Dr. Hatch received her DMD from Harvard University in 1999 and then moved to the University of Washington to pursue a combined training program in orthodontics and cell biology. She received her Masters and Orthodontic Certificate from the University of Washington in December of 2002, and subsequently was appointed as an instructor in the department. For the next three years, Dr. Hatch dedicated her time to a combination of molecular craniofacial research and clinical orthodontics. She received her PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of Washington in September, 2005.

For her PhD, Dr. Hatch focused on bone biology and the molecular basis of diseases that involve abnormal development of the craniofacial skeleton. More specifically, she investigated the molecular basis of the craniosynostosis syndromes, a debilitating clinical condition characterized by the premature fusion of one or more of the cranial sutures. The craniosynostosis syndromes are linked to mutations in fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR's). During the course of her PhD, Dr. Hatch developed two projects on this topic. The first provides an alternative mechanism for the aberrant mineralization of craniosynostosis by investigating a link between FGF signaling and the generation of pyrophosphate. She received an award for this research at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the IADR and has recently had this study accepted for publication. Her second project is a study of craniosynostosis syndrome linked FGFR mutations. It is commonly accepted that these mutations result in overactive FGFR signaling, yet her results suggest that this may not be the case.

Her research will involve a more in depth analysis of the effects of FGF signaling on bone mineralization by calvarial osteoblasts. Dr. Hatch expects that research into the molecular basis of craniofacial anomalies and orthodontic tooth movement will continue to grow just as the molecular knowledge of the scientific community as a whole grows. As an orthodontist with training in molecular biology, she now finds herself in a unique position to support the growth of this knowledge both as an educator and as a researcher.

Link to Dr. Hatch's biosketch