Dr. Cristiane Fonteles

Biography

Cristiane S. Fonteles is a professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry. She holds a DDS, an MS, and a PhD in Pharmacology. Dr. Fonteles has undergone extensive clinical research training and focuses on providing dental care to children with special needs and craniofacial anomalies. She received the Basil G. Bibby Fellowship at Eastman Dental Center, University of Rochester, in 1998-1999, and the Fulbright Scholarship at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis in 2009. Her knowledge in Genetics and Birth Defects has been enhanced through her work at the Finnell Birth Defect Lab at UT Austin and with the Finnell/Cabrera Birth Defect group at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Fonteles leads research in clinical genetics and uses saliva to diagnose and monitor diseases associated with craniofacial syndromes. She is the principal investigator of a cohort study on craniofacial oral characteristics in children born with congenital Zika syndrome. Dr. Fonteles has authored 60 scientific publications and has played an influential role in advancing clinical translational research in her field. Her clinical interests include craniofacial syndromes and infant oral health.

Research Interests