Dr. Jean-Marc Retrouvey is one of the rare dental clinicians that has his name as Principle Collaborator on a multi-million dollar grant proposal. The , mainly composed of physicians, researchers, and educators was recently awarded a $6.4 million grant by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a natural history study on Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a rare bone disease. Dr. Retrouvey will be overseeing the dental health focus of this longitudinal study gathering information on four main areas of concern for OI patients: fractures, scoliosis, pregnancy and dental health. The consortium is part of the NIH Rare Diseases Clinical Research Network and is a multi-centre program aimed at better understanding this genetic disease and providing better treatment options for all types of OI. The study, which will recruit 1000 patients living with OI, will take place at 8 centres across North America over the course of five years. Along with overseeing the dental health focus of the longitudinal study, Dr. Retrouvey will also lead an ancillary study focusing on dental malocclusion and craniofacial development in OI patients. The Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal will be one of the primary sites for the dental health and craniofacial focus of the study. The Montreal Children Hospital Dental Department will also be actively involved in the patients' examinations and will play a significant role in conducting dental and craniofacial research. As the lead dental expert, Retrouvey developed the protocol for dental procedures and operations, as well as a quality of life questionnaire in collaboration with Dr Frank Rauch, MD. He is involved in the training of health care professionals at the other sites to help deploy their Craniofacial Clinics, and evaluate and treat patients. 
Dr. Retrouvey鈥檚 implication also include going to the OI Foundation National Conference in Orlando, Florida where he will be giving dental consultations and evaluations for OI patients. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) or Brittle Bone Disease is a complicated, variable and rare disorder. Its major feature is a fragile skeleton, but many other body systems are also affected. OI is caused by a mutation (change) in a gene that affects bone formation, bone strength and the structure of other tissues. It is a life-long disorder.