The Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics

We are proud to share that Dr. Mary Marazita is serving as the Keynote Speaker at the ACPA Annual Meeting 2026 in Boston, MA!

Dr. Marazita will present: “Our Current Understanding of the Etiology of Orofacial Clefts.”

The CCDG team had a fantastic time at the SDM Faculty and Staff Retreat this October!

It was a great day spending time with our colleagues from across Pitt Dental Medicine and celebrating the amazing work happening throughout the school. 🦷💙💛 H2P!

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Annual SDM Research Symposium 2025!
It was an inspiring day filled with innovative research, engaging discussions, and outstanding presentations from our students, residents, and faculty.

Congratulations to University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine faculty, Dr. Ariadne Letra (Oral and Craniofacial Sciences) and Dr. Renato Silva (Endodontics), on their recent publication in Genes! 🎉🧬🦷

Their article, “Genetic Analysis of MMP-2 and MMP-3 Polymorphisms Reveals the Association of MMP-3 rs522616 with Susceptibility to Persistent Apical Periodontitis”, explores the genetic role of MMP-2 and MMP-3 variants in persistent apical periodontitis (PAP).

The study identified a key MMP-3 gene variant associated with PAP, highlighting how genetics may influence susceptibility and guide future clinical care.

Read the full article here:

Genetic Analysis of MMP-2 and MMP-3 Polymorphisms Reveals the Association of MMP-3 rs522616 with Susceptibility to Persistent Apical Periodontitis Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of polymorphic variants in matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) genes and the occurrence of persistent apical periodontitis (PAP). Methods: DNA samples from 180 individuals were recruited....

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Ariadne Letra!
Dr. Ariadne Letra, Professor in the Departments of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and Endodontics, received a grant from the NIH National Institute of Craniofacial and Dental Research to support the project “Leveraging whole genome sequencing and functional genomic characterization to improve NSCLP gene discovery”. The project aims to assess the contribution and function of rare and common variants identified by whole genome sequencing in nonsyndromic cleft lip/palate (NSCLP) family datasets.

Check out the 2024 Annual Report and explore incredible stories of how discovery leads to action!

Dr. Mary Marazita, co-director of the Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, has been studying the genetic influences behind facial and cranial malformations for 40 years. Thanks to advancements in genomic technology, the game has completely changed.

Learn more about her groundbreaking work here: https://pittresearchannualreport.com/genomics/genes-shape-a-face

University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

What Genes Shape a Face? — Pitt Research Annual Report Genomics holds immense potential for intervention and treatment of diseases like cancer and diabetes. Beyond that, genomics also provides insight into how genes influence the structures and appearance of parts of the body—known as morphology. As with other research based in genomics, studying morp...

We're thrilled to share a feature by the NIH spotlighting Dr. Seth M. Weinberg from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine! 🦷

🔗 Read the full article here: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2025/01/about-faces

About Faces Scientists are working to unravel the mysteries behind how the head and face develop. Their findings could help prevent or treat craniofacial disorders.

Members of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) have elected Ariadne Letra, DDS, PhD, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine as Representative to the IADR/AADOCR Publications Committee. This is a fantastic achievement, as it is a nationally elected position! 🎉

Read more here: https://www.aadocr.org/about/news-reports/press-releases/aadocr-elects-new-vice-president-treasurer-and-representative

AADOCR Elects New Vice-president, Treasurer, and Representative to the IADR/AADOCR Publications Committee | AADOCR - American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Alexandria, VA – Members of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) have elected Margherita R. Fontana, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, as Vice-president, Julie Frantsve-Hawley, Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry, Philadelphia, PA, as Treasurer,...

In this new Nature Communications paper, CCDG authors contribute to work using face shape GWAS to reveal the complex genetics behind achondroplasia.
https://rdcu.be/d1Yte

Syndrome-informed phenotyping identifies a polygenic background for achondroplasia-like facial variation in the general population - Nature Communications Vanneste et al. introduce a syndrome-informed approach to GWAS, identifying a polygenic basis for achondroplasia-like facial shape variation in the general population, and showing that complex traits and Mendelian disorders share genetic pathways.

On November 14th, the annual School of Dental Medicine Research Symposium was held to highlight SDM Research activities.

Congratulations to CCDG's Zeynep Erdogan-Yildirim, PhD for being selected as the Postdoc speaker, Noah Herrick, PhD for winning the PhD poster competition, and to Emma Fetchko for winning the dental student poster competition!

🏆 Annual Research Awards student CCDG winners:
- Mathew Lipkin: Pitt Dental Student Research Group Award
- Emma Fetchko, Shivam Khairnar, Antonio Cardoso, & Youssef Gabraiel: ASDA Award for Outstanding Clinical & Basic Science Research

Well done to all!
University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine

On October 17, the 5th Annual PITTGene Conference, an interdepartmental genetics retreat, brought together a vibrant community of researchers, clinicians, and students. 🧬

CCDG Featured Speakers:
-Noah Herrick (DOCS/CCDG postdoc on T90/R90) presented "Identifying loci with pleiotropic effects on orofacial clefts and facial morphology."
- Gabriel Kowalczyk, data scientist, presented "Using All of Us data to unravel the interconnectedness between dental and systemic disease."

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the event’s success!