Hing Lab
Unraveling the Genetic Causes of Craniofacial Disorders
Dr. Anne V. Hing has served as a principal investigator on a multicenter, international study of the genetics of cleft lip and palate. She recruited 500 patients for this study, which is ongoing and has identified genes that may contribute to the condition.
Hing is also involved in a study investigating the genes behind midface hypoplasia – which occurs when the middle of the face is underdeveloped – in patients with craniosynostosis. The study, led by Dr. Timothy Cox, will use exome sequencing – a faster, more efficient alternative to sequencing a person's entire genome – to try and pinpoint genes that contribute to the disorder. Hing is spearheading an effort to recruit 60 patients to donate genetic material to this study.
Hing contributes to many other studies of a variety of disorders including craniofacial microsomia, microtia and oculo-oto-facial dysplasia. Identifying the genes behind these conditions could dramatically improve our understanding of their causes and could potentially lead to tests that tell parents if they carry these genes.
Anne V Hing, MD
Anne V. Hing, MD, is an attending physician at Seattle Children's Hospital, an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and an adjunct faculty member in the Division of Medical Genetics. Hing's clinical interests include the diagnosis and management of infants, children, and adolescents with craniofacial and genetic conditions.
She works in the Craniofacial and Craniofacial Genetics Clinic, and also serves as a genetics consultant in seven different outreach genetics clinics throughout the states of Washington and Alaska. Hing coordinates the craniofacial resident elective (and selective) rotation and provides bedside teaching for medical students and residents. She is program director of the Craniofacial Medicine fellowship and coordinates a multidisciplinary craniofacial lecture series for both medical and surgical trainees involved in craniofacial patient care.