# UCLA Dental Specialty PhD Program

> **NIH NIH K12** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $219,893

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Established in 2018, the overarching goal of the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) Dental
Specialty PhD Program (DSPP) within the UCLA School of Dentistry (SOD) is to promote the research career
development of highly productive, early-career dentist-scientists and to facilitate their transition to independent
investigators capable of addressing complex challenges within the dental profession and of advancing dental
medicine. The UCLA SOD aspires to transform dental education and research by equipping trainees with
experiences that prepare them to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, and compassionate, skilled
clinicians capable of delivering patient-centered care in a rapidly evolving health care environment. To this end,
the UCLA DSPP successfully recruited and retained two outstanding DSPP Scholars in the prior funding period
who have made notable contributions in research related to oral health, one of which is female. To support the
UCLA DSPP, the UCLA SOD has established outstanding postgraduate dental training programs that include
seven Graduate Medical Education (GME)-supported dental specialty residency programs. The proposed K12
research training includes both PhD research and clinical specialty-oriented research guided by primary
research mentors and clinical specialty mentors, respectively. The DSPP Scholars will complete a 3-year
clinical specialty training block funded by the GME program followed by a 4.5-year PhD training block funded
by the K12 award. Integration of the clinical specialty training and PhD research will be ensured through careful
construction of cohesive mentorship teams, sustained clinical effort during the PhD program, coordinated input
and guidance on selection of the research focus, inclusion of a critical authentic task, continual progress
monitoring, and an established conflict resolution plan. Efforts will be made to achieve diversity of
representation among DSPP Scholars and to recruit candidates from historically marginalized communities,
including candidates from within the UCLA SOD and from the Texas A&M University College of Dentistry. The
UCLA DSPP will provide effective, evidence-based pedagogy, providing all DSPP Scholars an equitable and
inclusive learning experience. Finally, Scholars will enter the transition year supported by UCLA SOD to
conduct postdoctoral research to facilitate their transition to an independent research career. In the current
renewal, the UCLA DSPP seeks to advance ongoing efforts to increase the critical mass of dental school
faculty who contribute to both clinical and scientific excellence, ensure diverse representation among future
dentist-scientists, and construct collaborative networks involving clinician-scientists equipped with unique skills
to address patient-oriented challenges and to transform the future of dentistry.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10662146
- **Project number:** 2K12DE027830-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Yvonne L Kapila
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $219,893
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10662146

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10662146, UCLA Dental Specialty PhD Program (2K12DE027830-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10662146. Licensed CC0.

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