The 2012 Gordon Conference on Craniofacial Morphogenesis and Tissue Regeneration will focus on the molecular and genetic underpinnings of craniofacial development in an evolutionary context. It will feature a range of topics, including the early migration and specification of neural crest and mesodermal populations that compose the head, the patterned growth and signaling events that produce the major craniofacial organs, and the evolution of developmental mechanisms that give rise to the diversity of craniofacial form in vertebrates. The Conference will also cover disorders that affect craniofacial development, and animal models used to investigate their pathophysiology. A major theme will be the function of stem cells in basic developmental mechanisms and as tools in tissue engineering approaches to the treatment of craniofacial disease.

The Conference will bring together an array of investigators who are at the forefront of their fields within craniofacial biology. It will provide unique opportunities for junior investigators and graduate students to present their work in poster format and interact with leaders in the field. In addition, a group of poster presenters will be selected to give brief oral presentations. The collegial and interdisciplinary atmosphere of this Conference, with formal discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, will provide an excellent venue for investigators from different disciplines in craniofacial biology to brainstorm and to develop collaborations across fields.