FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mynelly Perez, Director of Marketing & Communications
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HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA AWARDS TWO 2024 BERMAN-TOPPER FAMILY HD CAREER DEVELOPMENT FELLOWSHIPS
TWO RESEARCHERS FROM CALIFORNIA AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS GRANT
New York, NY, July 10, 2024 — The Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) is pleased to announce that Dr. Thai Bao Nguyen (University of California, Irvine) and Dr. Sonia Vázquez-Sánchez (University of California, San Diego) have each been awarded the HDSA Berman-Topper Family HD Career Development Fellowship for 2024.
This fellowship, made possible in part by the generosity of the Berman and Topper families, provides up to $100,000 of funding per year for three years to postdoctoral scientists and clinicians who desire to make Huntington’s disease (HD) part of their long-term career plan. This year, HDSA received outstanding applications from researchers from all around the world for this competitive grant.
“I would like to congratulate Dr. Nguyen and Dr. Vázquez-Sánchez on receiving this fellowship,” said Michael Berman. “Both Thai and Sonia are applying cutting-edge research techniques to the study of HD. Coming from strong labs and with passion and demonstrated excellence in the field, they are sure to contribute to HD biology and drug discovery.”
Dr. Nguyen’s project, entitled Huntington’s interaction with TDP-43 drives transcriptional dysregulation in an m6A-dependent manner, will investigate the roles of two proteins that regulate how DNA is made into RNA messages, known as TDP-43 and m6A.
Dr. Vázquez-Sánchez’s project, entitled Identifying the Molecular Events Driving Toxicity in the Huntington’s Diseased Brain using Spatial Transcriptomics, will explore the relationship between somatic instability, gene expression, and protein accumulation using cutting-edge single-cell methodologies.
Interim CEO and Chief Mission Officer and at HDSA, Dr. Arik Johnson, said, “It’s exciting to see new ideas and technologies being applied by outstanding scientists who want to make HD the focus of their career. We’re delighted to support their work and their bright futures.”
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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 HD. Today, there are over 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of HD 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.
