The Butali laboratory is interested in the epidemiology, genetics, and genomics of dental and craniofacial birth defects with the goal of identifying potential etiologic pathways that will inform strategies for prevention.

The lab uses a variety of techniques and approaches including genome-wide association studies, next generation sequencing approaches (whole exome and whole genome sequencing) to study these defects.

These studies are in collaboration with a group of productive and enthusiastic scientists, developmental biologists and clinicians who are experts in the field.  The Butali lab also collaborates with investigators from several African countries including Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria and South Africa and has developed multicenter studies to obtain maternal exposure data and biological samples for DNA from affected families in these countries.