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16 July 2025
Stowers Institute appoints Kristin Bechard as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Seasoned financial executive joins leadership team to help advance long-term vision.
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"We hope to provide insights into the basic molecular functions of these genes that can someday be harnessed to help people with mutations and their families."
Which rare diseases does your lab study?
We study Cornelia de Lange Syndrome and Roberts Syndrome.
Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is characterized by slow growth of affected individuals before and after birth leading to short stature, intellectual disability that is usually moderate to severe, and abnormalities of bones in the arms, hands, and fingers.
Roberts Syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by limb and facial abnormalities. Affected individuals also grow slowly before and after birth. Mild to severe intellectual impairment occurs in about half of all people with Roberts Syndrome.
How did you first become interested in your research related to these diseases?
We were already studying chromosome biology in budding yeast, and then studies were published that several genes we had been investigating (Nipbl, Esco) were mutated in CdLS and Roberts Syndrome. Studying these genes in research organisms allows us to understand what some of their fundamental functions are and how mutations disrupt these functions.
Research from the Gerton Lab has shown that in mouse models of Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, an abnormal placenta plays a previously unrecognized role during the earliest stages of development. (Illustration by Mark Miller)
Can you share an exciting discovery your lab has made in connection to these diseases?
One of our recent published studies by Vijay Singh revealed that Nipbl is important for the development of the mouse placenta, not just the development of the embryo.
What do you hope the impact of your team’s research surrounding these diseases will be in the future?
We hope to provide insights into the basic molecular functions of these genes that can someday be harnessed to help people with mutations and their families.
Press Release
16 July 2025
Seasoned financial executive joins leadership team to help advance long-term vision.
Read Article
Press Release
14 July 2025
Stowers scientists identify specific genes involved in zebrafish sensory hair cell regrowth, providing new insights that could inform future research into hearing loss treatments
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In The News
11 July 2025
From KSHB 41, the Stowers Institute in Kansas City is one of the primary beneficiaries of proceeds from the American Century Tournament. Go inside the labs to see the work their scientists are currently pursuing.
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