For Immediate Release
Contact:
Mynelly Perez
mperez@hdsa.org
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA AWARDS $449,971
TO HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE HUMAN BIOLOGY PROJECTS
New York, NY, December 4, 2025 — Today, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) announced three new research grants awarded under the Society’s signature research initiative, the Huntington’s Disease Human Biology Project. This program supports patient-focused studies that investigate Huntington’s disease (HD) directly in people, with the goal of accelerating therapeutic development and improving the lives of families affected by HD.
“These projects tackle some of the most pressing challenges in HD research, from identifying early brain changes, to developing accessible biomarkers that can transform clinical trials,” said Dr. Tamara Maiuri, Associate Director of Research & Patient Engagement at HDSA. “The awardees brought forward the strongest, most thoughtful ideas, and their projects have a real chance to shift how the field approaches HD in the clinic.”
HDSA received applications from researchers all around the world, and the 2025 awards support investigators in Ireland and the United States. The winners and their project titles are:
Eva Woods, BSc (Hons), Trinity College Dublin: ElectroHD: A Multimodal Electrophysiological Approach to Decipher Neural Network Alterations in Premanifest HD
This study uses noninvasive brain-monitoring tools to detect early changes in neural communication before symptoms appear, aiming to develop practical measures for early diagnosis and treatment trials.
Kimberly Kegel-Gleason, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital: Plasma lipids as novel markers of Huntington’s disease progression
Dr. Kegel-Gleason’s team investigates whether changes in specific fat-like molecules in blood can reflect early white-matter damage in the brain, paving the way for a simple blood test to track HD progression and treatment response.
Shota Shibata, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital: Clinically accessible biomarker for CAG somatic instability in Huntington’s disease
This project develops a next-generation assay to measure ongoing DNA changes that are thought to influence the pace of HD. The work aims to create an accurate, repeatable, and patient-friendly test that can be used to evaluate emerging therapies.
For a complete summary of these research projects, please visit http://hdsa.org/hd-research/hd-human-biology-project
“Our goal is to accelerate research that has a clear path to helping people with HD,” added Dr. Arik Johnson, Chief Mission Officer at HDSA. “These projects reflect the kind of focused, patient-driven science that moves discoveries out of the lab and into the clinic.”
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Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years and has no cure. Each child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene that causes Huntington’s disease. Today, there are over 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of Huntington’s disease are described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously.
The Huntington’s Disease Society of America is the premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by HD. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today and hope for tomorrow for people with HD and their families.
To learn more about Huntington’s disease and the work of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, visit www.hdsa.org or call 1-800-345-HDSA.
Media: Mynelly Perez, HDSA Director of Marketing & Communications, mperez@hdsa.org
