Huda Y. Zoghbi

Huda Zoghbi has helped to unravel the genetic underpinnings of a number of devastating neurological disorders, including Rett syndrome and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. She later found that mutations in the MECP2 gene can cause neurological problems beyond those typical of Rett syndrome and that both increases and decreases in the protein cause neurological problems. She also showed that the MeCP2 protein is critical for the proper function of different types of mature neurons. These discoveries have provided new ways of thinking about more common neurological disorders, including autism, intellectual disability, and Parkinson's disease, and could lead to better treatments. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Medicine. She was a member of the Academy's ARISE I project in 2000-08 .