Craniofacial Outcomes Research and Epidemiology (CORE) Group

The Craniofacial Outcomes Research and Epidemiology (CORE) group unites researchers around a shared vision: to collaborate on discoveries that advance our understanding of the causes of craniofacial conditions and to improve healthcare for children with conditions affecting the head and neck.

The CORE team conducts clinical research that aims to understand how and why craniofacial conditions occur. The team is working to identify treatments that lead to improved outcomes for children with craniofacial conditions. The CORE team is partnering with individuals and families with craniofacial conditions to identify areas for future research that are of mutual interest to the families and our team.

While projects under the CORE umbrella are tied to individual researchers, the CORE collaboration allows researchers to get input and feedback from colleagues with different areas of expertise. This partnership allows investigators to draw on one another's skills in areas ranging from healthcare experience and outcomes research to genetics to 3-D facial imaging, sparking a comprehensive approach that helps unravel all facets of these complicated conditions.

CORE team experts have decades of craniofacial research experience, giving them specialized insight that helps investigators design and conduct studies in ways that maximize success.

For more information on CORE, please contact Laura Stueckle.

Our Researchers

Carrie L Heike, MD, MS Dr. Heike is currently a co-prinipal investigator on a multi-center study to develop an instrument to assess caregiver's obeservations of health status in infants with clefts of the lip. She also works on multiple projects to investigate the etiology and clinical outcomes for individuals with craniofacial microsomia. She also has a particular interest in developing partnerships and using novel methods to enhance interdisciplinary team science.

Christy McKinney, PhD, MPH Christy McKinney, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Craniofacial Medicine, Department of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine at the University of Washington and an Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Oral Health Sciences in the School of Dentistry at the University of Washington. She is also an investigator in Seattle Children’s Research Institute’s Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, and part of Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Craniofacial Center.

Kelly N Evans, MD Dr. Evans's research investigates sleep and breathing in children born with craniofacial conditions, with the goal of improving outcomes in patients with conditions that affect airway function. Her research focuses on children born with micrognathia, glossoptosis and cleft palate, also known as Robin sequence (RS). Her goals include improving the understanding of the RS phenotype, or physical characteristics, identifying risk factors that will be helpful in predicting which children with this condition will have more sleep and breathing problems.

Sara Kinter, PhD, CCC-SLP Program-based Clinical Lead

Staff

Kristen Daniels, MLIS

Clinical Data Coordinator II

Anna Meehan, AuD, CCC-A, EMT

Laura Stueckle, MPH

Clinical Research Supervisor

Erik Stuhaug, photographer

Medical Photographer