Scientific Advisory Board

Louis Kunkel, Ph.D.

Boston Children’s Hospital

Harvard Medical School

Dr. Kunkel is a member of the Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Genetics and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Kunkel has over 30 years of experience in muscle biology and the analysis of human genetic disorders and gene mapping discovery. His was one of the first laboratories to positionally clone a human disease gene, and discovered mutations in the DYSTROPHIN gene cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The main focus of his laboratory has been to understand the pathological mechanisms underlying muscular dystrophies including FSHD, to identify potential genetic modifiers, and to develop therapies.

Dr. Kunkel is familiar with normal and diseased skeletal muscle and the methods and approaches for its analysis, and has extensive experience in developing and utilizing both mouse and zebrafish models of human forms of muscular dystrophy.

Dr. Kunkel has actively mentored dozens of successful scientists and will continue to mentor young scientists.