Winter 2024

NIDCR’s website received a facelift, featuring a more modern, accessible, and mobile-optimized design. The refreshed site features new colors, fonts, icons, and a reorganized homepage, making it easier for visitors to find relevant information. Additional updates are in the works to enhance functionality and user experience.

In October, NIDCR Associate Scientific Director and Senior Investigator Niki Moutsopoulos, D.D.S., Ph.D., was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine. The Academy recognizes Dr. Moutsopoulos for her research on understanding and treating gum disease, known as periodontitis.

In September, NIDCR cohosted the workshop Oral Health for Some is Not Enough: Life Course Approach to Oral Health with the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The workshop sought to understand factors and policies that impact daily life and that can guide efforts to reduce oral health disparities. NIDCR Deputy Director Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque D.D.S., Ph.D., opened the event with a recorded message. To watch the workshop, visit the NIH VideoCast page.

Dr. Webster-Cyriaque served on the Women in Science Leadership Panel with Astronaut Kate Rubins, along with other NIH institute and center directors, to inspire the next generation of women in science. During the event, held by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Dr. Webster-Cyriaque shared insights on balancing life and a career in science. For a recording of the event, visit the NIH VideoCast page.

Interested in applying for an off-campus NIDCR research fellowship, or mentoring a trainee in the lab? Join NIDCR staff on Monday, December 9, from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. ET to learn about NIDCR fellowship opportunities at various career stages. The webinar will cover recent changes to the application review process. To sign up, visit the registration page.

Recognizing the vital role dental hygienists play in clinical and preventative care, NIDCR invites dental hygienists to apply for predoctoral or postdoctoral research funding. NIDCR offers multiple fellowship opportunities: F30 fellowships (PA-23-260, PA-23-261), F31 fellowships (PA-23-271, PA-23-272), and F99/K00 fellowships (PAR-24-139, PAR-25-021).

A recent study found increased use of mental health services among Ph.D. candidates in Sweden, particularly those in the natural sciences. NIH offers a range of supportive resources, including a series of recorded webinars and group sessions called Mental Health and Well-Being of Biomedical Researchers. If you're struggling, contact your program officer to guide you to support.

Each summer, NIDCR sponsors high school, college, and dental students to work in research labs on campus to get a taste of what it’s like to embark on a career in science. This year’s group of students presented their research on salivary gland disorders, early face and skull development, pain, and more at an NIDCR-hosted poster session.

The NIH Catalyst recently highlighted investigators whose research aims to merge medicine with music, including NIDCR Stadtman Investigator Yuanyuan “Kevin” Liu, Ph.D. Along with his colleagues, Dr. Liu found that playing any type of sound — from Bach to white noise — at five decibels over ambient sound suppressed pain in mice.

NIH’s I Am Intramural Blog recently featured the work of Laurie Brenchley, a dental hygienist and clinical study coordinator in Dr. Moutsopoulos’ lab. They study the link between oral health and the immune system, with a focus on genetic factors that increase susceptibility to severe periodontitis.

In a video, NIDCR Senior Investigator Pamela Robey, Ph.D., and postdoctoral fellow Kathryn Futrega, Ph.D., share their work to better understand what guides skeletal stem cells to become bone or cartilage. Their findings could inform therapies to regenerate these tissues after injury or disease.

An NIDCR-led clinical trial is underway to test whether clear plastic aligners can improve tooth misalignment and chewing ability in patients with a rare disease that causes brittle teeth. Early results show promise. The aligners may offer a less invasive treatment option for patients whose teeth are too fragile to withstand conventional braces.

The NIH Catalyst featured research led by NIDCR Senior Investigator Wanjun Chen, Ph.D., on systemic sclerosis, a disease that causes hardening of the skin and organs. His team found that higher levels of a molecule called microRNA-19b drive production of an immune cell signal called IL-9 that in turn drives progression of the disease. The findings could lead to new ways to monitor or treat the disease.

Toxoplasma gondii parasite infection remains a risk to people who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system. Researchers led by NIDCR Stadtman Investigator Nadine Samara, Ph.D., uncovered the structure of an enzyme crucial for the parasite to form long-lasting cysts. The findings may help scientists identify ways to weaken the cysts, which are currently impenetrable to drugs.

NIH seeks input on the NIH Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan for 2026-2030. Key focuses for the plan include addressing health disparities, improving minority health, advancing technologies, outreach to communities, and including diverse populations in research. Respond by Tuesday, December 31, 2024, to help shape future NIH research efforts.

NIH BRAIN Initiative-supported researchers unveiled the first complete map of the neural connections in the brain of a common fruit fly. The study, which details over 50 million connections between more than 130,000 neurons, offers critical information about how brains are wired and the signals that underlie healthy brain functions.