Funding outcome

Disorders affecting the development and growth of the spine are common in children. Scoliosis is an abnormal lateral curvature and rotation of the spine. It is estimated that 1 in 200 children are affected with these malformations. Scoliosis can manifest in numerous ways: it can present at birth arising during the formation of the spine, or it can occur later in childhood. Current treatments for scoliosis rely on cumbersome bracing to limit curve progression or complex spinal fusion surgery to straighten the spine. This research project is aimed at identifying the underlying factors that control the normal growth and patterning of the spine. In particular I am interested in determining how the characteristic segmented structure of the spine forms and how its growth is regulated.