Director

 
      Dr. Yang Chai is the Director of the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Southern California. He holds an endowed chair position as the George and Mary Lou Boone Professor of Craniofacial Molecular Biology. Dr. Chai also serves as the Chairman for the Division of Craniofacial Sciences and Therapeutics.

 Dr. Chai was born in Beijing, China.  He graduated from Peking University School of Stomatology in 1984 and completed an extensive education and training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.  In 1987, Dr. Chai attended the Graduate School at the University of Southern California.  He earned a PhD in Craniofacial Biology in 1991 and completed post-doctoral training at the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at USC School of Dentistry in 1994.  From 1994 to 1996, he earned a DDS degree from the School of Dentistry USC. In 1996, Dr. Chai joined the USC dental school faculty as an Assistant Professor.  He was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure at USC in 2002.  In 2004, he became the Chairman of the Division of Craniofacial Sciences and Therapeutics and was promoted to full Professor in 2006.

 Dr. Chai’s interdisciplinary research interests include craniofacial birth defects, cell-cell and tissue-tissue communication, signal transduction networks related to normal versus abnormal craniofacial morphogenesis, head and neck anatomy, and head and neck cancer.  His research group has been working on the functional significance of TGF-beta signaling in regulating craniofacial development and the fate determination of cranial neural crest cells.  Dr. Chai’s research team is supported by grants from the NIDCR, NIH; March of Dimes; American Cleft Palate Association; and the Zumberge award.  Professor Yang Chai serves as a regular member of the NIH SBDD Study Section. His research group publications appear in Development, Developmental Biology and numerous other related scientific peer-reviewed journals.  He participates on the editorial board of the journal Oral Disease and serves as a regular reviewer for several journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, Genes and Development, Developmental Cell, Development, Developmental Biology, Developmental Dynamics, IJDB, and JDR.