Hecht Lab

I am a board-certified PhD Medical Geneticist with extensive clinical expertise in skeletal dysplasias (dwarfing conditions), orthopedic syndromes, and common birth defects. Previously, I have published the seminal natural history skeletal dysplasia studies on pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH), achondroplasia, and hereditary multiple exostosis that have defined the severe and sometimes lethal complications of these conditions. My research interests currently focus on gene discovery in nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate (NSCLP), and modeling identified genetic variation in the zebrafish craniofacies and delineating the molecular mechanism underlying pseudoachondroplasia (PSACH), a severe dwarfing condition, and developing therapeutic interventions.