The Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital has a rich tradition of research and discovery, with a focus on angiogenesis, the formation of new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels. The purpose of our laboratory is to study pediatric plastic surgical problems and to develop improved treatments for those conditions. We are interested in translational basic research that has direct clinical applicability. Our basic science questions are derived from clinical experience, and our aim is to translate the knowledge gained in the laboratory back to the clinic to improve patient care.
Our areas of interest include:
- Adolescent breast disorders: Our researchers are studying the impact of these disorders on quality of life, as well as the effect of operative intervention.
- Cleft lip and palate: We are focused on outcomes in cleft lip and palate patients, including repaired unilateral incomplete cleft lip, as well as cleft nasal deformity and symmetry studies using 3-D photography.
- Craniofacial anomalies: Our investigators are studying outcomes and techniques in craniofacial surgery, including the care of patients with craniosynostosis, encephaloceles, hemifacial microsomia, and Robin sequence.
- Pediatric hand surgery: Our areas of study include hand trauma, hand transplantation, and congenital hand and limb anomalies.
- Pediatric microsurgery: We are focused on increasing our knowledge regarding esophageal and genitourinary reconstruction.
- Pediatric oral surgery: Our research includes a focus on temporomandibular joint arthritis, as well as clinical outcomes in pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgery.
- Vascular anomalies: Our areas of study include outcomes in patients with head and neck vascular anomalies, the genetic basis of vascular anomalies, the relationship between obesity and lymphedema, and the pathogenesis of infantile hemangioma.
Learn more about research conducted in the Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery.