Grants We Funded
Grant applicants for the 2023 cycle requested a total of nearly $4 million dollars. The PSF Study Section Subcommittees of Basic & Translational Research and Clinical Research evaluated nearly 140 grant applications on the following topics:
The PSF awarded research grants totaling over $1 million dollars to support nearly 30 plastic surgery research proposals.
ASPS/PSF leadership is committed to continuing to provide high levels of investigator-initiated research support to ensure that plastic surgeons have the needed research resources to be pioneers and innovators in advancing the practice of medicine.
Research Abstracts
Search The PSF database to have easy access to full-text grant abstracts from past PSF-funded research projects 2003 to present. All abstracts are the work of the Principal Investigators and were retrieved from their PSF grant applications. Several different filters may be applied to locate abstracts specific to a particular focus area or PSF funding mechanism.
The Role of Wnt Signaling and FGFR2 in Craniofacial Anomalies
Alison Snyder-Warwick MD
2007
Washington University
Research Fellowship
Cranio/Maxillofacial/Head and Neck
Previous work in our laboratory has demonstrated reduced FGFR2 signaling in the palate in a mouse model for Crouzon syndrome. Mice with the mutation have high arched or cleft palates. One of the findings associated with this work has been the demonstration of reduced levels of B-catenin (Catnb) in the palate. B-catenin is a key mediator for WNT signaling. Proteins of the Wnt family are secreted factors regulating cell proliferation, fate, and behavior during development, and are required for early craniofacial and tooth development (Kim-Weroha et aI., 2006). Microarray screening of palatal tissue from mice heterozygous for the Crouzon mutation revealed that transcripts for several genes of the Wnt family were decreased. A DermolCre; B-catenin c/c mouse construct available in our laboratory was also analyzed for a cleft palate phenotype. Analysis of these mice at E18.5 revealed cleft palate in 5/5 specimens. The palate of DermolCre; B-catenin c/c mice is much narrower than that of WT mice. It is also steeply angulated and further resembles the Byzantine arch-type palate frequently seen in humans with different types of syndromic craniosynostosis. We hypothesize that loss of Fgfr 2 signaling affects the Wnt signaling pathway and that disruption of Wnt signaling is in part responsible for the associated phenotype. Our specific objective is to characterize Wnt signaling and p-catenin levels and subsequent effects on downstream signaling pathways during palatogenesis and to link these findings to specific developmental anomalies seen in individuals with syndromic craniosynostosis.
Dr. Alison Snyder-Warwick is an Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Director of the Facial Nerve Institute at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Snyder-Warwick completed medical school, a research fellowship in Developmental Biology, and surgical residency training all at Wash U. She then travelled to Toronto, Canada for specialized training in pediatric plastic surgery and pediatric microsurgery at the Hospital for Sick Children.
Dr. Snyder-Warwick’s main clinical focus includes pediatric plastic surgery and reconstruction for facial nerve disorders, treatment of facial clefts, reconstruction of brachial plexus birth injuries, gender-affirming surgery, and pediatric and adult microsurgical procedures. Her clinical interests have led to pioneering basic science research investigations involving the terminal Schwann cell, a unique glial cell present at the nerve-muscle interface.
Dr. Snyder-Warwick is passionate about helping children and adults with facial paralysis, nerve-related injuries, and facial anomalies and is committed to studying novel techniques of optimizing care for people affected by peripheral nerve pathology and facial differences.