I have a longstanding interest in neurogenetic and neuromuscular diseases. My initial research activities involved genetic mapping of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). I transitioned to clinical research, participating in multicenter natural history studies in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Friedreich ataxia. I have been site PI for >30 independent industry-sponsored clinical trials for neuromuscular diseases over >15 years (trials from phase 1-3) and direct a team of clinical research coordinators and physical therapist evaluators. I have led an ongoing natural history and outcome measure study of the dystroglycanopathies for >15 years as PI of Project 2 of the Iowa Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Specialized Research Center (MDSRC). I am Co-Lead of Core C, the Iowa MDSRC Training Core, mentoring medical students. I am Co-PI of the Iowa MDSTARnet site, a CDC-sponsored epidemiologic study of muscular dystrophies and am also Co-PI of the Iowa NeuroNext center, an NIH sponsored platform for conducting clinical research in neurologic diseases. I continue to have a robust clinical practice and am one of two pediatric neuromuscular specialists in the state of Iowa. My goals throughout these activities have been to improve the care of people with neuromuscular diseases and foster the next generation of researchers in neuromuscular diseases. These experiences have prepared me well to contribute to the work proposed in this application.