University of Kansas · PhysiologyPalatogenesis Research Lab
Irfan Saadi · Lawrence, Kansas
Research Focus
Dr. Irfan Saadi's lab studies how the palate develops in embryos, particularly focusing on congenital conditions like cleft palate. The research looks into how a specific protein, SPECC1L, affects the growth and elevation of palatal shelves, which are crucial for proper mouth formation. The lab uses advanced techniques like MRI and computational modeling to understand these processes better and aims to uncover ways to improve treatment outcomes for affected children.
cleft palateSPECC1Lpalatogenesisembryonic developmentmouse modelsmaternal folic acidtissue dynamicsmechanical propertiesproteomics
Research Aims
3AIM 01Study the mechanics of palate elevation in normal and mutant models.
AIM 02Investigate how SPECC1L mutations affect cellular behavior and protein interactions.
AIM 03Determine the role of maternal folic acid in correcting palate elevation defects.
Skills the Lab Values
MRI imagingfinite element analysiscell cultureproteomic analysismouse genetic modelsbiomechanicsmolecular biology techniquesfluorescence microscopyin vivo imaging
Output against the department
Publications70bottom 14% of dept.245th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.1kbottom 13% of dept.248th of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.