Keynote speaker on the birth, development and future prospects for craniofacial biology

April 22, 2015
keynote speaker at  the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association meeting will discuss the state of the art in repairing cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial anomalies.

We rely on our faces to convey thoughts and feelings, while also receiving information through such senses as sight, sound, and taste. Cleft lips, cleft palates, and other malformations of the human face and skull — or craniofacial anomalies — can affect our perceptions of the world, as well as how others perceive us.

They keynote speaker at this week’s meeting of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) will discuss the state of the art in repairing cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial anomalies. More than 800 national and international ACPA members will meet April 20-25 at The Westin Mission Hills hotel in Palm Springs, California, to share the latest scientific research spanning more than 30 disciplines including surgery, dentistry, speech pathology, genetics, otolaryngology, and psychology.

On Wednesday, April 22, author, dentist, and researcher, Prof. Harold C. Slavkin, DDS, will deliver the keynote address, “The Birth, Development and Future Prospects for Craniofacial Biology.” In discussing recent advances in medical care — including regenerative medicine and dentistry, personalized medicine and dentistry, and precision health care — Dr. Slavkin will explain how better care for craniofacial patients touches the human condition.

His recent book, The Birth of a Discipline: Craniofacial Biology, focuses on the evolution of craniofacial care during the past 200 years and how this discipline has affected other areas of healthcare. He also discusses the need for dual training for scientists as well as technicians. The book was reviewed in

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal, which said, “If anyone should be giving the ‘State of the Field’ address it should be Dr. Slavkin, and this book fills this role.”

For information about ACPA visit www.acpa-cpf.org/who_we_are/. For information about the Cleft Palate Foundation visit www.cleftline.org/who-we-are/.