uw dental alumni fun in the fall! - School of Dentistry

esearch update A sampling of current studies at the School of Dentistry
Training grant has had broad impact on School
This year, the School of Dentistry won renewal of a fiveyear
training grant in interdisciplinary oral health research
that has had a major impact on the School’s research work
– both basic science and translational research – in public
health and behavioral and clinical sciences.
The grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial
Research covers DDS/PhD students, PhD students
in the Department of Oral Health Sciences,
and postdoctoral fellows. Dr. Tim DeRouen,
formerly Interim Dean, is principal investigator
and program director, while Dr. Linda
LeResche, Associate Dean for Research, played
a key role in preparing the grant application.
Dr. Richard Presland of Oral Health Sciences
is associate director of the grant.
Says Dr. Doug Ramsay (Ortho ’90), Chair
Dr. Tim DeRouen
of Oral Health Sciences and Co-Director of the Training Program:
“Renewal of the NIDCR-funded training grant enriches
the academic environment of our School while training future
dental faculty and research scientists. This is critically important
as dental academia continues to face a growing nationwide
shortage of faculty.
“The Department of Oral Health Sciences, which encompasses
research interests in oral biology as well as dental public
health sciences, has played a significant role
in working with graduate students and senior
fellows supported by the training grant, and
so renewal of the grant will greatly help us
fulfill the training and research missions of
the department.”
Unlike a regular research grant, Dr. De-
Rouen notes, this grant does not support
predetermined research projects. Rather, it Dr. Doug Ramsay
40 DentalAlumninews FALL 2012
supports trainees at different levels to work on their selected
research projects that are part of their training program.
Oral Health Sciences is the home base for the grant at the
School of Dentistry. Under the grant, focal areas in basic and
translational sciences include microbial-host interactions and
immunology; craniofacial biology, development and disease;
orofacial structure and function; and stem cell biology/tissue
regeneration. Training in the focal areas of biostatistics, epidemiology
and behavioral and health services research is accomplished
through extensive collaboration with the UW School
of Public Health.
Those who have benefited from the initial grant and its precursors
include School of Dentistry faculty. Among them are
Dr. Ramsay; Dr. Michel Martin (’94 Oral Med) and Dr. Mark
Drangsholt (’84) of Oral Medicine; Dr. Philippe Hujoel (’86
Perio), Dr. Susan Coldwell, Dr. Donald Chi
(’06), Dr. Karl Kaiyala, Dr. Lloyd Mancl, Dr.
Sun Oh Chung, Dr. Christine Riedy, Dr.
Lisa Heaton, Dr. Jacqueline Pickrell and
Dr. Susanne Kölare Jeffrey of Oral Health
Sciences; and Dr. Greg Huang (’89 Ortho)
and Dr. Geoffrey Greenlee (’00 Ortho) of
Orthodontics. Trainees also now serve on
Dr. Linda LeResche
faculties at other dental schools.
Those who will be working under the new grant include
Dr. Molly Melbye (’06), a postdoctoral trainee in Oral Health
Sciences; Erin Masterson and Thao “Jenny” To, predoctoral
trainees; and Emily Chu (’12), Ara Greer (’10), Atriya Salamati
and Jonathan An, dual-degree (DDS/PhD) trainees.
For details on any study at the School of Dentistry, contact Dr. Linda LeResche,
Associate Dean for Research, at leresche@dental.washington.edu, or Mary
Beth Cunningham at mec@u.washington.edu, or the principal investigator.