Going from a few cells of an embryo to a full-fledged face “ whether human or mouse “ requires the cooperation of hundreds of genes turning on or off at just the right time, Jiang says.

The face develops initially from five separate parts surrounding the oral cavity “ hundreds of genes are involved in bringing the parts together to form the intact face. The development of the face has been under-studied in biology. It ™s a complex problem, says Jiang, an assistant professor of Biomedical Genetics whose work is supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Worldwide about 1 of every 700 people is born with a cleft lip, either with or without a cleft palate. Asians and American Indians are slightly more likely to have the birth defect than Caucasians, while African Americans have a much lower risk. The disfiguring gap or opening in the lip or the roof of the mouth can cause dental and speech problems, trouble eating, and other difficulties. In the United States the problem is usually corrected through multiple surgeries over the course of many years.

Facial clefts are a significant and disfiguring birth defect, says Jiang. A baby born with clefting might need years of multiple surgeries. It also creates a social burden for the person.

For tens of thousands of children around the world, the problem has been fixed by volunteers for Operation Smile, a non-profit organization that provides facial reconstruction surgery for indigent children and young adults in the United States and 20 developing countries. Strong pediatrician Chin-To Fong has traveled to the Philippines as part of Operation Smile teams and is now faculty adviser to a medical student chapter of the group. This Sunday, May 2, at 10 a.m., students in the School of Medicine & Dentistry are holding a 5K run in Genesee Valley Park as a fundraiser for Operation Smile. For more information or to participate, please call 585-271-0004.