His current work centers on developing dystrophin independent therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy to complement existing therapies currently in development. He has received numerous awards for his research including membership to the National Academy of Sciences and The American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Kunkel recently received the 2009 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology for this pioneering work on muscular dystrophy. He leads a long-standing effort to develop novel therapies.