Research Education in Oral Health Sciences

An oral health care workforce of both clinicians and researchers is critical for advancing fundamental knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial health and disease, and to translate the knowledge into prevention, early detection, and treatment strategies that improve overall health for all individuals and all communities across the lifespan. The long-term goal is a sustainable summer research education program, Research Education in Oral Health Sciences (REOHS), that stimulates trainees and provides mentorship support for students to pursue future training opportunities in oral health research. The overall objectives in this application are to (i) encourage the pursuit of further studies or careers in oral health research; and (ii) foster a better understanding of biomedical, behavioral and clinical research and its implications. The rationale for this proposed program is that early exposure increases interest and consideration of health science careers.

The overall objectives will be pursued through three specific aims: 1) Develop, implement, and evaluate, and sustain a 9-week comprehensive summer program that provides hands-on exposure to research and supports participants’ scientific and career development; 2) Recruit, enroll and retain a cohort of 8-10 high school and undergraduate student participants, annually; and 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the REOHS program. The proposed program will emphasize translational science principles and education of social determinants of health. Ultimately, the proposed summer research education program, REOHS, has the potential to enhance the training of an oral health workforce to meet the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs.

Grant Number: 5R25DE032528-04
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Lorel Burns