On January 19, 2026, Zeren Sun, a PhD candidate working with Dr. Pascal Bernatchez, gave a talk as part of the ongoing Seminar Series at the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI). The presentation, titled “The Interplay Between Circulating Lipoproteins and Intramuscular Lipids in the Pathogenesis of Dysferlin-related Muscular Dystrophy,” explored the role cholesterol plays in muscular dystrophy (MD), a condition that causes progressive muscle weakness.

Zeren’s research focused on how imbalances in cholesterol levels, both in the blood and within muscle cells, could contribute to the worsening of MD. Healthy muscles depend on a proper cholesterol balance, something patients on cholesterol-lowering medications called statins know all too well, as they often cause statin-associated myopathies, such as muscle pain. But in people with MD, this balance is also disrupted, but differently. Zeren shared how disruptions in cholesterol can interfere with how muscles process fats, leading to muscle damage and reducing the ability of muscles to repair themselves, especially in the absence of a protein called dysferlin.

Using patient data, mouse models, and lab-grown muscle cells, the Bernatchez lab found that it is the presence of harmful “bad” cholesterol particles, the severity of MD is worsened. Their research also suggests that dysferlin might help control how cholesterol moves within muscle cells, which could lead to potential new treatment options. Additionally, certain dietary fats may help improve cholesterol balance in the muscles, offering a possible approach to managing MD. Zeren’s work emphasizes the importance of understanding how cholesterol affects muscle health and suggests that targeting cholesterol pathways might help improve treatment strategies for MD.

If you want to connect with Zeren and learn more about his work, feel free to visit his ResearchGate profile here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zeren-Sun

Yejin Kang Explores the Link Between Cholesterol and Muscular Dystrophy

On January 12th, HLI  hosted another insightful session in our ongoing Seminar Series. This week, Yejin Kang, a Postdoctoral Fellow at Bernatchez Lab, shared her exciting research on how cholesterol affects muscle health, particularly in the context of muscular dystrophy.

Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a group of genetic conditions that cause muscle weakness and damage. Yejin’s talk, titled The Role of Circulating Cholesterol in Muscular Dystrophy and Muscle Regeneration, explored how changes in cholesterol levels can worsen the effects of this disease and even hinder the body’s ability to repair muscles.

One key takeaway from Yejin’s work is how statin intolerance, a condition that leads to muscle pain, can demonstrate how sensitive muscles are to fluctuations in cholesterol levels. Bernatchez’s lab has been studying the relationship between cholesterol and muscle dysfunction, using pre-clinical models and human samples to uncover new insights. In one experiment, they found that an unhealthy cholesterol level dramatically worsened the condition of mice with muscular dystrophy, leading to severe muscle wasting.

Yejin’s research doesn’t stop at understanding the problem. She is also working on finding better ways to prevent or treat this muscle degeneration by studying how different cholesterol levels impact muscle healing. The team is specifically looking at a group of mice with a genetic mutation similar to one seen in humans with muscular dystrophy, using them to test how cholesterol diets affect muscle regeneration after injury.

Her work is part of a larger effort to understand how metabolic factors like cholesterol can play a role in muscle diseases and could eventually lead to new treatment options.

The seminar was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the real-world impact of cholesterol on muscle health, and Yejin’s contributions to this important area of research are invaluable in the quest for better treatments for muscular dystrophy.

If you want to connect with Yejin and learn more about her work, feel free to visit her ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yejin-Kang