The Khurana laboratory uses a combination of cellular, physiological, structural and molecular genetic approaches to understand the basic biology of muscle and develop therapies for the muscular dystrophies. Topics being studied include 1) molecular and physiological basis of unique muscle functioning (e.g. extraocular muscles), 2) formation of specializations such as neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) and synapse-specific regulation of utrophin and 3) control of muscle size/function by stem cells, growth factors (e.g. myostatin)and environmental factors (hypoxia). This research is interesting from a translational perspective since modulating some of the molecules/pathways under investigation (e.g. utrophin, myostatin) offer novel therapeutic strategies for Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.