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View Printer Friendly           Home | Research | Fellowship and Award Opportunities | Timothy Vogel, MD

NREF/Spine and Peripheral Nerves Section Research Fellow Timothy Vogel, MD University of Iowa HOX mediated development of the human craniovertebral junction Disorders of the craniovertebral junction (CVJ) represent a significant public health problem and neurosurgeons are the specialists who most often diagnose and treat these patients. This region is vital for brain and spinal cord function, however, little is known regarding the genetic mechanisms regulating CVJ morphogenesis. Various genes have been implicated in CVJ development; however, insights on gene patterning in the human CVJ are lacking. The purpose of this proposal is to use molecular genetic approaches to improve our understanding of human CVJ disorders. Discovery of genetic risk factors involved in human CVJ abnormalities will reveal important pathways in CVJ development.