Hereditary Disease Foundation

Programs: The hereditary disease foundation commemorates its 50th year by making an even greater impact toward developing novel therapeutics and cures. We have put in place strategies and new grant funding programs to maximize our effectiveness. We have been funding catalytic and paradigm-changing research since our birth - including identifying the huntington's disease marker in 1983 and the hd gene in 1993, and supporting gene silencing approaches since 2002. We want to continue to make an impact by funding research that pushes the envelope. The hereditary disease foundation provides funding for research that advances the discovery and development of treatments for huntington's disease and other brain disorders. We are passionate about finding and funding the most innovative, creative and paradigm-changing research possible. The data generated with hdf funding often allows researchers to get initial findings that help them apply successfully for larger, long-term funding from other funding agencies, including the national institutes of health. The foundation's current focus is on 1) modifier studies - on dna repair pathways, protein degradation and other modifiers of phenotype and age of onset and 2) research mechanisms of hd neurodegeneration and biomarkers and therapy for hd-induced neurodegeneration. Type of funding:the basic research grants program: supports projects contributing to identifying and understanding the fundamental defects in huntington's disease. Postdoctoral fellowships: these postdoctoral fellowships are intended to cultivate interest in huntington's disease research by bright young scientists. Fellowships are granted to those who possess imagination, rigor, creativity and spirit to push forward toward a cure for hd and ensure that these learning can be applied to other brain diseases.