Welcome to the Kunkel Laboratory!
Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children's Hospital
The primary focus of the Kunkel laboratory is the study of muscle diseases, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a progressive muscle wasting disease that affects about 1 in 3500 male births. Since our initial discovery of the DMD gene, we have dedicated over 30 years of research to investigating disease mechanisms, working on diagnostic testing and potential treatments for families with muscle diseases. We use animal models including mice and zebrafish to study muscle pathophysiology and design new treatments. Currently the lab is focused on investigating known genetic modifiers of the disease for use as potential therapy.