Although initial studies of Smchd1 used these two classic models of epigenetic control, it has become clear that Smchd1 has a broader role in regulating gene expression during normal development [5], in cancer [6] and in the development of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) [7], [8], [9]. Here, SMCHD1 is linked to facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy.