Grants We Funded
Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
The Role of RANK Signaling in Cranial Suture Homeostasis
Russell Reid MD, PhD
2010
The University of Chicago
Pilot Research Grant
Cranio / Maxillofacial / Head and Neck, Tissue Engineering
Although much research has investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying both the physiologic and pathologic mechanisms of suture fusion, the critical events remain to be fully elucidated. Many studies have alluded to the role of various growth factors, as well as bone morphogenic proteins as critical cellular mediators in suture fusion, however little research has focused on the role of osteoimmunology, or the intricate crosstalk between immunologic cells and osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The role of osteoimmunology in skeletal homeostasis is well investigated and reveals that the key mediators, consisting of T lymphocytes, antigen presenting cells, as well as osteoblasts and osteoclasts, interact through the Tumor Necrosis Factor, TNF, superfamily signaling cascade involving TNF-related Activation-induced Cytokine, TRANCE (RANK-L), its receptor RANK, and downstream signaling adaptor proteins, TNF receptor-associated proteins (TRAFs). Absence of these mediators have been shown to lead to osteopetrosis, excessive bone formation, while over expression leads to osteoporosis, excessive bone loss in murine models. (Kim, 2000; Naito, 1999) The purpose of this proposal is to assess the role of osteoimmunology as it relates to suture patency and fusion. We hypothesize that the immune system plays a role in the development of the craniofacial skeleton and that an over-stimulation of this interaction locally at a suture results in premature fusion of the suture and retardation of skeletal growth.
Russell R. Reid, M.D., Ph.D. is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in pediatric plastic surgery. Having completed a fellowship at the esteemed Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2006, he has particular expertise in the area of craniofacial and maxillofacial surgery. An accomplished author, Dr. Reid has published book chapters and several peer-reviewed journal articles on a variety of topics, from craniofacial surgery techniques to wound healing. Dr. Reid's research interests include tissue transplantation and regeneration, the role of immunity in tissue repair, and genetic expression in craniofacial development. He also studies bone substitutes and the survival of bone-cartilage grafts.