Eric Chien-Wei Liao

Last updated
Eric Chien-Wei Liao
EducationMD, PhD, Harvard-MIT, 3000
Occupation(s)Pediatric surgeon and researcher

Eric Liao is an American pediatric surgeon-scientist. He specializes in plastic and reconstructive craniofacial surgery, especially in the surgical treatment of cleft lip and palate, rhinoplasty, otoplasty, and nasal reconstruction. [1] Liao's research interests are focused on the genetics and developmental biology that govern facial formation and craniofacial anomalies. [2] He is the founding director of the Center for Craniofacial Innovation at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Surgery, and a Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. [3]

Contents

Career

Liao attended Stanford University, where he graduated with B.S. and M.S. in biological sciences.[ citation needed ] He began his professional career at Harvard Medical School in 1995, where he earned his M.D. in the Health Sciences and Technology program at Harvard and M.I.T. and graduated with a Ph.D. in genetics in 2002. [3] For his dissertation, Liao studied transcriptional regulation of hematopoiesis with Len Zon at Boston Children’s Hospital in the early days of genomic infrastructure development for the zebrafish as a vertebrate experimental model. [4]  

Liao trained in surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital and plastic surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital from 2002 to 2008. He was appointed as faculty in the Department of Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, from 2008 to 2022. While at Mass General, Liao joined the Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, where he built a research program investigating the genetic basis of craniofacial development. Liao led the MGH Department of Surgery as the Vice Chair of Surgery of Research, where he overhauled the educational and research programs for faculty and trainees to enhance academic training and mentorship. [5] He directed the Cleft and Craniofacial Program at Mass General Hospital for Children and Shriners Hospital in Boston from 2015 to 2022 and served as the Director of Pediatric Plastic Surgery.[ citation needed ] In 2021, Liao was appointed to Professor of Surgery at the Harvard Medical School. He also led the Shriners Children’s Boston as Chief of Staff from 2021 to 2022. [6]

In 2022, Liao was recruited to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as the Surgery Vice Chair of Academic Affairs and Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.  At CHoP, Liao founded the Center for Craniofacial Innovation and was named the Director of the Center and the Presidential Scholar Endowed Chair to lead this institute. [3]

Contributions

Liao used the zebrafish animal model to study human craniofacial malformations, generating key zebrafish models of orofacial cleft genes such as IRF6, [7] [8] ESRP1, and ESRP2. [8] As a principal investigator in the Developmental Gene Annotation Project and the FaceBase consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health, [9] Liao and his collaborators identified genes associated with various craniofacial conditions, including Tessier clefts, orofacial clefts, arrhinia, [10] and frontonasal dysplasia [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleft lip and cleft palate</span> Medical condition

A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate contains an opening into the nose. The term orofacial cleft refers to either condition or to both occurring together. These disorders can result in feeding problems, speech problems, hearing problems, and frequent ear infections. Less than half the time the condition is associated with other disorders.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity, head and neck, mouth, and jaws, as well as facial cosmetic surgery/facial plastic surgery including cleft lip and cleft palate surgery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IRF6</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Interferon regulatory factor 6 also known as IRF6 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the IRF6 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TP63</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Tumor protein p63, typically referred to as p63, also known as transformation-related protein 63 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TP63 gene.

Pediatric plastic surgery is plastic surgery performed on children. Its procedures are most often conducted for reconstructive or cosmetic purposes. In children, this line is often blurred, as many congenital deformities impair physical function as well as aesthetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homeobox protein MSX-1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Homeobox protein MSX-1, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MSX1 gene. MSX1 transcripts are not only found in thyrotrope-derived TSH cells, but also in the TtT97 thyrotropic tumor, which is a well differentiated hyperplastic tissue that produces both TSHß- and a-subunits and is responsive to thyroid hormone. MSX1 is also expressed in highly differentiated pituitary cells which until recently was thought to be expressed exclusively during embryogenesis. There is a highly conserved structural organization of the members of the MSX family of genes and their abundant expression at sites of inductive cell–cell interactions in the embryo suggest that they have a pivotal role during early development.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DLX5</span> Mammalian protein found in Homo sapiens

Homeobox protein DLX-5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the distal-less homeobox 5 gene, or DLX5 gene. DLX5 is a member of the DLX gene family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TFAP2A</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Transcription factor AP-2 alpha, also known as TFAP2A, is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TFAP2A gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VAX1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Ventral anterior homeobox 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the VAX1 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontonasal dysplasia</span> Medical condition

Frontonasal dysplasia (FND) is a congenital malformation of the midface. For the diagnosis of FND, a patient should present at least two of the following characteristics: hypertelorism, a wide nasal root, vertical midline cleft of the nose and/or upper lip, cleft of the wings of the nose, malformed nasal tip, encephalocele or V-shaped hair pattern on the forehead. The cause of FND remains unknown. FND seems to be sporadic (random) and multiple environmental factors are suggested as possible causes for the syndrome. However, in some families multiple cases of FND were reported, which suggests a genetic cause of FND.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nager acrofacial dysostosis</span> Medical condition

Nager acrofacial dysostosis, also known as Nager syndrome, is a genetic disorder which displays several or all of the following characteristics: underdevelopment of the cheek and jaw area, down-sloping of the opening of the eyes, lack or absence of the lower eyelashes, kidney or stomach reflux, hammer toes, shortened soft palate, lack of development of the internal and external ear, possible cleft palate, underdevelopment or absence of the thumb, hearing loss and shortened forearms, as well as poor movement in the elbow, and may be characterized by accessory tragi. Occasionally, affected individuals develop vertebral anomalies such as scoliosis.

FaceBase is an NIH-supported initiative that began in September 2009. Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, the FaceBase Consortium is a five-year initiative that systematically compiles the biological instructions to construct the middle region of the human face and precisely define the genetics underlying its common developmental disorders such as cleft lip and palate. A range of genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to facial clefting and FaceBase is designed to enhance investigations into these causes and their outcomes.

A facial cleft is an opening or gap in the face, or a malformation of a part of the face. Facial clefts is a collective term for all sorts of clefts. All structures like bone, soft tissue, skin etc. can be affected. Facial clefts are extremely rare congenital anomalies. There are many variations of a type of clefting and classifications are needed to describe and classify all types of clefting. Facial clefts hardly ever occur isolated; most of the time there is an overlap of adjacent facial clefts.

ARHGAP29 is a gene located on chromosome 1p22 that encodes Rho GTPase activating protein (GAP) 29, a protein that mediates the cyclical regulation of small GTP binding proteins such as RhoA.

Craniofacial regeneration refers to the biological process by which the skull and face regrow to heal an injury. This page covers birth defects and injuries related to the craniofacial region, the mechanisms behind the regeneration, the medical application of these processes, and the scientific research conducted on this specific regeneration. This regeneration is not to be confused with tooth regeneration. Craniofacial regrowth is broadly related to the mechanisms of general bone healing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grainyhead-like gene family</span> Family of highly conserved genes for transcription factors in animals

Grainyhead-like genes are a family of highly conserved transcription factors that are functionally and structurally homologous across a large number of vertebrate and invertebrate species. For an estimated 100 million years or more, this genetic family has been evolving alongside life to fine tune the regulation of epithelial barrier integrity during development, fine-tuning epithelial barrier establishment, maintenance and subsequent homeostasis. The three main orthologues, Grainyhead-like 1, 2 and 3, regulate numerous genetic pathways within different organisms and perform analogous roles between them, ranging from neural tube closure, wound healing, establishment of the craniofacial skeleton and repair of the epithelium. When Grainyhead-like genes are impaired, due to genetic mutations in embryogenesis, it will cause the organism to present with developmental defects that largely affect ectodermal tissues in which they are expressed. These subsequent congenital disorders, including cleft lip and exencephaly, vary greatly in their severity and impact on the quality of life for the affected individual. There is much still to learn about the function of these genes and the more complex roles of Grainyhead-like genes are yet to be discovered.

Samantha Ann Brugmann is an American developmental biologist. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati Department of Surgery and is currently studying the development of, as well as diseases related to, the cranium and face (craniofacial). Brugmann's research focuses on the function of the primary cilium and how it affects craniofacial development as well as the development of neural crest cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adebowale A. Adeyemo</span> Nigerian physician and genetic epidemiologist

Adebowale A. Adeyemo is a Nigerian physician-scientist and genetic epidemiologist specialized in genomics and cardiometabolic disorders. He is the deputy director and chief scientific officer of the Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health at the National Human Genome Research Institute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bifid nose</span> Medical condition

A bifid nose is an uncommon congenital malformation which is characterized by the presence of a cleft between the two nostrils of the nose. It is the result of a disturbance during embryological nose development.

Derek Steinbacher is an American cosmetic plastic, rhinoplasty, and maxillofacial surgeon who is Professor of Plastic Surgery at Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut. He is also the chief of the Dental Department and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Yale New Haven Health. He is known for his clinical work, research and incorporation of 3D analysis and printing into jaw surgery, craniofacial surgery and rhinoplasty.

References

  1. ↑ "Chien-Wei (Eric) Liao, M.D., Ph.D." hsci.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  2. ↑ "CRISPR gene editing will find applications in plastic and reconstructive surgery". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  3. 1 2 3 Philadelphia, The Children's Hospital of (2022-09-08). "Eric Chien-Wei Liao, MD, PhD". www.chop.edu. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  4. ↑ Liao, Eric; et al. (February 1, 2002). "Non-cell autonomous requirement for the bloodless gene in primitive hematopoiesis of zebrafish". Development. 129 (3): 649–659. doi:10.1242/dev.129.3.649. PMID   11830566 – via The Company of Biologists.
  5. ↑ "Eric Chien-Wei Liao, MD, PhD". Massachusetts General Hospital. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  6. ↑ "Eric Chien-Wei Liao, MD, PHD". www.shrinerschildrens.org. Retrieved 2022-10-19.
  7. ↑ Li, Edward B.; Truong, Dawn; Hallett, Shawn A.; Mukherjee, Kusumika; Schutte, Brian C.; Liao, Eric C. (2017-09-25). "Rapid functional analysis of computationally complex rare human IRF6 gene variants using a novel zebrafish model". PLOS Genetics. 13 (9): e1007009. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007009 . ISSN   1553-7404. PMC   5628943 . PMID   28945736.
  8. 1 2 Carroll, Shannon H.; Macias Trevino, Claudio; Li, Edward B.; Kawasaki, Kenta; Myers, Nikita; Hallett, Shawn A.; Alhazmi, Nora; Cotney, Justin; Carstens, Russ P.; Liao, Eric C. (2020-01-01). "An Irf6-Esrp1/2 regulatory axis controls midface morphogenesis in vertebrates". Development. 147 (24). doi:10.1242/dev.194498. ISSN   1477-9129. PMC   7774891 . PMID   33234718.
  9. ↑ Brinkley, James F.; Fisher, Shannon; Harris, Matthew P.; Holmes, Greg; Hooper, Joan E.; Jabs, Ethylin Wang; Jones, Kenneth L.; Kesselman, Carl; Klein, Ophir D.; Maas, Richard L.; Marazita, Mary L.; Selleri, Licia; Spritz, Richard A.; van Bakel, Harm; Visel, Axel (2016-01-01). "The FaceBase Consortium: A comprehensive resource for craniofacial researchers". Development. 143 (14): 2677–2688. doi:10.1242/dev.135434. ISSN   1477-9129. PMC   4958338 . PMID   27287806.
  10. ↑ Shaw, Natalie D; Brand, Harrison; Kupchinsky, Zachary A; Bengani, Hemant; Plummer, Lacey; Jones, Takako I; Erdin, Serkan; Williamson, Kathleen A; Rainger, Joe; Stortchevoi, Alexei; Samocha, Kaitlin; Currall, Benjamin B; Dunican, Donncha S; Collins, Ryan L; Willer, Jason R (Jan 9, 2017). "SMCHD1 mutations associated with a rare muscular dystrophy can also cause isolated arhinia and Bosma arhinia microphthalmia syndrome". Nature Genetics. 49 (2): 238–248. doi:10.1038/ng.3743. ISSN   1061-4036. PMC   5473428 . PMID   28067909.
  11. ↑ Yoon, Baul; Yeung, Pan; Santistevan, Nicholas; Bluhm, Lauren E.; Kawasaki, Kenta; Kueper, Janina; Dubielzig, Richard; VanOudenhove, Jennifer; Cotney, Justin; Liao, Eric C.; Grinblat, Yevgenya (2022-05-15). "Zebrafish models of alx -linked frontonasal dysplasia reveal a role for Alx1 and Alx3 in the anterior segment and vasculature of the developing eye". Biology Open. 11 (5): bio059189. doi:10.1242/bio.059189. ISSN   2046-6390. PMC   9167625 . PMID   35142342.
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