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                            Funding & Awards
 Genetic Analysis of Facial Shape and Appearance
Award Information
Awardee
              University of Colorado Denver
Award #
              2013-DN-BX-K005
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Aurora, CO
Congressional District
              6
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2013
Total funding (to date)
              $514,432
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 13 Basic Scientific Research to Support Forensic Science for Criminal Justice Purposes
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2013, $514,432)
As submitted by the proposer: Human appearance is a remarkably variable set of physical traits that together comprise the summation of many different externally visible characteristics. Of all externally visible characteristics, facial appearance is paradoxically the most morphologically variable and most distinctive. Human facial appearance is largely genetically determined, each of the many components that define overall facial shape and appearance likely determined by a multiplicity of genes, with environmental variables exerting increasing influence over time. Nevertheless, the striking similarity of facial appearance within families, often across many generations, suggests that certain key genes may exert particularly large effects on overall appearance. An ultimate goal of forensic science would be the ability to predict a virtual photographic representation of facial appearance from genomic DNA sequences derived from forensic specimens. Here, we propose to conduct basic research necessary to bring this goal to reality, aiming to discover the genetic basis of facial appearance. We are currently carrying out a comprehensive genomewide association study (GWAS), using 3D facial morphometric scans to analyze the genetics of facial shape in an African population. Here, we propose to extend these studies to the European-derived Caucasian (EUR) population, analyzing a collection of 3D morphometric scans and saliva samples for DNA from almost 800 normal subjects. We aim to determine whether the same genomic loci and underlying genetic variation found in the Tanzania study likewise contribute to facial shape variation in the EUR population.
ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      Human Facial Shape and Size Heritability and Genetic Correlations
                  Rapid automated landmarking for morphometric analysis of three-dimensional facial scans
                  The Genetics of Facial Morphology
                  Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Multiple Loci Influencing Normal Human Facial Morphology
                  Genomewide Association Study of African Children Identifies Association of SCHIP1 and PDE8A with Facial Size and Shape
                  The FaceBase Consortium: A comprehensive resource for craniofacial researchers
                  Fighting Crime With Science
                                                                      NIJ Journal,
                  Defining a Face: What Can DNA Phenotyping Really Tell Us About an Unknown Sample?
                  Craniofacial Morphometric Analysis of Individuals with X-linked Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia

  
Date Created: September 8, 2013
    
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