The Hereditary Disease Foundation today announced that it is establishing a research fund to honor Dr. Nancy S. Wexler, a world recognized leader in genetics who led an international team that in 1993 identified the gene that causes Huntington’s disease, a devastating inherited neurodegenerative disorder
NEW YORK, Aug. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hereditary Disease Foundation today announced that it is establishing a research fund to honor Dr. Nancy S. Wexler, a world recognized leader in genetics who led an international team that in 1993 identified the gene that causes Huntington’s disease, a devastating inherited neurodegenerative disorder. The fund is being launched with $350,000 in gifts and pledges. In the last two years, the foundation has provided over $3 million for research worldwide. Dr. Wexler is President of the Hereditary Disease Foundation, which funds innovative research to find treatments and cures for Huntington’s disease and impact other brain disorders. She recently revealed that she has been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, the illness she has spent her life studying. The Nancy S. Wexler Discovery Fund will encourage research collaborations and the recruitment of young scientists. Each year the fund will award the Nancy S. Wexler Young Investigator Prize to a researcher whose work reflects the highest caliber of excellence, diligence and creative thinking. The fund will also support scientific collaborations, educational workshops and conferences. “Nancy Wexler is celebrating her 75th birthday this year, and there is no more fitting way to honor her pioneering work, relentless dedication and enduring optimism than by establishing this fund in her name,” said Meghan Donaldson, CEO of the Hereditary Disease Foundation. “We thank our contributors and friends for their support of our work, moving us toward the day when families will no longer have to face the terrible challenge of Huntington’s disease.” Recipient of Young Investigator Prize Dr. Al-Dalahmah, neuropathology instructor in the department of pathology and cell biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, is being recognized for his work to discover ways of increasing the brain’s ability to protect itself from damage caused by Huntington’s disease. He is studying astrocytes — the major support cells in the brain that ensure the proper functioning of neurons — and their role in the progression of Huntington’s disease. “I believe that bringing astrocytes into the spotlight will open new therapeutic avenues for people with Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s disease changes astrocytes in several ways, some of which may be neuroprotective and beneficial for neurons,” said Dr. Al-Dalahmah. “Tapping into the neuroprotective potential of astrocytes in Huntington’s disease will bring us much needed hope. The Hereditary Disease Foundation – especially Dr. Nancy Wexler – makes my research possible and is the reason why I joined the ranks of Huntington’s disease researchers,” he added. Searching for Treatments and Cures for a Devastating Disease About the Hereditary Disease Foundation View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hereditary-disease-foundation-launches-fund-in-honor-of-biomedical-pioneer-and-huntingtons-disease-researcher-nancy-s-wexler-301113983.html SOURCE Hereditary Disease Foundation |