Leslie M. Thompson, Ph.D. of UC Irvine will present "Huntington's disease: a race against time" on October 13, 2015. Abstract: Neurodegenerative diseases are having an ever increasing impact on our society. The disabling effects of these diseases may continue on for years or even decades after initial diagnosis. Huntington?s disease (HD) is one such inherited and fatal disorder, affecting individuals in the prime of their lives. Symptoms of the disease include uncontrolled movements, diminished intellectual capabilities, and emotional disturbances. The disease is passed from parent to child, through a mutation in the normal Huntingtin gene. Therefore, each child of an HD parent has a 50-50 chance of inheriting the mutation and developing the disease and no treatment currently prevents or slows the disease. Because HD can be attributed to a single gene, diagnosis can be made with certainty, and genetically accurate cell and animal models of disease can be created to assist with the discovery of new treatments. Professor Leslie Thompson is a world renown scientist, and has pursued HD research for most of her career, with collaboration between scientists and HD families serving as cornerstones of the work. The known genetic cause of HD, and its many parallels with other neurodegenerative diseases, mean that insights from HD research may also increase our understanding of the causes and progression of other diseases including, ALS, Parkinson?s and Alzheimer?s.