Immunology: Priming Cellular Pathway May Lead to New AIDS and Cancer Vaccines Structural Biology: Image of Epidemic Dengue Virus Reveals Drug Target Public Health: Common Industrial Ingredient Appears Able to Stifle Sperm Neurology: Alzheimer's Culprit Fingered as Gang of Four Immunology: New Vaccine Role Discovered for Anthrax Health Disparities: Minority Health Policy Program Points to Need for Dollars and Data AIDS Research: Advanced AIDS Research Facility to Open in South Africa in Collaboration with HMS New Books: The Summer Bookshelf   Rare Disease Offers Explanation of Ovarian Cancer's Drug Resistance High Colorectal Surgery Volume Tied to Better Outcomes Study Suggests Timely Control Efforts Can Halt Spread of SARS   Neuro Center Awards Innovation Grants Medical School Presents Faculty Teaching Awards New Chair in Women's Health Established at Brigham and Women's Hospital Delbanco Receives Glaser Award from the Society of General Internal Medicine HMS Faculty Named to American Academy of Arts and Sciences Alfred Sommers Wins Warren Alpert Prize HMS Faculty Council Reynolds Foundation Awards $24 Million for Heart Research at HMS and Brigham and Women's Hands-on Training Offered for GenBank and NCBI Molecular Resources Countway Redesigns Website CDC Warns of Squeeze on Disease Prevention Funds Honors and Advances Save the Date   Operation Mouthguard Protects Oral Health   Troubleshooting Allocation of Transplant Organs   Front Page

IN THE COMMUNITY Operation Mouthguard Protects Oral Health Operation Mouthguard was founded three years ago as a community service group at HSDM to increase oral health awareness among children from low-income homes. The group also provides the children with free dental items, such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, and offers opportunities for HSDM students to gain clinical skills outside the classroom. Today, approximately 20 student volunteers organize presentations and activities to teach children at the Boys Club and Girls Club of Boston about oral health issues, the effects of tobacco use, oral hygiene, and prevention of dental injuries. In addition, the children get free custom-made mouth guards for use during sports. Each year, Operation Mouthguard enjoys an infusion of energy from incoming first-year student volunteers. This year's student leadership team of Rachel Anderson, HSDM '06, and Dana Yee, HSDM '06, has implemented plans to expand to include more children at a number of other community sites, including the Wang YMCA of Chinatown and the Boys Club and Girls Club of Charlestown. The two also hope to eventually bring their young clients for services on site at HSDM. Operation Mouthguard is currently in search of a new faculty adviser, as well as faculty members to assist in training HSDM students to take impressions, pour models, and make mouth guards. Other faculty volunteers are needed to help with on-site supervision at the community agencies. "It's great to see the students grow personally as individuals and professionally as dentists," said Franson Tom, HSDM instructor in restorative dentistry and biomaterials sciences and current faculty adviser for Operation Mouthguard. "I got involved because I want to show students that dentists can be more than just drillers and fillers." Interested HSDM faculty members should contact Rachel Anderson at rachel_anderson@student.hms.harvard.edu. --Galant Au