Craniofacial Anomalies & Regeneration Section: People

Dr. Janice Lee – Principal Investigator

I received my D.D.S. and M.S. in oral biology from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry and my M.D. from Harvard Medical School. I completed my residency in general surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, following which I was a postdoctoral fellow at NIDCR. I subsequently joined the faculty at University of California, San Francisco, where I became a Professor of Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and was recruited back to NIDCR, where I am now the Clinical Director and Chief of the Craniofacial Anomalies and Regeneration Section (CARS). In September 2020, I was appointed as the Deputy Director for Intramural Clinical Research to support clinical research and clinical researchers and clinicians at NIH.

Dr. Olivier Duverger – Staff Scientist

My work at NIDCR has been to study dental and craniofacial anomalies in rare diseases, building my basic science projects in close connection with clinical conditions seen at the NIDCR Dental Clinic. My broad interest is to unravel the mechanistic link between dental/craniofacial anomalies and other clinical manifestations featured in syndromes.

I obtained my Ph.D. in molecular and cellular developmental biology from the University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris, France). My graduate research focused on the function of stress proteins in skin and hair development. After my Ph.D., I worked for two years as a project manager in the Research and Development department of the LVMH Group (Perfumes and Cosmetics). I then joined the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases as a visiting fellow to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying hair and tooth anomalies in a form of ectodermal dysplasia. In 2017, as my research increasingly focused on tooth development and pathologies of the dentition, I was recruited by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research as a Staff Scientist.

Dr. Nadine Almpani – Staff Clinician

I feel passionate about clinical research that has a direct impact in clinical practice, and my research interest is focused on the field of craniofacial development. My long-term goal is to unravel the role of the different anatomical craniofacial modules in the development of dentoskeletal malocclusion, as well as to design risk assessment or growth prediction models associated with this phenotype.

My academic training as an orthodontist provided me with an excellent background in the study of the craniofacial complex. Moreover, during my Clinical Research Fellowship at NIDCR, I acquired valuable experience and new skills in clinical research within my field of interest. Currently, I continue to work as part of the Craniofacial Anomalies and Bone Regeneration Section as a Special Volunteer, on rare disease cohorts, as well as healthy normative groups. With the use of three dimensional skeletal and soft tissue data from these cohorts, and in-depth quantitative assessment techniques, I aspire to achieve my aims and contribute to the advancement of clinical orthodontics.

Dr. Ashleigh Hanner – Lab Manager/ Research Fellow

I obtained my Ph.D. in biological sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2017. My graduate research focused on protein evolution post-duplication in yeast species. I then joined NIDCR in 2018 as a postdoctoral researcher looking at the interplay between magnesium and polyamines in yeast and looking at neuron-specific removal of eIF5A and deoxyhypusine synthase leading to disease in mice. I then joined the CARS laboratory as a researcher and lab manager. My current research is looking at Loeys-Dietz syndrome in embryonic stages in mice.

Dr. Luciana Yamamoto De Almeida – Research Fellow

My long-term research interest is based on animal models for the study of human biology and disease. I graduated in dentistry and specialized in oral medicine certified by the Federal Council of Dentistry. During my master's and Ph.D. at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, I investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the inhibition of the enzyme fatty acid synthase (FASN) decreases tumor metastasis in murine models of melanoma and oral squamous cell carcinoma. As a postdoctoral fellow at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, I explored the potential synergistic interactions between epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors and all-trans retinoic acid in a murine model of acute promyelocytic leukemia. In 2019, I worked as a Provisional Professor of Oral Medicine at the Universidade Estadual Paulista, where I developed integrative activities based on teaching, clinical supervision, and scientific research focusing on the study of oral leukoplakia. Currently, as a postdoctoral fellow in the CARS laboratory, I am investigating the influence of age on the regeneration of large-scale bone defects. I started in the laboratory in March 2020.

Dr. Azeez Alade – Research Fellow

I obtained my Bachelor of Dental Surgery with an intercalated B.S. in human physiology at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. I continued to the University of Iowa for my M.S. and Ph.D. program in epidemiology (genetic epidemiology). During my postgraduate study, my research focused on identifying the genetic risk factors contributing to craniofacial diseases, notable ones include orofacial clefts, periodontitis, and dental caries. Here at NIDCR, I will be working to characterize the genetic and morphometric architecture of dentofacial deformities, to improve diagnosis and management. My long-term goal is to become a clinician-scientist that contributes to the advancements in public health through cutting-edge research and evidence-based patient care.

Dr. Michael Miao – Research Fellow

I obtained my B.D.S. degree and M.S. degree in orthodontics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and subsequently pursued a Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's (UNC-CH) Adams School of Dentistry. My primary clinical interest lies in understanding and effectively managing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) conditions for patients. During my orthodontics training, I led clinical research to delve deep into clinical phenotyping of the TMJ. This ignited a fervor for uncovering the root causes of joint diseases. My Ph.D. at the Thurston Arthritis Center of UNC-CH expanded my interest in matrix diseases, specifically arthritis, and the pathological signaling resulting from transmembrane receptors and matrix interactions. At NIDCR, I am honored to receive joint mentorship from Dr. Kenneth Yamada from the Cell Biology Section and Dr. Janice Lee from the Craniofacial Anomalies and Regeneration Section. This unique mentorship opportunity enables me to work closely with the craniofacial team in the clinic to assess patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome, who have been enrolled in the NIH Dental Clinic under Natural History Studies. Simultaneously, I conduct research to enhance our understanding of the etiopathogenesis mechanism of this syndrome’s TMJ phenotype. I am dedicated to advancing dental education, fostering nurturing research environments for future professionals, and making contributions to both evidence-based patient care and translational research.

Dr. Bikash Lamichhane – Research Fellow

My research interest lies in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanism of genetic defects in mineralized tissues. I am a dentist from NepaI and hold a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from Kathmandu University. After several years of clinical practice in Nepal, I pursued a Ph.D. in oral and craniofacial biomedical sciences at Texas A&M University School of Dentistry, Dallas, Texas, and graduated in December 2022. My graduate research focused on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanism of bone and tooth defects in murine models. After working briefly as a postdoctoral research associate in my previous institution, I joined the CARS lab at NIDCR as a visiting postdoctoral fellow in August 2023. Currently, my research focus is on the craniosynostosis and tooth phenotype in Loeys-Dietz syndrome. I like to play soccer during the weekends.

Alana Slekar ‒ Postbaccalaureate (Postbac)

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology from West Virginia University (WVU) in May of 2023. During my undergraduate years, I completed an area of emphasis in cellular and molecular biology and worked with physician-scientists at the WVU School of Medicine on a project aimed to better understand adolescent healthcare in rural West Virginia. In the summer of 2022, I volunteered as a research associate at James Madison University, investigating the nascent polypeptide-associated complex’s role in managing misfolded protein stress in C. elegans. Seeking to further expand my research experiences before beginning a professional program, I joined the CARS laboratory as a postbac in July 2023. Over the next two years, I aim to work with the CARS team to better understand how mutations in the TGF-β receptor 2 protein leads to dental and craniofacial anomalies in patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome type 2 (LDS2) by using induced pluripotent stem cells and mice as models. After my postbac, I plan to pursue a Ph.D. and a career studying cellular and molecular biology.