Using MRI to Guide Personalized Care for Infants with Cleft Palate
Official title: Using MRI to Facilitate Precision Medicine for Infants with Cleft Palate
Funded at University of Wyoming · NIH-11158689 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work explores how MRI scans can help doctors make better, more personalized treatment decisions for babies born with a cleft palate.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Wyoming NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Laramie, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $173,136 |
| NIH project number | 5R21DC021799-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158689 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this work are infants with cleft palate who are preparing for their initial palate repair surgery, typically around 10 months of age.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have already undergone palate repair surgery or are outside the infant age range would not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Cleft palate is a common birth defect that can make it hard for children to speak clearly, even after surgery. Many children need speech therapy or even more surgeries to help them close the space between their mouth and nose when they talk. Currently, treatment plans are often the same for everyone, but this project aims to use MRI images taken before surgery to understand each baby's unique anatomy. By comparing these early images with how children speak later, we hope to find ways to predict the best surgical approach for each infant.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more personalized and effective surgical plans for infants with cleft palate, potentially reducing the need for additional surgeries and improving speech outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: While the use of MRI in this specific way for precision medicine in cleft palate is novel, previous research has shown that anatomical variables influence speech outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Wyoming
Laramie, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kotlarek, Katelyn Joy — University of Wyoming
- Study coordinator: Kotlarek, Katelyn Joy
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.