Recently there was astounding news that Huntington’s disease has been successfully treated for the first time.
On Monday, I attended The Royal Society where Professor Gillian Bates FRS was awarded the Ferrier Medal 2025 for her work in understanding the molecular basis of Huntington’s disease and consistently producing highly impactful findings which have moulded the course of this field.
I won’t lie, this type of lecture goes over my head a bit as it involves genes, exons and proteins, but Professor Bates explained it very well. My research is involved in cognitive neuroscience and the hippocampus, and she also provided data on the effects on the hippocampus as well as the degenerative symptoms of this disease. The video to the lecture (and ceremony) is below, and it is a highly recommended view.
If you are in London and would like to attend one of The Royal Society events, I have also provided the link below, though I do recommend finding a bus route because it is a 45 minute walk from my office, and while I always like to regularly push myself with exercise, for the majority of Tuesday my feet hurt – but it was worth it.
Huntington’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that damages nerve cells in the brain, leading to a gradual decline in motor skills, cognitive function, and emotional well-being. It is an inherited condition that causes progressive neurodegeneration, particularly affecting movement control, thinking, and behaviour.
BBC article: Huntington’s disease successfully treated for first time
