The research interests of the Everett lab focus primarily on the study of genes/proteins that play key roles during embryonic and postnatal development of craniofacial/oral/dental structures; and how these genes/proteins contribute to normal variation and to congenital and acquired disorders of craniofacial development.

A longstanding avenue of investigation focuses on the molecular etiologies of a common birth defect, non-syndromic cleft palate (CP). These investigations utilize mouse models of autosomal recessive non-syndromic cleft palate. One goal is to identify and validate candidate and modifier genes that lead to cleft palate in mice and to determine the normal roles of these genes in the complex network of events that lead to normal palatogenesis.

In addition to cleft palate we are investigating fluorosis, an acquired developmental disorder of tooth enamel linked to high fluoride exposure. For more than half a century, fluoridated drinking water has benefited public health by protecting against tooth decay. Recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as one of the top 10 public health measures ever initiated, fluoridation has contributed to a decline in tooth decay in North Carolina and elsewhere in the United States. Concurrent with the decline in tooth decay has been an increase in dental fluorosis, a developmental condition of tooth enamel. During amelogenesis, a strong correlation has been repeatedly demonstrated between the amount of fluoride consumed and the incidence of dental fluorosis. Recently we have shown that an individual’s genetic background influences fluorosis susceptibility and resistance. In other words, an individual’s genotype influences the resultant enamel pathology that constitutes dental fluorosis. Current investigations focus on the study of genetic determinants/factors that encode proteins and pathways underlying fluorosis susceptibility or resistance and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the action of fluoride on tooth and bone cells. These investigations include the effects of fluoride on: expression of genes that play a critical role in tooth and bone development and mineralization; and proteins and other factors participating in tooth and bone development and mineralization. A large part of these studies involve quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping to identify regions in the genome that convey susceptibility / resistance to fluorosis in mice.