Immigration Law

IMMIGRANT OF THE DAY: HUDA ZOGHBI - SCIENTIST

By Greg Siskind

CBS' 60 Minutes had a fascinating story tonight on the Howard Hughes Medical Institute which quietly funds the research of 300 outstanding scientists in the US. In the story, one of the scientists interviewed about the work of HHMI is Lebanese-born Dr. Huda Zoghbi at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Zoghbi has conducted cutting edge research on the genetic causes of neurological disorders. HHMI describes her work:

In the nervous system, even small genetic blunders can have huge biological consequences. Mistakes in key genes can cripple our ability to move, speak, and interact with the world. Using some of the most advanced techniques in genetics and cell biology, Huda Zoghbi and her collaborators have unraveled the genetic underpinnings of a number of devastating neurological disorders, including Rett syndrome and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. Their discoveries could lead to better methods for treating such diseases and provide new ways of thinking about more common neurological disorders, including autism, mental retardation, and Parkinson's disease.

You can watch the 60 Minutes segment here.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on June 08, 2008 (boomark / email).