Charles Emerson

Charles Emerson is a Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, affiliated with the Department of Neurology and the Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Program. He also holds positions in the NeuroNexus Institute and the Neuroscience Department at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

• Education: BA in Biology-Biochemistry from Princeton University, PhD in Biology from the University of California, San Diego, and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia as an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow.

His research focuses on skeletal muscle development and disease, particularly the transcriptional networks and signaling pathways controlling muscle progenitor specification. He has pioneered the use of iPSC modeling for human skeletal myogenesis and muscular dystrophies like FSHD and LGMD. His work includes discovering early developmental regulatory genes via CRISPR, developing xenograft models for muscle regeneration, and creating RNA/small molecule therapeutics for muscular dystrophies.

The lab's recent publications highlight advancements in prime editing efficiency, epigenetic regulation in myoblasts, and innate immunity in FSHD pathology. Collaborations with Genea Biocells and industry partners have enabled gene-free skeletal muscle stem cell induction.

Scientific Awards:

• NIH Career Development Award
• NIH Merit Award
• Director of NIH Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center
• American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship

Dr. Emerson has mentored numerous graduate and postdoctoral fellows and leads NIH-funded training programs. His grants include long-term support from NIH and muscular dystrophy foundations. The Emerson Lab actively collaborates through the Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, integrating academic, clinical, and patient advocacy networks.