From hands-on care to natural history research and national care guidelines, Kate Eichinger, PhD,has dedicated her career to strengthening function and wellness in the DM community. Her new study uses wearable sensors to uncover subtle changes in gait and balance, offering a new window into how mobility evolves in DM.

With more than 15 years of DM research experience, Juan Manuel Fernandez, PhD, is pioneering work on microRNAs, 3D bioengineered muscle model, and myotonic dystrophy. His new project focuses that expertise on DM2, aiming to create a new model to accelerate drug development.

David Housman, PhD, and Christopher Ng, ScD, plan to adapt a promising DNA repair enzyme therapy, originally developed for Huntington’s disease, to tackle DM1. With MDF’s support and new collaboration with Dr. Eric Wang’s world renowned lab, this work aims to accelerate both scientific discovery and future therapeutic development.

MDF advocates met with Members of Congress to advance federal myotonic dystrophy research funding and honor Senator Chris Van Hollen.