The National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
Division of Intramural Research
Research and Training at the NIDCR
The NIDCR intramural division pursues seminal problems in biomedical research that are difficult to tackle in university or industrial settings. To do so, a team of 35 senior and tenure track investigators, 125 postdoctoral fellows, and 75 staff scientists and technicians conducts basic, translational and clinical research in cell, molecular and developmental biology; microbiology and immunology; and neurobiology. A sampling of advances by NIDCR intramural investigators and their collaborators in the past few years includes:
Discovered many genes involved in craniofacial development and growth.
Discovered mechanisms that mediate branching morphogenesis of organs, including salivary glands, and identied roles for FGFs, extracellular matrix, and ma- trix receptors.
Identified key proteins and physiological processes involved in regulating salivary gland fluid secretion, such as ion transporters, Ca2+ channels, and water channels.
Demonstrated that macrophages are an important source of HIV during opportunistic infections, and that a Kaposi's sarcoma virus-encoded receptor plays a central role in AIDS-associated malignancies.
Identified a TGF- dependent pathway for induction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.
Identified receptors for sweet, sour, bitter and umami tastants, demonstrating that, at the periphery, taste perception is hard-wired into separate subsets of cells.
Elucidated the signaling pathways by which small GT-Pases of the Rho family regulate gene expression in the nucleus.
Identified and characterized post-natal stem cells from bone marrow and dental tissue, which re-form skeletal tissues and participate in repair of other damaged tissues.
NIDCR intramural researchers work in recently renovated, well-equipped laboratories on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. They are part of a larger scientific community at NIH comprising more than 1200 senior and tenure track investigators, 3800 postdoctoral fellows and 420 graduate students. As members of this community, they contribute to and benefit from an environment rich in intellectual and physical resources.
The intramural division at NIDCR is organized into six thematic research groups:
Cell and Developmental Biology Laboratory
Craniofacial and Skeletal Biology Branch
Gene Therapy and Therapeutics Branch
Oral Infection and Immunity Branch
Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch
Sensory Biology Laboratory
The interests and expertise of scientists in these groups overlap significantly, leading to collaborations that are facilitated by the physical proximity of the laboratories. Collaborative initiatives are currently being developed to address the skeleton and associated structures, craniofacial tissue remodeling and salivary gland biology.
The NIDCR intramural division is committed to training the next generation of researchers and clinicians, and provides training opportunities on campus for recent college graduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.
Postdocs receive an initial 2-year appointment, with possible extension up to 5 years. A variety of programs provide summer support to undergraduates and dental and medical students. Information about NIDCR intramural training opportunities is available at http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Funding/Training/TrainingOpps.htm or by contacting the director of education, Dr. Deborah Philp, (dphilp@dir.nidcr.nih.gov).
Additional information about NIDCR intramural research can be found at http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/Research/Intramural.htm.