A team of researchers headed by Penn State anthropologist Joan Richtsmeier will use genetically engineered mice and 3D imaging technology to study the development of the human midface -- upper jaw, cheekbones and eye sockets -- and how diseases and abnormalities of the head affect the growth and shape of the face. The work is being funded by a new $2.3 million five-year grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, which is part of the prestigious National Institutes of Health.

The researchers will measure facial tissues and spaces, using specialized 3D images to learn more about these defects in human patients, and will use genetically engineered mouse models to guide investigations of these human diseases. Also leading the team is Ethylin Wang Jabs of Mount Sinai Medical Institutions, New York City.