For Immediate Release
Contact: Mynelly Perez
HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA AWARDS $523,320 TO HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE HUMAN BIOLOGY PROJECTS
New York, NY, December 16, 2024 — Today, the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) announced that three research grants have been awarded under the Society’s largest research initiative, the HDSA Huntington’s Disease Human Biology Project. These grants represent HDSA’s patient-centric research focus which brings basic and clinical researchers together to facilitate Huntington’s disease (HD) science in the human condition – instead of in animal models – with the direct participation of people affected by HD.
“HDSA received 28 applications for this year’s grant cycle, the most ever for the HDSA HD Human Biology Project. The proposals covered a wide range of topics and novel methods for studying HD in people living with the disease,” said Dr. Arik Johnson, Interim CEO and Chief Mission Officer at HSDA. “We are excited to support the winners of this year’s awards in their work in helping better understand HD and what that means for the future of HD research.”
HDSA received applications from researchers all around the world. The winners and titles of the 2024 HDSA HD Human Biology Project Grants are:
- Nicholas Caron, PhD, University of British Columbia: Multi-omic biomarker discovery for Huntington disease
- Dipika Gupta, PhD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine: Huntington’s disease etiology and associated mechanisms of repeat expansion
- Zacharia McLean, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital: Unraveling Huntington’s Disease pathogenesis: Investigating Repeat Expansion and Genetic Modifiers Using Advanced Cell Models
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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.
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