Daniel G. Miller, M.D., Ph.D. is a Medical Geneticist and
Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of
Washington. He received his B.A. from Whitman College and completed both his
M.D. and a Ph.D. training at the University of Washington. He completed
residency in Pediatrics at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center
in Seattle and a fellowship in medical genetics at the University of
Washington.
Dr. Miller sees patients with a variety of genetic conditions at children's
hospital and it was in this setting that he was asked to evaluate a patient
suspected of having Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). As a
result of this encounter, he became interested in studying the molecular
features of the condition. FSHD is caused by an inherited or spontaneous
deletion of genetic material on chromosome 4; however, how this deletion
results in muscle weakness is not understood. Dr. Miller's lab is testing
the hypothesis that expression of the Dux4 gene, located within the deleted
region, is altered in patients with FSHD. The long-term objective of this
research is to understand how muscle strength is compromised as a result of
molecular events initiated by these deletions. Once the disease mechanism is
understood, treatment strategies can be devised to ameliorate the condition.
Dr. Miller's lab was able to begin working on FSHD as a consequence of a
grant award from the Pacific Northwest Friends of FSH. Subsequently, Dr.
Miller has also secured funding from the Muscular Dystrophy Association in
order to extend the research and support additional lab members interested
in his approach to this disease.
