HEREDITARY DISEASE FOUNDATION

THE HEREDITARY DISEASE FOUNDATION (HDF) ADVANCES PARADIGM-CHANGING HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE (HD) RESEARCH THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. WE INVEST IN RESEARCH BY PROVIDING SENIOR SCIENTISTS WITH GRANTS, INCLUDING OUR MILLION-DOLLAR TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH AWARDS, WHICH BEGAN IN 2023, AND FUNDING THE WORK OF EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS THROUGH POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS. WE CHAMPION COLLABORATIVE SCIENCE BY ORGANIZING BOTH SMALL THINKTANK-STYLE WORKSHOPS AND LARGE SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES WHICH ENABLE EXPERTS IN HD TO SHARE THEIR LATEST DISCOVERIES, EXPLORE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES, AND FORM COLLABORATIONS. WE HIGHLIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC NOTABLE WORK OF SCIENTISTS THROUGH OUR WEBINARS.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)IN ITS EARLY YEARS, RESEARCH ORGANIZED AND FUNDED BY THE HDF WAS THE CATALYST FOR THE WORK THAT ISOLATED THE GENE THAT CAUSES HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE. THIS FINDING LED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GENETIC TEST FOR HD AND LAUNCHED MODERN RESEARCH EFFORTS. THE HEREDITARY DISEASE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS RESEARCH THROUGH SEVERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.HDF RESEARCH GRANTS: ONE-YEAR GRANTS PROVIDE SENIOR RESEARCHERS WITH SEED FUNDING TO ENABLE THEM TO COLLECT THE PRELIMINARY DATA NEEDED TO OBTAIN MAJOR, LONG-TERM FUNDING FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE NIH.HDF POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS: TWO-YEAR FELLOWSHIPS FUND THE WORK OF EARLY-CAREER SCIENTISTS. THESE FELLOWSHIPS ARE INTENDED TO ENCOURAGE AND CULTIVATE INTEREST IN HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE RESEARCH.TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH AWARDS: THESE MILLION-DOLLAR RESEARCH AWARDS, HDF'S LARGEST GRANTS, FUND COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH TEAMS TO CREATE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO STUDY NEW PATHOGENIC DISEASE MECHANISMS AND TREATMENT MODALITIES IN HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE.HD CAREER ADVANCEMENT GRANTS: THESE ARE OUR NEWEST AWARDS WITH GRANTS BEGINNING IN 2025. THIS INCUBATOR PROGRAM SUPPORTS YOUNG INVESTIGATORS BY PROVIDING RESOURCES AND TOOLS TO BUILD THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO BRIDGE THE TRANSITION FROM POSTDOCTORAL POSITION TO TENURE-TRACK PRIMARY INVESTIGATOR. OUR GOAL THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND OUR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS IS TO ENGAGE AND RETAIN THE BRIGHTEST MINDS IN HD RESEARCH BY FUNDING AND MENTORING EARLY-CAREER SCIENTISTS.HDF-FUNDED RESEARCHERS HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN APPLYING ADVANCED TECHNIQUES SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI), CRISPR AND BRAIN MAPPING, LEADING TO TREMENDOUS PROMISE FOR POTENTIAL TREATMENTS FOR HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE.