Joel R. Chamberlain, Ph.D. is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, WA, where she has been a vital contributor to the fields of muscular dystrophy and molecular therapies for over 15 years. Starting her career at UW as a postdoctoral scholar in 2001, Dr. Chamberlain has dedicated her research to developing gene-based therapies for the two most common dominant muscular dystrophies: myotonic dystrophy (DM) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

At UW’s cutting-edge South Lake Union research campus, Dr. Chamberlain, who earned her PhD at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is part of a world-class facility that includes the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, the Center for Cardiovascular Biology, the Center for Translational Muscle Research, the Center for Innate Immunity and Disease, the Diabetes Center, and others.

As an MDF Pilot Grant recipient, Dr. Chamberlain is leading an exciting project titled “Efficacy Testing of Cell-Derived Nanovesicle Delivery of Small Interfering RNAs for Treatment of DM1.” Her team is pioneering a novel approach to treat DM1 by utilizing natural cell-derived vesicles to deliver therapies aimed at eliminating toxic RNA structures in the muscles and tissues of DM1 patients. By testing these carriers in DM1-derived stem cells and transforming them into muscle-like cells, her team hopes to determine whether this innovative delivery system can successfully neutralize the harmful effects of the disease. This groundbreaking research holds tremendous potential to revolutionize treatment for DM1, offering a promising non-invasive approach that targets the root cause of the condition.

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