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In this article, the authors discuss the future of clinical research in the U.S. They cite the director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Harold Varmus, who convened a panel, which is chaired by Dr. David Nathan of Dana Farber Cancer Center, to address concerns regarding clinical research' future. They mention the development of a series of recommendations, which include the establishment of clinical research training program (CRTP).

Marie Ussing Nylen was a trail blazing scientist and administrative leader at the US National Institutes of Health. She accomplished this when it was extremely difficult for a woman to do so. She was also a whole person - a wife, mother, and talented athlete, that is, a well-rounded person by any definition. She was a gift to dental and oral science, as well as to those fortunate enough to know and work with her., (Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.)

Purpose: Clinician-scientists are considered an endangered species for many reasons, including challenges with establishing and maintaining a career pipeline. Career outcomes from yearlong medical and dental students' research enrichment programs have not been well determined. Therefore, the authors assessed career and research outcome data from a cohort of participants in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP)., Method: The CRTP provided a yearlong mentored clinical or translational research opportunity for 340 medical and dental students. Of these, 135 completed their training, including fellowships, from 1997 to January 2014. Data for 130 of 135 were analyzed: time conducting research, types of public funding (NIH grants), and publications from self-reported surveys that were verified via the NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Web site and PubMed., Results: Nearly two-thirds (84 of 130) indicated that they were conducting research, and over half of the 84 (approximately one-third of the total cohort) spent more than 25% of time conducting research. Of those 84, over 25% received grant support from the NIH, and those further in their careers published more scholarly manuscripts., Conclusions: Data suggest that the CRTP helped foster the careers of research-oriented medical and dental students as measured by time conducting research, successful competition for federal funding, and the publication of their research. Longer follow-up is warranted to assess the impact of these mentored research experiences. Investments in mentored research programs for health professional students are invaluable to support the dwindling pipeline of biomedical researchers and clinician-scientists.

The emerging opportunities for biological approaches to managing oral health were clearly apparent fifteen years ago. Responses in this direction have been tardy because of the economic prosperity of dental practice and the financial constraints on dental education. Representative existing and promising biology based technology is described. It is argued that education must be changed to teach the context and understanding of this technology. The alternative will be to concede important aspects of oral health care to physicians and others trained in their use.