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MEDIA ADVISORY
EVENT: The UC Irvine Muscle Biology and Disease Research Center and CureDuchenne will host a free community screening of the award-winning documentary “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” during Muscular Dystrophy Awareness Month. The event will bring together scientists, clinicians, patients, families and community members to raise awareness of Duchenne muscular dystrophy and highlight advances in muscle disease research, clinical trials and care.
The documentary tells the story of Mats Steen, a young man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy whose family discovered after his death at age 25 that he had built a vibrant community and deep friendships through the online game “World of Warcraft.” It explores disability, connection and the impact of online communities.
WHEN/WHERE: Friday, Sept. 18, at the Rivian South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., and the film begins at 7 p.m.
INFORMATION: The event is free and open to the public, including UC Irvine affiliates. Register at events.rivian.com/
HIGHLIGHTS:
6:15 p.m. Doors open. Attendees can meet UC Irvine muscle scientists and physicians and visit educational exhibits, research demonstrations and resource tables hosted by UC Irvine and CureDuchenne. Select items will be available for purchase throughout the evening, with proceeds benefiting the event. Researchers and clinicians will share information about current clinical trials and advances in muscle biology and neuromuscular disease.
7 p.m. Screening of “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin”
After the film: Panel discussion and audience Q&A featuring researchers, clinicians and patient advocates
BACKGROUND: Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a progressive neuromuscular disease. The Sept. 18 event is intended to connect the experiences of patients and families with the scientists, clinicians and advocates working to advance research, treatments and care for Duchenne and other muscle diseases.
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” premiered in 2024 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won two awards in the World Cinema Documentary Competition – the Audience Award and the Directing Award. It also won a Peabody Award.
Muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting diseases represent a significant clinical research portfolio within the UCI School of Medicine. The UC Irvine Medical Center currently has eight active clinical trials for muscular dystrophies, including gene therapy studies and those evaluating the safety and efficacy of emerging treatments.
Established in 2023, the UC Irvine Muscle Biology and Disease Research Center promotes research, clinical translation and education in skeletal muscle biology. Directed by Armando Villalta, Ph.D., the interdisciplinary center brings together about 80 scientists, clinicians and trainees from across UC Irvine to accelerate discoveries in muscle regeneration and neuromuscular disease. It’s expanding education and workforce development through graduate courses, collaborative research initiatives and a National Institutes of Health-supported T32 training program for future muscle biologists and physician-scientists.
CureDuchenne, headquartered in Newport Beach, is a global nonprofit dedicated to improving and extending the lives of people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. For more than two decades, the organization has invested in early-stage research to help advance potential therapies into human clinical trials while expanding access to expert care, education and resources for families.
The event is supported by a UC Irvine Campus-Community Collaboration Incubator award.
The Family Album
La Jolla Playhouse | The Family Album - La Jolla Playhouse
Music and Lyrics by MILCK (aka Connie K. Lim) and AG (aka Adrianne Gonzalez)
Conceived by MILCK and Jess McLeod
Story by Sam Chanse, MILCK and Jess McLeod
Directed by Jess McLeod

In 2017, MILCK and AG’s “Quiet” became a viral sensation around the world as an anthem of the Women’s March. That same spirit inspired them and acclaimed playwright Sam Chanse to draw on each of their personal stories to create The Family Album, a humorous and poignant original musical about finding and reclaiming your voice and using it for change.
Commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse, The Family Album features a soulful power-pop score by MILCK and two-time Tony Award nominee AG (The Lost Boys). Director Jess McLeod is known for work that blends emotional intimacy with expansive visual storytelling. This powerful, uplifting new musical is a journey through the healing power of connection. It will hit you right in the heart.
MILCK (aka Connie K. Lim) (Music and Lyrics)
is a singer/songwriter/recording artist and humanitarian who pens anthems for healing, bridge building, and freedom. Her breakout anthem “Quiet” was named a Billboard #1 protest song, NPR’s featured “American Anthems,” and a top feminist anthem of all time by Harper’s Bazaar. In 2025 Elle UK named MILCK as a top 40 Women of Hope. MILCK composes anthemic songs for film, television, and artists; from John Legend to Natasha Bedingfield. MILCK has since gone viral with another song titled “Sisters of Winter,” which is featured on the ACLU’s 2026 national campaign.
Aafiya Mahmood
Age: 16
Sagar V. Parikh, M.D., FRCPC is the John F. Greden Professor
of Depression and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor. As a psychiatrist and former family physician, he focuses on diverse mood
disorder treatments: novel medications including psychedelics, psychotherapy,
digital tools, ketamine, and TMS. He
conducts research on how to improve health care delivery as well as how to
improve public and clinician education about mood disorders.
He also works extensively in Workplace Mental
Health, identifying best practices for businesses and workplaces to prevent and
treat burnout and mental health problems.
He is Medical Director of the National Network of Depression Centers
(USA) and a prolific author, with 3 books and over 200 articles on research and
treatment of mental disorders. He has
won multiple national and international awards for education, teaching, and
research.
Education Chair, CANMAT (Canadian Network for Mood and Anxiety Treatments)
His recent podcast about AI and mental health:
https://soundcloud.com/can-
His 3 minute animated video about how we are looking for biomarkers of depression to guide treatment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
LISTEN to today's show Directed by: Doug Pray Written by: David Greene, Ketch Secor Edited by: Doug Pray Produced by: Stephanie Meure...