19 Sep PRESS RELEASE: The Chris Carrino Foundation for FSHD Extends Funding of Genetic Research Project
September 19, 2011
Massapequa Park, New York
The Chris Carrino Foundation for FSHD announced the extension of a scientific research project directed towards understanding the genetic basis of variable severity in FSHD (Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy). The study, entitled, “Uncovering the Genetic Basis of Variable Severity in FSHD” is headed by Dr. Eli Hatchwell, formerly Director of the Genomics Core Facility at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and currently Chief Scientific Officer of Population Diagnostics and Adjunct Associate Professor at Stony Brook.
Dr. Hatchwell received his medical degree from Cambridge University and his PhD from Oxford University. He has previously worked on autism and congenital heart disease and is a welcome addition to the FSHD field. Dr. David Tegay, an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Genetics, at the New York Institute of Technology’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM), is a Co-Investigator on this study.
Chris Carrino added, “It’s critical that we have talented research scientists dedicating their efforts to studying FSHD. I am very pleased that through our foundation we are able to continue this important FSHD research.”
“While there has been much progress made in understanding the primary genetic basis of FSHD, little is known about the reasons for the dramatic variability in severity of disease within sufferers. Because of this lack of clarity, it is difficult to provide accurate medical advice about future prospects for individuals who have been diagnosed with FSHD. Furthermore, knowledge of the factors that increase the severity of disease in FSHD may be as likely to yield therapeutic breakthroughs as that associated with the primary mechanism”, said Dr. Eli Hatchwell.
Dr, Tegay added, “This research is important in bridging the gap between finding and understanding the genetic basis of FSHD”.
The Chris Carrino Foundation for FSHD is a 501(c)(3)non-profit organization dedicated to the effort of eradicating the life-altering effects of Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). The organization was founded by Chris Carrino, Play by Play radio voice of the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association.
The Foundation is an independent, volunteer organization providing funding to research scientists with the expectation that stimulating scientific research in the field of FSHD will lead to an effective treatment and eventually a cure. Although FSHD is now documented as the most common form of muscular dystrophy, FSHD research has been dramatically under funded for decades. There is no cure and no treatment.