VAN OTTERLOO LAB
**site currently under construction
The Van Otterloo Lab explores the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying craniofacial development.
Over the past decade, the lab has investigated how transcription factors and gene regulatory networks guide the formation of facial structures, particularly through the
interactions between neural crest cells and craniofacial ectoderm.
By uncovering how these processes contribute to normal development and congenital anomalies, the lab aims to advance our understanding of facial morphogenesis and inform future therapeutic strategies.
IMAGES FROM THE LAB
Imagine trying to repair a complex machine, like a car engine, without fully understanding how its parts were assembled or how they function. The human body works the same way. During fetal development, our DNA acts as an instruction manual, providing the blueprint to precisely assemble and organize the body's building blocks. Our overall goal is to use animal models—which share remarkably similar DNA with humans—to decipher how genes and proteins regulate embryonic development. We specifically focus on the formation of craniofacial and orofacial structures, investigating how these mechanisms break down in human developmental disorders. Ultimately, this knowledge will equip medical professionals—the "mechanics" of the human body—to better predict, diagnose, and treat these conditions.
OVERALL VAN OTTERLOO LAB OBJECTIVE
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