Dr. Will Towler joined the Liao Lab in October 2022 to elucidate mechanisms guiding craniofacial asymmetry, as in hemifacial microsomia, with the goal to apply gene therapy solutions to craniofacial research.

A developmental biologist specialized in morphogen signaling pathways and skeletal development, Dr. Towler earned his BS in Biology from Furman University in South Carolina and his PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania studying the skeletal phenotype of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. His academic interests lie in dissecting the gene networks that influence morphology during organ development and how this applies to tissue regeneration.

Outside of lab, he is a volunteer research consultant for the Freedom of Form Foundation. His hobbies are those of a 1990s nerd, meaning tabletop roleplaying games, martial arts, videogames, and fantasy novels.