# Developing standardized graphic libraries for anatomy: A focus on human craniofacial anatomy and phenotypes

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2024 · $349,926

## Abstract

Project summary
Communicating about anatomical concepts and patient-specific anatomy is fundamental to medicine.
Anatomy of the head and face (craniofacial anatomy) is complex, and facial morphology varies within
and among populations. Orofacial clefts—which are among the most common congenital anomalies—
display a range of severities and may be preset at more than one site.
 There is a need to communicate rapidly and accurately about craniofacial anatomy in clinical
practice, medical education, and when using clinical data in research. To address this challenge, we
propose to create simple, standardized graphics of craniofacial anatomy and phenotypes. Our collections
of graphics, or “graphic libraries”, will serve as complements to textual representations and will be
designed for use within clinical, research, and educational software applications. Our approach to
designing the graphics is based on four requirements: that the graphics be composable, extensible,
identifiable, and created using scalable vector graphics (SVGs).
 We will first develop graphics for adult and developmental anatomy, then for phenotype variations
and malformations. We will also develop prototypes for two web-based tools—one that incorporates
graphics into the Human Phenotype Ontology and the other for documenting craniofacial phenotypes
and malformations in clinical settings. By offering a new paradigm for communicating about anatomy, our
graphic libraries will become crucial components of the next generation of software applications for
clinical practice, research, and education.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10864812
- **Project number:** 5R01DE030100-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Clarkson
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $349,926
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10864812

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10864812, Developing standardized graphic libraries for anatomy: A focus on human craniofacial anatomy and phenotypes (5R01DE030100-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10864812. Licensed CC0.

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