Huntington’s disease is featured in Part 1 of the Ken Burns film The Gene: An Intimate History, which aired this week on PBS and can be viewed online. This documentary “weaves together science, history and personal stories for a historical biography of the human genome, while also exploring breakthroughs for diagnosis and treatment of genetic diseases and the complex ethical questions they raise.” Part One weaves together stories about a present-day family managing their daughter’s rare genetic disease with stories of genetic pioneers (including Dr. Nancy Wexler) and the dark history of human genetic experiments.
Lasker Foundation Interview with Nancy Wexler
The Lasker Foundation celebrates significant contributions to medical science, advocates for research, and provides public education about science and medicine. Dr. Nancy Wexler, who spearheaded the project leading to the discovery of the HD gene, was honored with a Lasker Award in 1993. This week the Foundation is featuring an interview with Dr. Wexler in which she talks about the Venezuelan families and the scientists who made that discovery possible.
COVID-19 Resources from HDSA
In response to the global public health crisis, HDSA has compiled a webpage of COVID-19 resources which currently includes community updates from HDSA, resources around how social security disability is being affected by the pandemic, and an interview with two HD expert doctors, as well as ways to stay connected, foster community, and preserve mental health while staying home. More to follow, including our new online educational series, which begins TODAY, April 9th, with a talk from Jimmy Pollard on “Living with HD in times like these.”
HDSA Berman-Topper Fellows Collaborate
HDSA’s Berman-Topper Fellowship provides support to postdoctoral scientists who are committed to devoting their careers to studying HD. To our great delight, the six past and present fellows have developed their own collaborative network and have begun meeting regularly online to discuss each other’s work and troubleshoot. These fellows continue to exceed our expectations for productivity and collaboration, even during this tough time for researchers. Here they are sharing their work and enjoying each other’s e-company.
