Charis L. Himeda, PhD, is Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Molecular Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. She has worked in the fields of myogenesis and muscle disease for many years, and is currently using cutting-edge technologies to examine mechanisms of epigenetic dysregulation in FSHD muscle cells and explore potential avenues of therapy. 

In 2016, Dr. Himeda received the FSH Society's Young Investigator Award for her contributions to the ground-breaking 2015 paper published in Molecular Therapy, “CRISPR/dCas9-mediated transcriptional inhibition ameliorates the epigenetic dysregulation at D4Z4 and represses DUX4-fl in FSH muscular dystrophy.” Her co-author Peter Jones praises her as “a truly dedicated and brilliant scientist (and award-winning writer on the side).” 

A frequent contributor of meeting reports and articles to the FSH Society newsletter, Dr. Himeda is also dedicated to advancing public understanding of research. Following the publication of the CRISPR study, she was interviewed by the Washington Post, The Huffington Post, and the Boston Business Journal, and moderated a discussion for FSHD patients regarding the details and implications of the work.