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PhD in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences
 
Program Director: Dr. Caroline Damsky

Application Form :  Application to the PhD program requires recent GRE scores and an Application available as a pdf file.

One of the foundations of the graduate program at the UCSF School of Dentistry is the PhD program in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. The PhD is offered under the auspices of the Graduate Group in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and it provides training and experience in research, primarily for qualified dentists and dental hygienists interested in academic careers. Such doctoral and research training is offered in the following areas: Cell and Molecular Biology (see below) Biomaterials Science and Bioengineering Clinical and Translational Research

The PhD program is designed to train academic research investigators of the future who will carry out independent, high quality research in oral biology. The foundations of oral biology are in numerous oral health-related biomedical sciences, such as cell, developmental, and molecular biology; biochemistry; biomaterials; biophysics; and the physical sciences.

Description of Curriculum for PhD Students in Oral and Craniofacial Sciences:

Predoctoral (those with a bachelor's or master's degree) and postdoctoral (those with a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree) trainees will pursue similar training as all will be entering a Ph.D. program. All postdoctoral trainees will have obtained a D.D.S., D.M.D. or equivalent.

NOTES: Note that BMS courses follow the Grad. Div. Calender: Fall Quarter BMS classes start week of Sept 25.

1. OMS 200 and DPH 200 are offered in alternate years.  One may be taken during the first year and the other during the second year.

2. Attendance at the OCS Journal Club and Seminar Series (OB 270 & OB 220) is required when these courses are offered.  The only exceptions are:  a) if a student is taking a required course with a conflicting schedule; b) during the quarter that a student plans to take the qualifying exam;     c) during the quarter when a student is on filing fee.

3. All trainees must take a course focused on ethics for scientists.  DPH 200 is more relevant to clinical considerations, while Antrhopology 219 may be of more interest to basic scientists.  Either course will fulfill this requirement.

4. A minimum of three lab rotations must be taken before selecting a mentor’s lab for the dissertation project.  Due to course load, some trainees may wait till the Winter Quarter of their first year before registering for a rotation. 

5. BMS 255 Genetics, and BMS 225A and 225B (Biology of Human Tissues and Organ Systems) may be taken in either the first or second year.  BMS225B is not required for OCS graduate students who already have a DDS, or are in the DDS-PhD program.

6. G&D 210 might not be given in F 2006 (instructor retirement)  If not, the  next offering, will be F 2007.

7. OB224-Host Response is now incorporated as an intensive 4-week block within a larger School of  Medicine course: 2006 starts 8/28

NOTES

1.  OMS 200 and DPH 200 are offered in alternate years.  One may be taken during the first year and the other during the second year.

2.  Attendance at the OCS Journal Club and Seminar Series (OB 270 & OB 220) is required when these courses are offered.  The only exceptions are:  a) if a student is taking a required course with a conflicting schedule; b) during the quarter that a student plans to take the qualifying exam; c) during the quarter when a student is on filing fee.

3.  All Trainees must take a course focused on ethics for scientists.  DPH 200 is more relevant to clinical considerations, while Antrhopology 219 may be of more interest to basic scientists.  Either course will fulfill this requirement.

4. A minimum of three lab rotations must be taken before selecting a mentor’s lab for the dissertation project.  Due to course load, some trainees may wait till the Winter Quarter of their first year before registering for a rotation.  It is assumed that the third rotation will take place in the lab chosen for dissertation research. 

5,  OB 224 Host response is offered annually in late August-September, as a 4-week intensive component of a larger medical school course.  August 28 is the 2005 start date

6.  OB225 Microbiology and Virology is offered every other year.  Next offering is Winter, 2008

  
Guidelines for PhD Student Progress  (For current students and faculty)

Biomaterials and Bioengineering Track

The Oral and Craniofacial Sciences Graduate Group offers a PhD option in Biomaterials and Bioengineering . The purpose of this track is to train outstanding future scientists in an interdisciplinary program that focuses on the interface between biomaterials and natural tissues. Our main focus is on bioengineering of biomaterials used for tissue repair and regeneration of calcified tissues with a strong emphasis on the craniofacial and oral calcified tissues, their diseases and strategies for regeneration and repair. We are especially interested in dentin, enamel, cementum, and alveolar bone. We seek two main groups of students, those with a strong biochemical or biological background and those with a strong physical science background (physical chemistry, materials science) who are interested in an interdisciplinary curriculum that will permit them to generate new knowledge that spans the biomaterial/tissue interface. This requires an individually structured program that insures fundamental knowledge of both the physical and biological characteristics of these structures. Current funded faculty research emphasizes properties of dentin, cementum, enamel, in humans and transgenic mice, the dentin-enamel junction, biomechanics, implants and bioactive glasses, caries risk assessment, laser interactions with hard tissues, laser, optical and x-ray imaging, and early detection and diagnosis of dental caries. For more information, go to the Biomaterials and Bioengineering Track page.

Student Backgrounds

Generally we expect students will be drawn to our interdisciplinary program with three kinds of undergraduate or professional backgrounds: Materials Science, physical science, or other engineering (MS); Biochemistry or Cell and Molecular Biology (B); MD or DDS (DDS). Therefore there are three branches to the core curriculum. To insure that our students are prepared to pursue research programs at the interface between biological tissues and bioengineered materials, a core curriculum has been established for the Biomaterials and Bioengineering PhD program. Students with demonstrated strengths in one area or another may be excused from certain of the following courses. Individually tailored programs can be designed with approval of the Biomaterials and Bioengineering faculty.

Clinical and Translational Research Track

The Oral and Craniofacial Sciences Graduate Group offers a new third PhD option in Clinical and Translational Research.  The purpose of this track is to train outstanding clinican-scientists interested in careers focusing on clinical and translational research.  This track is intended for DDS/PhD students, or post-DDS including those integrating their training with specialty residency training, or post-MD clinicians.     During the 4 years of this PhD training in clinical research, Scholars will complete a “foundation year” comprising the 1-year Advanced Training in Clinical Research (ATCR) program followed by 2-three month long rotations in laboratories engaged in clinical research.  OCS seminars and the PhD journal club is combined with electives that vary for different areas of emphasis  and a period of concentrated and focused research in one of 3 areas:

    1.    molecular translational research
    2.    epidemiology & clinical trials
    3.    advanced clinical dentistry

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