Endocrine System

The Section on Growth and Development, headed by Jeffrey Baron MD, investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing childhood growth and development. We focus particularly on growth at the growth plate, which drives bone elongation and therefore determines height. One goal of this work is to gain insight into the many human genetic disorders that cause childhood growth failure or overgrowth. A second goal is to explore the fundamental mechanisms that regulate childhood growth, and a third goal is to develop new treatments for children with severe growth disorders.