Craniofacial Biology

Members

• Professor Grant Townsend
• Professor Lindsay Richards
• Professor Wayne Sampson
• Associate Professor Craig Dryer
• Associate Professor Tracey Winning
• Professor Frances Greenwood
• Dr John Berketa
• Dr Neville Gully
• Dr Denice Higgins
• Dr Toby Hughes
• Dr Helen James
• Dr John Kaidonis
• Dr Dimitra Lekkas
• Dr Suzanna Milailidis
• Dr Loretta Rupinskas
• Ms Michelle Bockmann

Visiting Research Fellows

• Emeritus Professor Tasman Brown
• Associate Professor Peter Anderson
• Dr Keith Grave
• Dr David Netherway
• Ms Sandra Pinkerton
• Mr James Rogers
• Mr Graeme Scriven
• Dr Soichiro Tomo
• Dr Ikiko Tomo
• Dr Ryuji Ueno
• Dr Tom Wilkinson

Administration

• Ms Karen Killer

Research Goals

The research being undertaken by the Craniofacial Biology Research Group is focused on clarifying the roles of genetic and environmental factors on human dental and facial development and morphology.  From our unique collection of dental models and other records of twins and their families and Australian Aboriginals housed in the Murray James Barrett Laboratory, the University of Adelaide, the group is striving to define new dental phenotypes by looking at 2D and 3D imaging systems, applying genetic model-fitting approaches to explain the genetic and environmental contributions to dental and facial phenotypes, and carrying out association studies aimed at finding key genes in human dental development.  These approaches combine to further enhance our understanding of paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, forensic odontology and physical anthropology.

Current Projects

The Financial Markets Foundation for Children

• What factors influence the transmission and colonisation of caries-producing bacteria in Australian children?

National Health & Medical Research Council

• Genetic, environmental and epigenetic influences on human tooth emergence: A twin study.

Australian Dental Research Foundation

• Effects of decomposition on DNA within dentine and cementum and the consequences for human identification.
  The individuality of the human dentition: Implications for forensic odontology.
  Effects of decomposition on DNA within dentine and cementum and the consequences for human identification. (ADIA Award)
  The effect of lubrication in preventing enamel wear.
  The development of the Curve of Spee in Australian twins.

Australian Research Council

• A powerful new genetic view of the recent evolutionary history of humans and their diseases.

Recent Publications

Berketa J, James H, Marino V. Dental implant changes following incineration. Forensic Science International 2010 [Epub ahead of print]

Berketa J, James H, Marino V. Survival of batch numbers within dental implants following incineration as an aid to identification. Journal of Forensic Odontostomatology 2010;28:1-4.

Berketa JW, Hirsch RS, Higgins D, James H. Radiographic recognition of dental implants as an aid to identifying the deceased. Journal of Forensic Sciences 2010;55:66-70.

Bockmann MR, Hughes TE, Townsend GC. Genetic modelling of primary tooth emergence: a study of Australian twins. Twin Research and Human Genetics 2010;13:573-581.

Fricker J, Kiley M, Townsend GC, Trevitt C. Professionalism: What is it, why should we have it and how can we achieve it? Australian Dental Journal 2011;56:92-96.

Hasegawa Y, Rogers J, Scriven G, Townsend GC. Carabelli trait in Australian twins: reliability and validity of different scoring systems. Dental Anthropology 2010;23:7-14.

Khoury J, Mihailidis S, Ghabriel M, Townsend GC. Anatomical relationships within the human pterygomandibular space: Relevance to local anaesthesia. Clinical Anatomy 2010;23:936-944.

Lam AK, David DJ, Townsend GC, Anderson PJ. Van der Woude syndrome: Dentofacial features and implications for clinical practice. Australian Dental Journal 2010;55:51-58.

Michael JA, Kaidonis JA, Townsend GC. Non-carious cervical lesions: a scanning electron microscopic study. Australian Dental Journal 2010;55:138-142.

Michael JA, Kaidonis JA, Townsend GC. Non-carious cervical lesions on permanent anterior teeth: a new morphological classification. Australian Dental Journal 2010;55:134-137.

Richards LC, Kaidonis JA, Townsend GC. New insights into tooth wear based on in vitro studies. Journal of Engineering Tribology 2010;224:511-558.

Taji SS, Seow WK, Townsend GC, Holcombe T. A controlled study of dental erosion in 2- to 4-year-old twins. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2010;20:400-409.

Taji SS, Seow WK, Townsend GC, Holcombe T. Enamel hypoplasia in the primary dentition of monozygotic and dizygotic twins compared with singleton controls. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2011;21:175-184.

Ueno R, Iimura A, Yoshida S, Kondo K, Sato I, Henneberg M, Townsend GC. An odontometric study of the maxillary molars in Australian marsupials. 1. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). Okajimas Folia Anatomica Japonica 2010;86:137-141.

Woodroffe S, Mihailidis S, Hughes T, Bockmann M, Seow WK, Gotjamanos T, Townsend GC. Primary tooth emergence in Australian children: timing, sequence and patterns of asymmetry. Australian Dental Journal 2010;55:245-251.

Yamada H, Kondo S, Hanamura H, Townsend GC. Tooth size in individuals with congenitally missing teeth: a study of Japanese males. Anthropological Science 2010;118:87-93.

Chellappah AD, Townsend GC, David DJ, Anderson PJ. Facial fractures in pre-school children: a retrospective survey of patients five years of age and younger. Injury (In Press)

Chellappah AD, Townsend GC, David DJ, Anderson PJ. Facial fractures sustained by children while skateboarding. Injury (In Press)

Fricker J, Kiley M, Townsend GC, Trevitt C. Professionalism: What is it, why should we have it and how can we achieve it? Australian Dental Journal (In Press)

Khoury J, Mihailidis S, Ghabriel M, Townsend GC. Applied anatomy of the pterygomandibular space: improving success rates of the inferior alveolar nerve block. Australian Dental Journal (In Press)

Redwood CJ, Townsend GC. The dead centre of undergraduate life: the changing attitudes of dental students during dissection. Journal of Dental Education (In Press)

Townsend GC, Winning T. Research in PBL – where to from here for dentistry? Journal of Dental Education (In Press)

Tziavaras N, Mihailidis S, Rajoin Z, Yusof A, Anderson P, Townsend GC. A 3D CT analysis of craniofacial asymmetry in Malaysian infants with cleft lip and palate. Malaysian Journal of Medical Science (In Press)

International Collaboration

International Collaborating Centre in Oro-facial Genetics and Development

With Professor Alan Brook, Professor Lassi Alvesalo and Dr Richard Smith, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.