# DSPP Scholar Training at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry

> **NIH NIH K12** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $153,891

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Craniofacial birth defects, e.g., cleft lip and cleft palate, are among the most common congenital
malformations in humans. Similarly, acquired diseases affecting the craniofacial region (e.g., head and neck
cancer) through treatment modalities (e.g., surgery and chemo- and radiation therapy) or accidents (e.g.,
traffic, firearms, fireworks) often cause significant functional, structural, and esthetic damage to the face,
mouth, and cranium. The treatment of these conditions often is complex and involves the coordinated work of
the multidisciplinary craniofacial teams at clinics and centers providing comprehensive care for patients.
Despite recent advances in treatment options, the lack of knowledge in molecular mechanisms controlling
craniofacial development and regeneration remains a major obstacle in development of more sophisticated
therapies or more effective prevention of these conditions.
 The goal of this NIDCR Dental Specialty and PhD Program is to help ensure that a diverse pool of well-
trained scientists is available to address the nation’s biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research needs. We
are confident that this goal is achievable through programs that incorporate effective recruitment, advanced
scientific and clinical training, superb mentors, and an outstanding training environment. We leverage our
existing and highly successful Oral Health Sciences PhD program and the well-established, accredited clinical
specialty programs at the School of Dentistry to provide a pipeline of experts with advanced scientific and
clinical training. Specifically, this 7-year program offers PhD training with required and elective courses,
research rotations, dissertation research and career and leadership development, coupled with clinical
specialty training that supports scholars’ scientific and career plans. We propose to support our existing two
scholars, who are currently pursuing the integrated dental specialty and PhD training, until they transition to
other funding mechanisms during the second year of their specialty training. At that point, we will admit two
new scholars, who will be selected based on strong academic records, research accomplishments, and
commitment to a research-intensive academic career with a focus on craniofacial diseases and disorders and
support them as outlined above. We will make a special effort to recruit scholars from diverse and
underrepresented backgrounds.
 The University of Michigan and the School of Dentistry have a long tradition in graduate education, which
is both “student-centered and faculty led”. Our holistic view in graduate training not only prepares scholars for
professional challenges of the academic dentistry, but also furnishes them with skills and experiences to
become critical independent thinkers and life-long learners. This allows them to develop as master clinicians
with recognized independent research careers. Our goal is to educate a diverse and uniquely qualified
workforce tha...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10832639
- **Project number:** 5K12DE027826-07
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** VESA M KAARTINEN
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $153,891
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-05-01 → 2028-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10832639

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10832639, DSPP Scholar Training at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry (5K12DE027826-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-08-17 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10832639. Licensed CC0.

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