The Genetics and Development of Scoliosis

Kenro Kusumi, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University and is a founding faculty member at the new University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix in partnership with Arizona State University. Dr. Kusumi’s current research focuses on early spinal development, axial musculoskeletal regeneration, and their applications to genetic studies of scoliosis and other musculoskeletal disorders. Sally L. Dunwoodie, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales and Laboratory Head in the Developmental Biology Division at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. Dr Dunwoodie's research focuses on development of the spine, heart, kidney and placenta in mouse, and their relevance to the molecular basis of congenital abnormalities.

Genetic Regulation of Somite and Early Spinal Patterning.- Development and Functional Anatomy of the Spine.- Environmental Factors and Axial Skeletal Dysmorphogenesis.- Overview and Comparison of Idiopathic, Neuromuscular, and Congenital Forms of Scoliosis.- Abnormal Vertebral Segmentation (or Segmentation Defects of the Vertebrae) and the Spondylocostal Dysostoses.- Spondylothoracic Dysostosis in Puerto Rico.- Progress in Understanding Genetic Contributions in Syndromic and Non-Syndromic Disorders Associated with Congenital, Neuromuscular, and Idiopathic Scoliosis.- Genetics and Functional Pathology of Idiopathic Scoliosis.- Current Understanding of Genetic Factors in Idiopathic Scoliosis.- Conclusion: Trends and Predictions for Genetic and Developmental Biological Research on Scoliosis.