacteria. If left untreated it can impede a child's ability to eat, speak, learn, and even smile. This legislation that I have introduced will address access to dental care for our most vulnerable citizens – our children." Rep. Wynn said he was proud to have the support of his distinguished colleagues, Rep. Simpson, a dentist by profession, and Rep. Holmes Norton, along with the ADA and the NDA.

Additionally, US Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) introduced a children's dental-health-care bill named in memory of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-old Prince George's County boy who died in February because of a tooth infection. "Deamonte's Law" would establish two five-year, $5 million pilot programs meant to improve poor children's access to dental care. The first program would provide money to staff and equip dental clinics at community health centers; the second would help recruit and train pediatric dentists. The boy's death has drawn attention to the barriers many children on Medicaid encounter in trying to get dental treatment, prompting calls for reform and inspiring legislation on the state and national level, including Cummings's bill. "I simply cannot comprehend how, in this country where we have achieved so much progress, we so thoroughly failed this little boy," Cummings said in a statement.

These extraordinary bills are a testament to the work of so many people who continue to advocate for dental, oral and craniofacial health and research. The Friends commends the community’s work and is pleased to be an active participant. As these bills move through Congress, the Friends will keep you informed.

Sincerely,
Alec

Alec Stone
Executive Director

NIDCR Science News

Researchers Report Chemical Rescue of Cleft Palate in Mice
May 8, 2007
In the early 1980s, many scientists thought the enzyme GSK3 had a one-line job description. It helped to activate the enzyme glycogen synthase. But as the years passed, the job description expanded to include a role in determining the developmental fates of certain undifferentiated cells in the embryo. This latter function led a team of scientists to develop a technique a few years ago in which small molecules directly turn GSK3 on and/or off with a high degree of precision at different stages of fetal development. In the March 1 issue of the journal Nature, NIDCR supported scientists and their colleagues used this on-off technique to define in mice the critical developmental period of the palate, or roof of the mouth. Remarkably, the researchers showed that by turning GSK3 back on in pregnant mice during this key developmental window, their embryos in most cases corrected their developing cleft palates. As they reported, five out of nine mouse pups had complete reversal of the cleft, while another newborn had a partial rescue of the cleft. As the authors noted, "New approaches to rescuing selected developmental defects require detailed knowledge of timing and levels of protein expression; our studies provide an improved method for defining these experimental conditions in vivo." To read more about this paper, click here.

More Mutations Contribute to Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and/or Palate
April 25, 2007
In the search for genes that contribute to nonsyndromic cleft lip and/palate, scientists once followed the long road. They performed lengthy and always complex linkage analyses of DNA from large families and populations of people with histories of this common birth defect. But in recent years, the scientists have begun to pursue a more technologically direct road. They collect the DNA samples per usual but now directly sequence certain genes suspected of contributing to cleft lip and/or palate. A few years ago, NIDCR grantees and colleagues used this approach with the MSX1 gene and identified mutations that might account for 2 percent of cleft lip and/or palate cases. In 2005, they sequenced 20 genes and found mutations that contribute to 6 percent of cases. Now, in the March 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists sequenced the coding regions of 12 members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and FGF receptor gene families and found seven mutations that may contribute to as much as 5 percent of nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or palate. The group followed up its findings by generating three-dimensional computer models of the FGF proteins that predicted how the altered amino acids would affect their normal shape and function. To read more about this paper by Riley, Marazita, Murray, et. al, click here.

Scientists Complete Full Sequence of Opportunistic Oral Bacterium
April 25, 2007
Over the last decade, scientists have assembled the complete DNA sequences of several important members of the oral biofilm, from Streptococcus mutans to Porphymonas gingivalis to Treponema denticola. In the April issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, NIDCR-funded investigators have added another big name to the list. It is the bacterium Streptococcus sanguinis, an early colonizer of the dental pellicle and a key player in the formation of the oral biofilm. Although not regarded as a pathogen in the mouth, S. sanguinis is known to enter the bloodstream, where it has a propensity to colonize the heart valves and contribute to bacterial endocarditis, a condition the kills an estimated 2,000 Americans each year. With the bacterium’s genetic blueprint now publicly available online, scientists can better study the dynamics of biofilm formation and possibly tease out new leads to prevent tooth decay and periodontal disease. They also now can systematically identify and exploit the weak spots written into the DNA of S. sanguinis, invaluable information in designing more effective treatments for endocarditis. To read more about this paper, click here.

NIH Update

At the recent CFC “Center Court” presentations ceremony were (from l) Tony De Cristofaro, executive director of the CFC of the National Capital Area; NIDCR director Dr. Lawrence Tabak, holding the Million Dollar Circle Award; and NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni.

www.nih.gov/nihrecord/archive2007.htm
May 7 Issue, Page 3

National Capital Area CFC Honors NIH Campaign
NIH Record, May 4, 2007, Vol. LIX, No. 9
NIH won two first-place awards in the annual communications contest sponsored by the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area. NIH was honored in the Executive and Leadership Involvement category for engaging the agency's senior leadership in CFC campaign events and activities. These included an IC directors' basketball free-throw challenge, in which each director had a chance to see how many baskets he or she could make in 30 seconds. NIH director Dr. Elias Zerhouni was on hand to referee the event. He also proved his support by fulfilling a vow to grow a beard if NIH surpassed last year’s CFC contributions and was featured on a campaign poster making a "slam dunk" for the CFC. NIHDCR director Dr. Lawrence Tabak, whose institute headed the 2006 campaign, participated in several free-throw competitions around NIH, challenging fellow NIH'ers to "give it their best" shot for charity. NIH was also honored in the Best Photography and Use of Images category for "Can You Give It Your Best Shot Too?"--a poster that featured photos of Zerhouni and IC directors and deputy directors shooting hoops.

Tabak (l) and Zerhouni (far r) appear with the Divas and Dudes cheering squad at the recent CFC awards ceremony in Wilson Hall. The two, as well as the cheering squad, are wearing fake beards in honor of Zerhouni's promise to grow a beard if NIH surpassed last year's CFC contributions.

'Center Court Presentations' Honor CFC Coordinators
NIH’s version of March Madness was in full swing on March 27 when CFC campaign coordinators gathered for a "Center Court" awards ceremony in Wilson Hall, which was decked out like a basketball court in keeping with the campaign's theme. They had plenty to celebrate; the NIH campaign raised a record $2.1 million for charity and employee participation reached 57 percent, the highest rate in recent memory. Both Zerhouni and Tabak were on hand for the ceremony. The proceedings got under way with a performance by the Diva and Dudes cheering squad. Yvonne duBuy, former NIDCR executive officer and cheering squad matriarch, led the group onto the court for its farewell performance. Zerhouni, introduced by Tabak as "the Commissioner of NIH Basketball, or The Commish," thanked everyone for their efforts in raising 131 percent of the NIH goal. Zerhouni noted that "our success here at NIH means that hundreds of charities will be able to do their work in the community, across the country and around the world."

News From the Director of OER: Solicited and Unsolicited Research-Making Choices Balancing Needs, Opportunities, and the Unpredictability of Science
The NIH is asked frequently to explain how it determines the need to solicit research grant applications in specific scientific areas. We have no simple answer to this question. NIH has always recognized and valued the inherent unpredictability of science, the need to allow investigators to propose studies that support the development of fundamental knowledge, and the application of that knowledge to the improvement of health and the reduction of illness and disability. As a publicly funded agency, however, the NIH must also be able to create special initiatives to respond to scientific needs, take advantage of scientific opportunities, and address public health crises. These special initiatives often require a concentration of funds in specific areas.

Examples of NIH special initiatives that have benefited the scientific community as a whole abound. A recent example in the basic science category is the Human Genome Project, which in a few short years has completely transformed biomedical research. The sequences and sequencing technologies that were developed as part of the Human Genome Project, and their application, have ushered in a new era in medicine--an era in which the genetic and molecular understanding of human biology and disease is leading to more effective ways to predict and pre-empt the occurrence of disease, and personalize its treatment.

And who among us has not benefited directly or indirectly from the Framingham Heart Study? Since its inception in 1948, the Study has led to the identification of the major risk factors of cardiovascular disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity among others. Preventive strategies and clinical treatment of these factors have profoundly benefited many, many people. The Study is currently recruiting its third generation of subjects, the children of the Offspring Cohort (i.e., the grandchildren of the Original Cohort), who will be examined in an attempt to learn how genetic factors relate to cardiovascular disease. In this, the Framingham Heart Study stands to benefit greatly from results from the Human Genome Project and in ways that the originators of these studies could not have predicted when the programs began.

For the full story, visit: grants.nih.gov/grants/partners/0507Nexus.htm

Patient Advocacy Spotlight: Special Care Dentistry Association

Special Care Dentistry Association (SCDA) is a unique international organization of oral health professionals and other individuals who are dedicated to promoting oral health and well being for people with special needs.

SCDA is proud to bring together professionals from the American Association of Hospital Dentists (AAHD), the Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities (ADPD) and the American Society for Geriatric Dentistry (ASGD).

Because many of the goals and activities of these three practice areas overlap, the component groups joined forces and formed SCDA. By fully integrating these groups, SCDA benefits its members – and the patients they serve – by having a united leadership and a single mission.

Members include dentists, dental hygienists and assistants, non-dental healthcare providers, health program administrators, residents, students and hospitals.

SCDA provides educational opportunities and information exchange for oral health care professionals who treat patients with special needs. Members of SCDA have complete access to useful resources, important industry news and exclusive networking and educational events.

SCDA encourages practitioners to earn credentials demonstrating advanced knowledge and expertise in their fields through fellowship programs and through the Diplomate Certification Program.

SCDA advocates for national legislation and is involved in shaping dental residency education, developing practice guidelines and institutional protocols designed to assist practitioners in providing oral healthcare services.

SCDA recognizes the need for broad coalitions of individuals and groups to work together to share information and shape public policy to stimulate change.

If you share the goals or concerns of SCDA, please contact the national office by sending an e-mail to SCDA@SCDAonline.org or by calling us at 312.527.6764. To become a member, click here. For more information, visit www.scdonline.org

CDC Study Finds Dental Health Among Young Children Worsening

Tue May 1 03:00:01 2007 Pacific Time

Washington, May 1 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday reported that tooth decay in baby teeth has increased 15 percent among U.S. toddlers and preschoolers ages 2 to 5 years old. During the period 1999-2004, 28 percent of young children had experienced cavities.

CDC's new national study, "Trends in Oral Health Status - United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004," also found that 74 percent of young children who have experienced tooth decay were in need of dental repair.

"Findings that one-quarter of young children have cavities once again verifies that tooth decay remains the single most common chronic disease of childhood in the US. Trends among young children are both worsening and worrisome because so many parents have trouble finding dental care for their young children," said Children's Dental Health Project Board Chairman, Professor Burton Edelstein of Columbia University.

The report, issued one month after a Maryland 12-year-old died from complications of a dental abscess that spread to his brain, draws attention to the importance of children's oral health and access to basic dental care.

Following the Maryland child's death, U.S. Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ) convened a Congressional hearing on children's oral health at which national dental groups called upon Congress to improve oral health care for children. The American Dental Association was joined by dental educators and the Children's Dental Health Project in asking Congress to make dental care a required benefit in the State Child Health Insurance Program and to require states to report on their performance getting dental care to covered children.

"This new study provides additional scientific support to highlight and address children's oral health and to ensure that children get the basic dental care that they need," stated Nancy Gralla, Executive Director of the Children's Dental Health Project, a Washington DC policy center dedicated to improving children's access to oral health.

Pediatric dentistry experts note that the upturn in cavities among young children portends a new wave of increased tooth decay because early tooth decay is a predictor of future tooth decay. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest that early dental care is important to prevent cavities. Both professional associations recommend that children have their first dental visit when their first tooth appears around age 6 months or by the first birthday.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has partnered with the Children's Dental Health Project to improve young children's oral health by promoting early dental care and establishing a dental home for every child.

Report Highlights State Policy Options for Improving Oral Health for Young Children

Improving Oral Health Care for Young Children focuses on financing and work force challenges, describes promising models of care, and discusses options for policymakers seeking to improve access to oral health care for young children. The report, published by the National Academy for State Health Policy, addresses several topics, including the need for oral health care for young children; Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment Medicaid dental services; community water fluoridation and other public health measures; examples of promising models for care; and policy options at the federal, state, community, and organization levels for improving oral health for young children. A state-by-state table of dental benefits in non-Medicaid State Children's Health Insurance Programs is included as an appendix. The report is available at www.nashp.org/Files/Improving_Oral_Health.pdf

Report Presents National Estimates and Trends for Oral Health Status Measures

"For most Americans, oral health status has improved since 1988-1994...However, the presence of dental caries in the primary dentition for youths ages 2-5 years increased from 1988-1994 to 1999-2004," state the authors of an April 2007 preliminary report published by the National Center for Health Statistics. The Surgeon General has identified oral health as essential to general health and well-being. Although dental caries has declined significantly among school-age children since the early 1970s, dental caries has remained the most prevalent chronic disease of childhood. This report provides national estimates for a broad range of oral health measures from 1988-1994 to 1999-2004.

Data for this report were taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988-1994, and from NHANES 1999-2004. NHANES used a stratified, multistage design to obtain a representative sample of the U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population, ages 2 months or older. For this report, information on oral health status was obtained from the following assessments conducted during the dental examination: tooth count, dental caries, dental sealants, dental incisor trauma, and periodontal status. Information was also obtained from the home interview covering assessments on perceived oral health status and the frequency of dental care.

The authors found that:

The authors conclude that "the data reported here reflect trends in oral health status that have occurred between the NHANES survey years 1988-1994 and 1999-2004."

Dye BA, Tan S, Smith V, et al. 2007. Trends in oral health status: United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Vital and Health Statistics 11(248):1-104. Available at www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_248.pdf.

Forum Provides Future Directions Related To Women’s Periodontal Health and Birth Outcomes

Research to Policy and Practice Forum: Periodontal Health and Birth Outcomes—Summary of a Meeting of Maternal, Child, and Oral Health Experts explores the oral health requirements of pregnant women as a promising strategy for improving maternal and infant health. The report summarizes presentations of commissioned background papers and other topics, as well as workgroup discussions from a forum convened by the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's) Maternal and Child Health Bureau, held on December 11-12, 2006, in Washington, DC. The forum was planned in collaboration with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; HRSA's Office of Women's Health; the National Institute of Health's National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and Office of Research on Women's Health; and the Office of the Surgeon General. The report, prepared by Health Systems Research and published by the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, includes an overview and purpose; a summary of presentations; and a discussion of future directions for policy, programming, and research. Closing remarks, next steps, references, the forum agenda, and a participant list are also provided. The report is available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/PeriodontalSummary.pdf. The presenters’ slides and other relevant resources are available at http://www.mchoralhealth.org/Materials/Multiples/PerioForum.

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center

OHRC is pleased to announce the availability two new resources.

Oral Health Resource Bulletin: Volume XVII lists recently produced materials for health professionals, educators, program administrators, and others working to improve the oral health of infants, children, adolescents, and their families in communities across the country. These materials address topics including oral health services for children with special health care needs, access to care, periodontal health and birth outcomes, early childhood caries, Head Start, and Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. This document's URL is: www.mchoralhealth.org/PDFs/ResBltnXVII.pdf.

Research to Policy and Practice Forum: Periodontal Health and Birth Outcomes--Summary of a Meeting of Maternal, Child, and Oral Health Experts summarizes the presentations of commissioned background papers and other topics, as well as workgroup discussions from the forum held on December 11-12, 2006 in Washington, DC. The meeting was convened by the Health Resources and Services Administration's (HRSA's), Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), to address the relationship between periodontal health and birth outcomes, and was planned in collaboration with representatives of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Office of the Surgeon General, and HRSA's Office of Women's Health. The summary is divided into the following sections: (1) Summary of Presentations, (2) Future Directions for Policy and Programming, (3) Future Directions for Research, and (4) Closing Remarks and Next Steps. An appendix includes the forum agenda and participant list. The presenters' slides and other relevant resources are available on OHRC's Web site at www.mchoralhealth.org/Materials/Multiples/PerioForum.

A limited number of print copies of these publications are available at no charge from the HRSA Information Center, P.O. Box 2910, Merrifield, VA 22116, phone: (888) ASK-HRSA (275-4772), fax: (703) 821-2098, e-mail: ask@hrsa.gov, Web site: www.ask.hrsa.gov. Electronic copies are available at no charge from OHRC’s Web site at www.mchoralhealth.org.

Testimony Highlights Limitations of Data For Gauging Medicaid’s Success in Providing Oral Health Services to Children

Medicaid: Concerns Remain About Sufficiency of Data for Oversight of Children's Dental Services examines the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS's) oversight of oral health care for children from families with low incomes who are enrolled in the Medicaid program. The testimony, published by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is based on the following: (1) reports GAO issued from 2000 to 2003; (2) interviews conducted in April 2007 with officials from CMS; state Medicaid programs in California, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, and Washington; and national health associations; and (3) a review of relevant literature provided by officials from CMS and other organizations. The testimony addresses the data that CMS requires states to submit on the provision of Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) dental services and the extent to which the data are sufficient for CMS oversight of the provision of these services. Background information on EPSDT services and Medicaid delivery and financing, concluding observations, contacts, and related GAO products are included. The testimony is available at www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-826T.

Dentists Need More Training in Oral Cancer Detection

Newswise -- More than 92 percent of Illinois dentists provide oral cancer examinations for their patients, but many are not performing the procedures thoroughly or at optimum intervals, according to a new University of Illinois at Chicago study.

With an incomplete understanding of the nature of pre-malignant lesions and of proper examination techniques, some dentists in Illinois "are not doing all they should be doing to detect oral cancers in their patients," said Charles LeHew of the UIC Cancer Center's Center for Population Health and Health Disparities and the Institute for Health Research and Policy.

More than 500 dentists in 19 Illinois counties responded to the 38-item questionnaire that was used to gauge the extent of their knowledge of oral cancer prevention and early detection. A greater than 60 percent response rate indicated that Illinois dentists "take seriously their important role in addressing the state's oral cancer burden," said LeHew, who was the lead researcher of the study.

According to LeHew, the majority of dentists correctly identified squamous cell carcinoma, the most common form of oral cancer, as well as the most common sites for oral cancer and the most-common types of early lesions. Many, however, were not able to answer those questions correctly.

Moreover, dentists lacked knowledge needed for risk assessment and counseling. For example, when asked which of several risk factors is least important, the most frequent answer was age -- which is actually an important factor, LeHew said.

"Some dentists incorrectly identified tobacco or alcohol as the least important risk factor, when in fact they are the two most important," he said.

Two-thirds of the dentists had had oral cancer continuing education; however, 40 percent had trained more than two years prior to the survey. And training in risk counseling was rare, LeHew said. "There is a clear need for additional training and for greater vigilance."

Approximately 31,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year; it will cause more than 8,000 deaths. Of the newly diagnosed patients, only half will be alive in five years, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. Survival has not significantly improved in decades.

The death rate for oral cancer is higher than for cervical cancer; Hodgkin's disease; and cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney or skin (malignant melanoma).

Early detection is essential in increasing the survival rate for oral cancer. Symptoms include a mouth sore that fails to heal or that bleeds easily; a white or red patch in the mouth that may not be painful but will not go away; a lump, thickening or soreness in the mouth, throat or tongue; and difficulty chewing or swallowing food.

"Illinois dentists face many barriers to providing early detection and risk counseling services to their patients," said Dr. Linda Kaste, associate professor of prevention and public health sciences who co-authored the study. "Lack of proper training and adequate time appear to be chief among them."

To increase awareness of the disease, UIC has been working with organizations in several Illinois counties that have high incidences of oral cancer to develop and distribute public health education materials, Kaste said. Oral cancer screenings are also provided to the underserved populations. The counties are located in northeast, central, western, and southwestern Illinois.

LeHew said the findings of the study were similar to studies in other states. Illinois dentists are performing at levels similar to dentists in other parts of the country, he said.

"Dentists are not going to diagnosis cancer," he said. "They are going to find potentially dangerous lesions and refer the patient to an oral surgeon. Because dentists are intimately familiar with the oral cavity, they can take a look around while they are examining a patient.

"The expectations are not clear for what dentists should do in regards to oral cancer. We need to identify what the best practices are. There is still a lot of work to be done to get there."

The study was published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. It was partially funded by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, the National Cancer Institute and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

For more information about UIC, visit www.uic.edu.

Building Consumer Demand for Tobacco Cessation Products and Services

Building Consumer Demand for Tobacco Cessation Products and Services (PDF/1.73 MB) 44.5 million Americans smoke, and there is no better way to improve the nation's health and reduce health disparities than to help these smokers quit. Most smokers who attempt to quit fail because they don't use treatments that could significantly improve their success rates. Providing consumers with tobacco cessation products and services that they find both appealing and effective could substantially boost the nation's quit rate. Increasing demand for evidence-based cessation products and services—particularly in underserved low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations where tobacco use is highest and treatment use is lowest—is a challenge that will require bold thinking, innovation, changes in practices and new approaches that start with the consumer perspective. The Innovations in Building Consumer Demand for Tobacco Cessation Products and Services report summarizes six core strategies to build demand for proven tobacco cessation products and services. View the complete report (PDF/1.73 MB)

NYU Names Dr. Charles Bertolami Dean of Nation's Largest Dental School

Charles N. Bertolami, D.D.S., D.Med.Sc. -- a leader in the dental research, education, and clinical communities –- has been named the 14th Dean of the 142-year-old New York University College of Dentistry. He will assume the post on September 1, 2007.

Dr. Bertolami is currently the dean of the University of California – San Francisco School of Dentistry; during the 12 years he has served in that post, the UCSF School of Dentistry has led the nation in overall NIH funding for dental schools. In addition to expanding the school's research capacity, he has also: enhanced the school's clinical and teaching programs, including renovating clinics and laboratories; implemented a new curriculum reinforcing integration of basic and clinical sciences in dental education; established and expanded joint degree programs; and established a year-long post-baccalaureate program for students from economically or educationally disadvantaged groups.

NYU President John Sexton said, "Under Mike Alfano's deanship, the College of Dentistry went through a remarkable transformation: there was a renewed and powerful emphasis on research, the facilities were upgraded, the role of dentistry was expanded, new healthcare collaborations were envisioned, the quality of students improved greatly, and the College of Nursing became part of the Dental College. Finding a successor who could sustain that momentum was a significant challenge, but Charles Bertolami is ideally suited not only to sustain it, but accelerate it."

Executive Vice President Michael Alfano, former dean of the Dental College, said, "I have known Dr. Bertolami for over a decade and I could not be more pleased that he will be the next dean of the Dental College. Charles has succeeded at every challenge he has taken on, and he will use his intelligence, wisdom, and experience to take the NYU Dental College to the next level."

Dr. Bertolami is currently Dean and Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of California-San Francisco School of Dentistry, posts he has held since 1995. Prior to that, he was Professor and Chair of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Section at the University of California-Los Angeles School of Dentistry and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, and Chief of the Dental Service at the UCLA Medical Center. From 1983-1988, he was Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the School of Dental Medicine and in the Department of Surgery in the School of Medicine at the University of Connecticut.

His research and scholarly interest has focused on orofacial tissue repair, the biochemistry of hyaluronic acid, the use of sodium hyaluronate in treatment of temporomandibular disorders, and professional ethics. His research has been consistently funded by the NIH and, while chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery at UCLA, he served as the Principal Investigator for the UCLA-Drew Regional Research Center for Minority Oral Health. He has been the recipient of and principal investigator on many research grants, and the author of numerous articles in scholarly and research publications.

A native Ohioan, Dr. Bertolami received an A.A. degree with distinction from Lorain County Community College, majored in liberal arts at the Ohio State University, and then received his D.D.S. degree, summa cum laude, from Ohio State in 1974. Subsequently he began graduate work at Harvard, receiving a Doctor of Medical Sciences (D.Med.Sc.) degree in 1979. He received specialty training in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital, serving as chief resident from 1979-80.

Funding Opportunities

Simian Models for the Oral Biology of HIV Infection and AIDS-Related Oral Complications (R21)
PA-07-369
Contact: Mostafa Nokta, 301-594-7985, mostafa.nokta@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: May 1, 2007
Expiration Date: May 8, 2010

Bioengineering Research Partnerships (BRP) [R01]
PAR-07-352
Contact: Nadya Lumelsky, 301-594-7703, nadya.lumelsky@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: April 6, 2007
Expiration Date: May 8, 2010

AIDS International Training and Research Program (D43)
PAR-07-348
Contact: Mostafa Nokta, 301-594-7985, mostafa.nokta@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: April 2, 2007
Expiration Date: August 15, 2009

Innovations in Biomedical Computational Science and Technology (R01)
PAR-07-344
Contact: Eleni Kousvelari, 301-594-2427, eleni.kousvelari@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: March 29, 2007
Expiration Date: January 25, 2009

International Research Collaboration - Basic Biomedical (FIRCA-BB) (R03)
PAR-07-335
Contact: Kevin Hardwick, 301-594-2765, kevin.hardwick@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: March 23, 2007
Expiration Date: January 23, 2008

Dental School Joint DDS or DMD/Masters Degree NRSA Reserach Training Program (T32)
PAR-07-332
Contact: Kevin Hardwick, 301-594-2765, kevin.hardwick@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide:March 16, 2007
Expiration Date: September 26, 2009

Centers for Research to Reduce Disparities in Oral Health (U54)
RFA-DE-08-008
Contact: Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, 301-594-5394, ruth.nowjack-raymer@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: May 3, 2007
Application Receipt Date: November 15, 2007

Oral Mucosal Vaccination Against HIV Infection (R01)
RFA-DE-08-003
Contact: Mostafa Nokta, 301-594-7985, mostafa.nokta@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: April 3, 2007
Application Receipt Date: August 14, 2007

Oral Mucosal Vaccination Against HIV Infection (R21)
RFA-DE-08-004
Contact: Mostafa Nokta, 301-594-7985, mostafa.nokta@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: April 3, 2007
Application Receipt Date: August 14, 2007

Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (U54)
RFA-RM-07-007
Contact: Bruce Pihlstrom, 301-594-4830, Bruce.Pihlstrom@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: March 22, 2007
Application Receipt Date: October 24, 2007

NIDCR Mentored Quantitative Research Development Award in A Systems Approach to Salivary Gland Biology (K25)
RFA-DE-08-002
Contact: Lillian Shum, 301-594-0618, lillian.shum@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: March 15, 2007
Application Receipt Date: November 15, 2007

A Systems Approach to Salivary Gland Biology (R01)
RFA-DE-08-001
Contact: Lillian Shum 301-594-0618, lillian.shum@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: March 16, 2007
Application Receipt Date: November 14, 2007

2007 NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program (DP2)
RFA-RM-07-009
Contact: Mary Daley, 301-594-4808, mary.daley@nih.gov
Published in the NIH Guide: March 9, 2007
Application Receipt Date: May 22, 2007