WORCESTER, Mass. - Dr. Brenda Wong of the UMass Chan Medical School was honored this week for her work in researching and treating a rare form of muscular dystrophy. 

For more than 20 years, Wong has been treating patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The disease is terminal, but advances in cardiac and respiratory care have helped move progress forward. 

"Without research, we are aware that Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a terminal disorder with life expectancy up to the 20s," Wong said. "It is with research that we provide hope this outcome for mortality will be pushed further and further out, and there's hope eventually we'll get a cure."

Duchenne muscular dystrophy symptoms include progressive weakness and loss of skeletal and heart muscle. Early signs may include delayed ability to sit, stand or walk and difficulties learning to speak. It's usually diagnosed within the first few years of life, and there are less than 50,000 known cases in the country. 

Wong helped launch the pediatric neuromuscular program at Cincinnati Children's Medical Center and came to UMass Chan Medical School so she could focus her efforts solely on Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Her devotion to the rare disease earned her a tribute award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association Thursday at their awards ceremony in Boston. 

"It came as a surprise to me at the national level for the recognition they're giving me, so I'm truly honored and grateful to the families for giving me the opportunity to be recognized," Wong said. 

As director of the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Center at UMass Chan, data she's collected has helped pave the way for new clinical trials and research has been accelerating in recent years. Wong wants to continue moving forward in the hope her patients can lead longer, more independent lives. 

"It's an exciting time to know that the collaborative efforts of the families, of organizations like the Muscular Dystrophy Association and pharma to bring about clinical trials that will result in emerging new therapies," Wong said. "Our research has been a combination of both and this has continued to increase opportunities for better outcomes and better treatments."