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Aline Petrin, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor

Introduction

I am an assistant professor in the College of Dentistry. My research focuses on craniofacial birth defects, with a primary focus on the genetics and epigenetics of nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate. My current projects investigate the role of DNA methylation in the etiology of orofacial clefts and combine epigenetic and genetic approaches to better understand how the epigenome influences the molecular basis of craniofacial birth defects.

Current Positions

  • Assistant Professor, Iowa Institute for Oral Health Research and Orthodontics

Education

  • PhD in Human Genetics in Human Genetics, Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
  • Master's in Human Genetics in Human Genetics, Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
  • Bachelor in Biomedical Sciences in Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Craniofacial Genetics, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, Iowa
  • Postdoctoral Research Scholar in Craniofacial Genetics, University of Iowa College of Medicine (Pediatrics), Iowa City, Iowa

Center, Program and Institute Affiliations

Selected Awards & Honors

  • 2025 AADOCR Hatton Award, Second Place, Junior Category, Mentor
  • 2025 Iowa AADOCR Research Day, Featured Speaker
  • Student Research Group Mentor of the Year, University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Mentor
  • AADOCR MIND the Future Program, American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR), Mentee
  • Milo Hellman Research Award, American Association of Orthodontics, Awardee
  • Reviewers Choice Award, American Society of Human Genetics, Awardee
  • Best Oral Presentation of the Max Smith Competition, University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, Awardee
  • Scholarship to attend the course “The Whole Scientist”, The Jackson Laboratory, Awardee
  • IADR/AADOCR Symposium "The WHO Global Oral Health Action Plan: The OFC Nutritional Agenda", Invited Speaker/Co-Chair
  • 2024 Craniofacial Morphogenesis and Tissue Regeneration Gordon Research Conference, Invited Speaker

Professional Memberships

  • American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR)
  • International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
  • American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG)

Selected Publications

  • Saba Manafi, L.A. Machado De Paula, K. Kannenberg, L.M. Moreno Uribe, S. Rengasamy Venugopalan, A.L. Petrin, E. Van Otterloo. Functional Assessment of an Oculo-Auriculo-Vertebral Spectrum Associated Variant in Zebrafish. In: 2025 AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
  • Austin B. Hinkle, L. Alves Machado De Paula, H. Keen, M. Chimenti, M.L. Marazita, J. Murray, L.M. Moreno Uribe, A.L. Petrin. Whole Genome Sequencing of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Orofacial Clefts. In: 2025 AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
  • Christina E. Spencer, L. Alves Machado De Paula, F. Qian1, W.O. Awotoye, S.M. Dabdoub, A. Butali, M.L. Marazita, L.M. Moreno Uribe, A.L. Petrin. DNA Methylation’s Role in Laterality of Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts. In: 2025 AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
  • Saba Manafi, L.A. Machado De Paula, K. Kannenberg, L.M. Moreno Uribe, S. Rengasamy Venugopalan, A.L. Petrin, E. Van Otterloo. Functional Assessment of an Oculo-Auriculo-Vertebral Spectrum Associated Variant in Zebrafish. In: 2025 Iowa Section of AADOCR Research Day.
  • Austin B. Hinkle, L. Alves Machado De Paula, H. Keen, M. Chimenti, M.L. Marazita, J. Murray, L.M. Moreno Uribe, A.L. Petrin. Whole Genome Sequencing of Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Orofacial Clefts. In: 2025 Iowa Section of AADOCR Research Day.
  • Christina E. Spencer, L. Alves Machado De Paula, F. Qian1, W.O. Awotoye, S.M. Dabdoub, A. Butali, M.L. Marazita, L.M. Moreno Uribe, A.L. Petrin. DNA Methylation’s Role in Laterality of Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefts. In: 2025 Iowa Section of AADOCR Research Day.
  • Machado-Paula, LA, Romanowska, J; Lie, RT; Hovey, L, Doolittle, B; Awotoye, W, Dunlay, L, Xie, XJ; Zeng, E; Butali A; Marazita, ML; Murray, JC; Moreno-Uribe, LM, Petrin, AL. Genetic-epigenetic interactions (meQTLs) in orofacial clefts etiology. medRxiv 2025.02.09.25321494; doi: 10.1101/2025.02.09.25321494.
  • Petrin AL, Machado-Paula LA, Hinkle A, Hovey L, Awotoye W, Chimenti M, Darbro B, Ribeiro-Bicudo LA, Dabdoub SM, Peter T, Breheny P, Murray J, Van Otterloo E, Rengasamy Venugopalan S, Moreno-Uribe LM. Familial Oculoauriculovertebral Spectrum: A Genomic Investigation of Autosomal Dominant Inheritance. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2025 Jan 17; 10556656241306202. doi: 10.1177/10556656241306202. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 39819101.
  • Awotoye W, Machado-Paula LA, Hovey L, Keen H, Chimenti M, Darbro B, Dabdoub S, Thomas JC, Murray J, Venugopalan SR, Moreno-Uribe L, Petrin AL. Multi-omic analyses of a twin pair with mirror image cleft lip identifies pathogenic variant in FGF20 modified by differential methylation upstream of ZFP57. medRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Nov 18:2024.11.16.24317351. doi: 10.1101/2024.11.16.24317351. PMID: 39606391; PMCID: PMC11601713.
  • Seaberg A, Awotoye W, Qian F, Machado-Paula LA, Dunlay L, Butali A, Murray J, Moreno-Uribe L, Petrin AL. DNA Methylation Effects on Van der Woude Syndrome Phenotypic Variability. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2024 Aug 7:10556656241269495. DOI: 10.1177/10556656241269495 Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39109995.

Selected Grants & Contracts

  • Functional analysis of genetic-epigenetic interplay in orofacial clefts
  • Integrative Genomic and Epigenomic Analyses of Oculo-Auriculo-Vertebral Spectrum (OAVS), NIDCR, Petrin (PI)
  • Expanding the orofacial cleft omics resources (X01), Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program, Petrin (Scientific Contributor)
  • Genomic and Epigenomic analysis of Oculo-auriculo vertebral spectrum (OAVS) using long-read sequencing
  • A Twin Approach for Genome-Wide Differential DNA Methylation in Orofacial Clefting (KBoost); University of Iowa Institute for Clinical and Translational Science; Petrin, Aline (Principal Investigator)
  • A Twin Approach for genome-wide differential DNA methylation in orofacial clefting; NIH/NIDCR; Petrin, Aline (Principal Investigator)
  • Investigating the contribution of DNA methylation to the laterality of clefting; University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics; Awotoye, Waheed (Co-Investigator), Petrin, Aline (Principal Investigator)
  • American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) MIND the Future Program; American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR)
  • Functional validation of genetic-epigenetic interactions in orofacial clefts; University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics; Van Otterloo, Eric (Co-Investigator), Petrin, Aline (Principal Investigator)