PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT I. Candidate I am a board-certified orthodontist and a research-track faculty at the UCLA School of Dentistry. I am a dual- trained clinician scientist, with significant background in bone tissue engineering with 16 publications, 24 podium abstract presentations, and 6 national-level excellence-in-research awards to date. For the past 7 years I have worked extensively with various transdisciplinary research teams at UCLA, based on which I have sought primary mentorship from Dr. Chia Soo and formed the five-person advisory committee of the current proposal. Under Dr. Soo's new mentorship, I am in the path of establishing a clear independence from my previous and current mentors' work, evidenced by my recent achievements delineated in the current proposal. My immediate career goals are to secure time and effort for research career development by means of a K08 award, continue devising innovations relevant to the Nation's research needs, and build upon my prolific publication record. My end goal is for scientific independence in a tenure faculty position, and to continue addressing the Nation's biomedical and clinical research needs by transdisciplinary efforts. A K08 award will tremendously benefit my career development by providing (i) a structured program to cultivate multidisciplinary research skills, (ii) salary support to maintain commitment to research-track, and (iii) protected research time. The astonishing five-member advisory committee assembled for this proposal consists of developmental and molecular biologists, clinician scientists with FDA experience, and bioengineer to provide mentorship in this highly translational and multidisciplinary project. The distinguished and experienced mentors are composed of leading members of the UCLA research community, and will provide both research and administrative support. In addition to receiving unanimous institutional backing from the School of Dentistry, I will benefit from and strengthen the robust collaboration that exists between my mentors and their research collaborators. II. Environment UCLA is one of the leading public research institutions in the world and provides an excellent academic environment with rich intellectual resources, abundant research facilities, and robust institutional support. The institutional environment at UCLA offers a great wealth of closely integrated and shared physical and human resources that can foster the growth and intellectual development of a young scientific investigator. III. Research Dental osteopenia and its associated morbidities such as tooth loss, periodontal implant failures, and malfitting dentures are projected to cost over $240 billion worldwide by 2040. Therapeutic approaches to osteoporotic bone loss have focused on either anabolic or antiresorptive agents. However, there is a pressing need to develop new agents that target both bone formation and resorption. Importantly, there is no concrete evidence that supports ...