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

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 Beyond sharing cutting-edge, unpublished research, the meeting will provide opportunities for scientists at all career levels to network and form collaborations with colleagues from various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. Project Number: 1R13DE035783-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) | Principal Investigator: Samantha Brugmann | Institution: GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCES, East Greenwich, RI | Award Amount: $23,000 | Activity Code: R13 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 SCIL-S (80)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11317517