Meet one of our 2026 Early Career Grant Recipients, Curtis Nutter, PhD! Dr. Cutter is an Assistant Professor in Biochemistry at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, leading an independent research program on RNA biology, neurological disorders, and DM1. His lab, part of the NextGen Precision Health Initiative, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and engages the DM1 community.

Dr. Nutter trained at the University of Texas Medical Branch studying RNA-binding proteins and splicing, and as a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Maurice Swanson’s lab at the University of Florida, he developed CRISPR DM1 mouse models and identified the choroid plexus–CSF axis as a key contributor to CNS pathology (Brain, 2023). He has received support from the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Xtraordinary Joy Foundation. His research combines transcriptomics, multiomics, and patient-derived organoid models to study RNA misprocessing, therapeutic interventions, and biomarker restoration.

The goal of his current project is to identify CSF biomarkers that reflect brain dysfunction, enabling better disease monitoring, evaluation of therapies, and development of new brain-targeted treatments to improve quality of life for people with DM1.

Click here to learn more about MDF's research funding opportunities and prior grant recipients.