2026 Craniofacial Morphogenesis and Tissue Regeneration Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

Project Summary
Craniofacial differences are among the most common congenital anomalies, occurring with a frequency of 1 in
700 live births. The biomedical burden for treating these conditions is over 700 million dollars a year in the US
alone. Thus, assembling a group of discovery-based research scientists, geneticists, clinicians, and surgeons all
focused on understanding the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms essential for understanding
craniofacial development and disease is of great value to public health. To address this need we have formulated
a scientific program that will focus on integrating our knowledge of genetics, model systems, and biological
mechanisms, with the end goal of improving craniofacial health. A keynote session will explore rare disease
genetics from both a human geneticist and research perspective. Challenges and solutions related to linking
gene discovery to functional genomics will be identified, with a focus on advancing the craniofacial field into the
era of stem cell and organoid medicine. Molecular and biochemical mechanisms that contribute to patterning the
building blocks of the face will be discussed, alongside how these mechanisms go awry under pathological
conditions. Cross-disciplinary collaboration will be promoted to ensure translationally relevant data is shared,
facilitating the realization of the bench-to-bedside vision from diagnosis to therapeutics. Open discussion within
the community will aim to establish a consistent set of protocols for data comparison and reproducibility across
laboratories, enhancing the efficiency and impact of craniofacial research. Beyond sharing cutting-edge,
unpublished research, the meeting will provide opportunities for scientists at all career levels to network and form
collaborations with colleagues from various disciplines to advance craniofacial research.

Grant Number: 1R13DE035783-01
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Samantha Brugmann