Researcher | Research Overview
Dr. Labow's research interests focus on the genetics, pathophysiology, and clinical impact of overgrowth disorders, congenital hand anomalies, as well as the impact and causes of adolescent breast disorders.
Dr. Labow is currently conducting a number of clinical research studies on benign breast disorders in adolescents. The broad goal of this project is to measure the impact and treatment outcomes in adolescent patients with breast disorders such as macromastia, gynecomastia, tuberous breast deformity, and breast asymmetry. Dr. Labow will prospectively study long-term functional and psychosocial outcomes following treatment of male and female adolescents affected by benign breast conditions through the administration of validated questionnaires.
In conjunction with the Orthopedic Research Center, Dr. Labow is currently conducting a prospective translational research study exploring the genetic basis of limb overgrowth disorders, specifically macrodactyly. He has uncovered genetic mutations that lead to overgrowth of limbs in humans, mice, and fish. Clinically, he uses microsurgical and reconstructive techniques to address hand, limb, and breast overgrowth conditions in pediatric patients. He receives referrals nationally and internationally for patients with a variety of rare overgrowth disorders, including macrodactyly. Over the past 4 years, he has established a tissue repository and database of surgical specimens from these patients that will be a critical tool in the exploration of genotype/phenotype correlations.
With his experience creating databases at Boston Children’s Hospital and leading several studies examining the impact and outcome of surgical therapies, he hopes to extend his scientific career at the translational interface, providing better understanding—and one day, treatments—to patients with limb overgrowth.
Researcher | Research Background
Dr. Labow received his BA and MA in Biochemistry at Brandeis University and his MD in 1993 from Harvard Medical School. He completed his post-graduate training with the Harvard Plastic Surgery Training Program, at Mass General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. In addition to completing residencies in both general and plastic surgery, he completed a fellowship in Adult Reconstructive and Microsurgery and Pediatric Hand and Microsurgery at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center before joining the Department of Plastic and Oral Surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2004.
Selected Publications
- Webb ML, Rosen H, Taghinia A, McCarty ER, Cerrato F, Upton J, Labow BI. Incidence of Fanconi anemia in children with congenital thumb anomalies referred for diepoxybutane testing. J Hand Surg Am. 2011 Jun;36(6):1052-7.
- Lau FH, Xia F, Kaplan A, Cerrato F, Greene AK, Taghinia A, Cowan CA, Labow BI. Expression analysis of macrodactyly identifies pleiotrophin upregulation. PLoS One.2012;7(7):e40423.
- Cerrato F, Webb ML, Rosen H, Nuzzi L, McCarty ER, DiVasta AD, Greene AK, Labow BI. The impact of macromastia on adolescents: A cross-sectional study. Pediatrics. 2012 Aug;130(2):e339-46.
- Cerrato F, Eberlin KR, Waters P, Upton J, Taghinia A, Labow BI. Presentation and treatment of macrodactyly in children. J Hand Surg Am. 2013 Nov;38(11):2112-23.