Biography
Education
| Institution | Degree | Dept or School | End Date | 
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Washington | Craniofacial Surgery, Fellowship | 2009 | |
| University of California, San Francisco | Plastic Surgery, Residency | 2008 | |
| Stanford University | Postdoctoral Fellowship, Regeneration Biology | 2006 | |
| University of California, San Francisco | General Surgery, Residency | 2003 | |
| University of California, San Francisco | General Surgery, Internship | 2001 | |
| Albert Einstein College of Medicine | MD | Medicine | 2000 | 
| Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Research Fellowship | 1998 | |
| University of Pennsylvania | BA | Biology | 1994 | 
Board Certifications
American Board of Plastic Surgery 2010
Awards & Honors
| Award | Conferred By | Date | 
|---|---|---|
| Teaching Award for Clinical Faculty, UCSF School of Medicine, Medical Student Class of 2022 | University of California, San Francisco | 2022 | 
| American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, CRANIO Fellowship | 2013 | |
| New Faculty Physician Scientist Award | California Institute of Regenerative Medicine | 2013 | 
| American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons, ASMS Merck Scholarship | 2007 | |
| Clifford C. Snyder, M.D. Award, Plastic Surgery Research Council | 2006 | |
| PSEF Scientific Essay Contest D. Ralph Millard, MD Investigator Award Coauthor. First Place | 2005 | |
| Distinction in Molecular Biology | Albert Einstein College of Medicine | 2000 | 
| Continued Support, Completion of Medical Studies | 1998 | |
| Continued Support, Additional Research Year | 1997 | |
| Outstanding Poster Presentation, Thirteenth Annual Meeting on Oncogenes, Frederick, Maryland | 1997 | |
| Medical Student Research Training Fellowship | Howard Hughes Medical Institute | 1996 | 
| Honors Degree in Biology | University of Pennsylvania | 1994 | 
| Magna Cum Laude | University of Pennsylvania | 1994 | 
| Dean's List | University of Pennsylvania | 1991 | 
Clinical Expertise
Cleft lip and Palate
Congential Deformities
Craniofacial Surgery
Craniosynostosis
Pediatric Plastic Surgery
Traumatic facial injuries
In the News
Grants and Funding
- UCSF Craniofacial Clinical Translational Science Initiative | University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry, Caroline Damsky fund | 2015-07-01 - 2025-06-30
- Regeneration and Differentiation Potential of Heterogeneous Human Satellite Cells | NIH | 2017-09-21 - 2023-08-31
- Bioinspired hydrogels for craniofacial muscle regeneration | NIH NIDCR C-Doctor | 2019-01-20 - 2023-04-30
- Sustained local delivery of pharmacological agents via nanoengineered films to improve healing of craniofacial fractures: comparative pre-clinical evaluation of BMP and deferoxamine in prevalent high-risk injuries | NIH NIDCR C-Doctor | 2019-01-21 - 2019-12-30 | Role: Co-PI
- Skeletal Muscle Regeneration by Human Satellite Cells Following Denervation | Plastic Surgery Foundation | 2016-07-01 - 2019-06-30
- Characterization of Human Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells for Clinical Application | CIRM | 2013-03-01 - 2018-09-30
- Evaluation of satellite cell function and transplantation in rotator cuff injury | CCMBM | 2016-12-19 - 2018-06-30
- Basic Biology III -Phenotypic Analysis of Human ES Cell-Derived Muscle Stem Cells | CIRM | 2013-07-01 - 2015-06-30
- Mimicking Growth Control in Regenerative Organisms to Permit Mammalian Regeneration | Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research | 2010-04-01 - 2012-03-31
- Mechanisms Underlying Plasticity of Gene Expression | NIH | 2004-09-01 - 2006-08-31 | Role: Principal Investigator
Research Narrative
The research program of our lab is closely intertwined with regenerative medicine. With foundations in muscle and cancer biology, we are investigating regenerative mechanisms including stem cell development and de-differentiation. By employing model organisms such as zebrafish and mouse and extending discoveries to human cells and tissues, we hope to gain fundamental insight that can be translated into clinical advances, most notably solving the structural and reconstructive problems of the limbs, face, and head, whether congenital or acquired.
Research Interests
Nuclear Reprogramming
Stem Cell Biology
Muscle Regeneration
Cellular Growth Control
Cancer
Research Pathways
Publications
- Gender-affirming facial surgery in racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse individuals: Variations and consistencies in procedures and outcomes in a large cohort.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Rodent Model of Masseter Volumetric Muscle Loss for Studying Bioengineering Materials.| | PubMed PubMed
- Acrylated Hyaluronic-Acid Based Hydrogel for the Treatment of Craniofacial Volumetric Muscle Loss.| | PubMed PubMed
- Opioid-free Pain Management after Cleft Lip Repair.| | PubMed PubMed
- Analyzing Linguistic Disparities in Telehealth Care Outcomes at a Multidisciplinary Craniofacial Center.| | PubMed PubMed
- Melanoma in infants, caused by a gene fusion involving the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).| | PubMed PubMed
- Loss of transcriptional heterogeneity in aged human muscle stem cells.| | PubMed PubMed
- Long-pulsed neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet for hair reduction in pediatric microtia repair.| | PubMed PubMed
- Patient-Reported Outcomes in Gender-Affirming Facial Surgery: Recommendations from a Multidisciplinary Gender Health Panel.| | PubMed PubMed
- Gender-Affirming Facial Feminization Surgery at a Public, Safety-Net Hospital: A Single-Center Early Experience.| | PubMed PubMed
- Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Prompt Craniosynostosis Workup and Treatment.| | PubMed PubMed
- Robin Sequence: 5-Year Speech Outcomes-A Case-Control Study.| | PubMed PubMed
- Superior Long-term Appearance of Strip Craniectomy Compared with Cranial Vault Reconstruction in Metopic Craniosynostosis.| | PubMed PubMed
- Disparities in Timing of Alveolar Bone Grafting and Dental Reconstruction in Patients With Clefts.| | PubMed PubMed
- Modeling the ACVR1R206H mutation in human skeletal muscle stem cells.| | PubMed PubMed
- Comparing Long-term Outcomes of Open Cranial Vault Reconstruction and Minimally Invasive Strip Craniectomy in Metopic Craniosynostosis.| | UCSF Research Profile
- An Early Experience with Gender-affirming Facial Feminization Surgery at a Public, Safety-net Hospital.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Comparing Long-term Outcomes of Open Cranial Vault Reconstruction and Minimally Invasive Strip Craniectomy in Metopic Craniosynostosis| | UCSF Research Profile
- Purification and preservation of satellite cells from human skeletal muscle.| | PubMed PubMed
- Long-term Speech Outcomes of Cleft Palate Repair in Robin Sequence versus Isolated Cleft Palate.| | PubMed PubMed
- ACVR1R206H increases osteogenic/ECM gene expression and impairs myofiber formation in human skeletal muscle stem cells| | UCSF Research Profile
- Facial Feminization Surgery: Key CT Findings for Preoperative Planning and Postoperative Evaluation.| | PubMed PubMed
- Facial Feminization Surgery: Key CT Findings for Preoperative Planning and Postoperative Evaluation.| | PubMed PubMed
- Satellite cell activation and retention of muscle regenerative potential after long-term denervation.| | PubMed PubMed
- Transitioning Multidisciplinary Craniofacial Care to Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Single Center Experience.| | PubMed PubMed
- Human ARF Specifically Inhibits Epimorphic Regeneration in the Zebrafish Heart.| | PubMed PubMed
- MON-710 ACVR1 Activation in Primary and iPS-Derived Human Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells Impairs Myogenic Transcriptional Signature and Function.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Functionally heterogeneous human satellite cells identified by single cell RNA sequencing.| | PubMed PubMed
- From gut to glutes: The critical role of niche signals in the maintenance and renewal of adult stem cells.| | PubMed PubMed
- TASP1 mutation in a female with craniofacial anomalies, anterior segment dysgenesis, congenital immunodeficiency and macrocytic anemia.| | PubMed PubMed
- A Cross-sectional Study of the Association between Homelessness and Facial Fractures.| | PubMed PubMed
- Case Report of Floating-Harbor Syndrome With Bilateral Cleft Lip.| | PubMed PubMed
- The Role of Muscle Stem Cells in Regeneration and Recovery after Denervation: A Review.| | PubMed PubMed
- Muscle stem cell activation in a mouse model of rotator cuff injury.| | PubMed PubMed
- High-Yield Purification, Preservation, and Serial Transplantation of Human Satellite Cells.| | PubMed PubMed
- Recalcitrant Invasive Skin Cancer of the Scalp: Combined Extirpation and Microsurgical Reconstruction Without Cranioplasty.| | PubMed PubMed
- EPHRIN-B1 Mosaicism Drives Cell Segregation in Craniofrontonasal Syndrome hiPSC-Derived Neuroepithelial Cells.| | PubMed PubMed
- Human Satellite Cell Isolation and Xenotransplantation.| | PubMed PubMed
- The human ARF tumor suppressor senses blastema activity and suppresses epimorphic tissue regeneration.| | PubMed PubMed
- Human Satellite Cell Transplantation and Regeneration from Diverse Skeletal Muscles.| | PubMed PubMed
- Bilateral Coronoidectomy by Craniofacial Approach for Hecht Syndrome-Related Trismus.| | PubMed PubMed
- Abstract 143.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Simultaneous silencing of multiple RB and p53 pathway members induces cell cycle reentry in intact human pancreatic islets.| | PubMed PubMed
- Tumor suppressors: enhancers or suppressors of regeneration?| | PubMed PubMed
- Regenerative strategies for craniofacial disorders.| | PubMed PubMed
- Re"evolutionary" regenerative medicine.| | PubMed PubMed
- Short telomeres and stem cell exhaustion model Duchenne muscular dystrophy in mdx/mTR mice.| | PubMed PubMed
- Transient inactivation of Rb and ARF yields regenerative cells from postmitotic mammalian muscle.| | PubMed PubMed
- Reprogramming to a muscle fate by fusion recapitulates differentiation.| | PubMed PubMed
- Nuclear reprogramming in heterokaryons is rapid, extensive, and bidirectional.| | PubMed PubMed
- Myoblasts and macrophages share molecular components that contribute to cell-cell fusion.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Suture techniques for the nasal tip.| | PubMed PubMed
- Noggin suppression enhances in vitro osteogenesis and accelerates in vivo bone formation.| | PubMed PubMed
- Active tissue-specific DNA demethylation conferred by somatic cell nuclei in stable heterokaryons.| | PubMed PubMed
- A system for quantifying dynamic protein interactions defines a role for Herceptin in modulating ErbB2 interactions.| | PubMed PubMed
- 49: Plastic Surgery Research Council 2005 Clifford C. Synder, MD Award - Nuclear Cloning by Fusion of Somatic Cells| | UCSF Research Profile
- Noggin suppression enhances osteogenesis of murine osteoblasts.| | UCSF Research Profile
- PSEF 2005 Scientific Essay Contest D. Ralph Millard, MD Investigator Award, First Place: siRNA Mediated Noggin Suppression Enhances Osteoblast Differentiation and Mineral Deposition.| | UCSF Research Profile
- Bone marrow contribution to skeletal muscle: a physiological response to stress.| | PubMed PubMed
- Nuclear reprogramming: a key to stem cell function in regenerative medicine.| | PubMed PubMed
- Adult Bone-Marrow-Derived Stem Cells. From Brain to Brawn| | UCSF Research Profile
- Muscle injury: Blood to the rescue| | UCSF Research Profile
- Reprogramming Mechanisms: Inducing the myogenic program in non-muscle cells| | UCSF Research Profile
- Essential role for oncogenic Ras in tumour maintenance.| | PubMed PubMed
- Involvement of the Ink4a gene (p16 and p19arf) in murine tumorigenesis.| | PubMed PubMed
- The INK4a/ARF tumor suppressor: one gene--two products--two pathways.| | PubMed PubMed
- The Ink4a tumor suppressor gene product, p19Arf, interacts with MDM2 and neutralizes MDM2's inhibition of p53.| | PubMed PubMed
- The familial melanoma gene INK4a, cooperates with activated RAS in development of melanoma: A mouse model| | UCSF Research Profile
- Cooperative effects of INK4a and ras in melanoma susceptibility in vivo.| | PubMed PubMed
- Mouse Models to examine the role of INK4a and RAS in malignant melanoma| | UCSF Research Profile
 
    