# Pittsburgh Craniofacial Sciences Training Program

> **NIH NIH T90** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2022 · $347,388

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
We will establish a new Pittsburgh Craniofacial Sciences Training Program (PCSTP) at the University of
Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (Pitt Dental) to train and mentor a new generation of leaders in Dental
Oral and Craniofacial (DOC) sciences. Our goal is to address the critical shortage of craniofacial
biologists nationwide through the PCSTP. Pitt Dental is an ideal academic setting for a high-caliber
program, including strong institutional investment in internationally recognized research programs in
craniofacial genetics and regenerative medicine. Indeed, Pitt Dental has ranked in the top 10 dental schools
receiving NIDCR funding each of the past 6 years, while the University has ranked 6th or higher nationally in
total NIH funding for more than a decade. Concerted efforts to grow the research enterprise at Pitt Dental over
the last 15 years led to a doubling in the number of accomplished research faculty and the completion of a new
state-of-the-art research tower in 2015. The thriving Pitt Dental research ecosystem is multi- and
interdisciplinary and team-based. Our current oral and craniofacial sciences trainees work alongside PhD
students from the Departments of Bioengineering (School of Engineering) and Human Genetics (Graduate
School of Public Health), all of whom identify themselves as craniofacial scientists. Pitt Dental leadership fully
recognizes the strategic importance of our program and has committed significant resources in personnel and
support for the students in the PCSTP. The PCSTP will be administered and managed in the Department of
Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, with additional faculty from other Pitt Dental or University departments
(primarily Prosthodontics, Human Genetics, and Bioengineering). Trainees will be admitted to the Oral and
Craniofacial Sciences PhD program, and following the completion of their first year (supported by Pitt Dental),
the strongest students will be considered for acceptance into the PCSTP. Postdoctoral trainees can apply to
participate in either the conventional postdoctoral training or enroll in the PhD program for individuals holding a
DDS/DMD. Finally, the R90 component will provide opportunities for individuals with foreign DDS/DMD
degrees to participate. The PCSTP provides courses, research experiences, seminar series, journal clubs, an
annual symposium, and an annual retreat (for PCSTP trainees and faculty only) and will leverage University
resources, such as training in artificial intelligence, data science and the responsible conduct of research
(RCR) and in methods to enhance reproducibility. Our trainees will benefit from a wealth of mentors, seminars,
conferences, shared facilities, intramural pilot awards, and specialized training and experiences available
through hundreds of laboratories and clinics across the six schools of the health sciences and the Pitt Clinical
and Translational Sciences Institute (including its RCR Center and Institute for Clinical Research Ed...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10495391
- **Project number:** 1T90DE030853-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** CHARLES SFEIR
- **Activity code:** T90 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $347,388
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10495391

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10495391, Pittsburgh Craniofacial Sciences Training Program (1T90DE030853-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10495391. Licensed CC0.

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