New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry has established the Center for Skeletal and Craniofacial Biology with funding from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant.
The center is led by Nicola Partridge, PhD, whose specialties include molecular endocrinology and bone and mineral research.
According to Partridge, the mission of the center is to raise the tempo of research into diseases affecting craniofacial development and bone, including cleft palate and bone loss related to osteoporosis, kidney failure, cancer metastasis, and periodontal disease.
The school's approach reflects changes in the priorities of NIH's proposal evaluation system that puts the burden on scientists to show how likely it is that their research will have a major scientific impact.
Specific center objectives include the following:
- Facilitating access to research facilities at the NYU College of Dentistry
- Developing new research facilities, such as a bone histology unit in the department of basic science and craniofacial biology
- Applying for NIH funding to acquire new research instruments, such as a micro-CT scanner
- Identifying promising new areas for research, and developing and critically reviewing new grant proposals to fund studies in these areas
- Encouraging researchers to meet to discuss findings from pilot studies and to explore new alliances leading to the expansion of those studies into larger, more sophisticated multiyear grants involving several faculty members
- Sponsoring clinical trials leading to new treatments and patents
