Craniofacial Medicine

Contents

• About the Division
• Clinical Programs
• Research Programs
• Training Programs
• Related Links
• Contact List

About the Division

The Division of Craniofacial Medicine aims to provide and coordinate the highest-quality interdisciplinary care of patients with congenital and acquired craniofacial conditions. Our faculty's expertise spans the fields of epidemiology, genetics, developmental biology and clinical research. We provide outpatient and inpatient care at Seattle Children's and comprehensive consultations at both Seattle Children's and the University of Washington.

Michael L. Cunningham, MD, PhD, is chief of the Division of Craniofacial Medicine at Seattle Children's Hospital and professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is medical director of Seattle Children's Craniofacial Center and the Jean Renny Endowed Chair in Craniofacial Medicine. He is also adjunct associate professor at the university School of Medicine and School of Dentistry. Dr. Cunningham balances responsibilities in administration, patient care and research. He does bedside teaching of medical students, dental students and pediatric residents. His clinical interests focus on the diagnosis and long-term interdisciplinary care of children with craniofacial malformations with a particular interest in the craniosynostoses. He is co-investigator on several clinical research projects, ranging from the epidemiology of positional plagiocephaly to the risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Cunningham's basic molecular and developmental biology lab has been open since 1993 and is using mouse and tissue culture models to investigate the molecular causes of craniosynostosis and developmental pathogenesis of midface hypoplasia associated with syndromic craniosynostosis.

Timothy C. Cox, PhD, is research associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Oral Biology. His primary research interests focus on the genetic and epigenetic factors that regulate development of the craniofacial region and how perturbations in these factors contribute in particular to the presentation of cleft lip and palate. He has also had a long interest and involvement in both X-linked and mitochondrial diseases. His research team employs existing and newly developed in-house genetic technologies to create and investigate mouse and chick embryo models of cleft lip and palate. Dr Cox's interests also extend to other craniofacial malformations (most notably the craniosynostoses) and the development of strategies to better diagnose, manage and counsel patients. He held several leading positions in craniofacial medicine in Australia, including director of genetic programs at the Australian Craniofacial Unit and co-director of Monash University's MouseWorks, a highly regarded mouse genetic modification facility.

Carrie L. Heike, MD, MS, is attending physician at Seattle Children's Hospital and acting assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed a clinical fellowship in the Craniofacial Center at Seattle Children's Hospital. Dr. Heike's research focuses on the genetic epidemiology of craniofacial conditions. She has a special interest in working with families and children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. She is investigating the genetic variation in children with this syndrome and aims to understand whether this variation contributes to the development of craniofacial anomalies in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. She is also using three-dimensional imaging combined with anthropometry to quantify the craniofacial variation in syndromes that affect craniofacial structures.

Anne V. Hing, MD, is attending physician at Seattle Children's Hospital and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an adjunct faculty member in the Division of Medical Genetics. Her clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of infants, children and adolescents with craniofacial and genetic conditions. She works in the Craniofacial and Craniofacial Genetics Clinic and the Limb Deficiency Clinic. She also serves as a genetics consultant in seven different outreach genetics clinics throughout the states of Washington and Alaska. She coordinates the craniofacial resident elective course and provides bedside teaching. She has served as Seattle Children's principal investigator in a multi-center international study of the genetics of cleft lip and palate for the past six years. She is collecting pilot data for a future genetic study of sagittal synostosis using novel quantitative measures of head shape.

Charlotte W. Lewis, MD, MPH, (adjunct, Division of Craniofacial Medicine) is attending physician at Seattle Children's Hospital and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Her primary research interest is disparities in health and health care access, with a specific focus on oral health and access to dental care. Her research has involved documenting disparities in access to oral health services for low-income and special needs children as well as developing and evaluating strategies to improve pediatric oral health through expanded pediatrician and family physician involvement in these areas.

Wendy Mouradian, MD, MS, (adjunct, Division of Craniofacial Medicine) is clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, with adjunct appointments in pediatric dentistry, dental public health sciences and health services (at the School of Public Health). She is director of Regional Initiatives in Dental Education for the university School of Dentistry and has served as director of the craniofacial program at Seattle Children's Hospital. Dr. Mouradian also heads the Oral-Systemic Theme Committee at the university School of Medicine, charged with integrating oral health into the curriculum of medical students. Dr. Mouradian earned her MD from Columbia University and her MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She completed a fellowship at the University of Washington. Dr. Mouradian has received several national awards for her role organizing and chairing The Face of a Child: Surgeon General's Conference on Children and Oral Health; she was recognized by the American Dental Education Association for her efforts to advance the importance of oral health to the overall health of children. She is associate director of the Center for Leadership Education in Pediatric Dentistry. Her research areas include quality of life for children with craniofacial conditions, ethics and educational policy related to children's oral health.

Jacqueline R. Starr, PhD, MS, MPH, is epidemiologist at Seattle Children's Hospital and research assistant professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She works full time in Seattle Children's Craniofacial Center. Her primary research interests relate to identifying genetic variants that may contribute to the occurrence of craniofacial anomalies, with a particular focus on craniofacial microsomia. She also collaborates on research projects that broadly target the causes of craniofacial anomalies and the outcomes of clinical treatments for conditions such as cleft lip and palate.

Clinical Programs

Pediatric craniofacial medicine faculty coordinate care through Seattle Children's Craniofacial Center and several specialty clinics. These clinics include the Plagiocephaly Clinic, which focuses on the diagnosis and management of postnatal deformational plagiocephaly; the Prenatal Clinic, which provides prenatal assessment, education and counseling for mothers and families after the prenatal diagnosis of a craniofacial condition; and the Craniofacial Genetics Clinic, which provides focused diagnostic evaluations, education and counseling for families affected by craniofacial conditions. These clinical programs provide long-term management of craniofacial conditions, including family education. We also pursue state-of-the-art clinical research to develop improved diagnostic, preventive and health care delivery strategies.

For appointments, please call: (206) 987-2208

Research Programs

The chief of the Division of Craniofacial medicine also directs the Center for Craniofacial Research, which supports interdisciplinary research for the division. Our long-term goal is to develop an interdisciplinary research program that parallels our clinical center and to become an international leader in craniofacial-related science.

Training Programs

The Division of Craniofacial Medicine in the University of Washington Department of Pediatrics is accepting applications for subspecialty clinical and research training in craniofacial medicine.

Drawing on the clinical and research expertise of our group and the broader university community, we will offer a variety of training opportunities ranging from one year clinical fellowships to three year fellowships with training in molecular biology, developmental biology, epidemiology, bioethics, clinical and outcomes research, molecular genetics, and public health sciences, among other disciplines. The goal of our fellowship program is to train pediatric providers to become members of cleft and craniofacial teams while providing the scientific training necessary to become successful independent investigators for those who want to pursue academic careers.

Please click on the Craniofacial Medicine Fellowship link below for more information.

Fellowship Coordinator:
Jerrie Bishop, Division Assistant
Phone (206) 987-4572, Fax (206) 987-3064

Related Links

• Craniofacial Center at Seattle Children's Hospital
• Center for Craniofacial Research
• Small Animal Tomographic Analysis Facility (SANTA)
• Craniofacial Medicine Fellowship

Contact List