In this captivating memoir, Anne Buckingham Young shares her trailblazing journey in the male-dominated world of 20th century medicine towards becoming the first female chief at a major United States academic teaching hospital. Anne recounts her remarkable laboratory experiences identifying new neurotransmitters and their receptors. She shares her life with husband and collaborator Jack Penney, their quest to understand the brain circuits responsible for disorderly movements and their adventures in the hunt for the Huntington's disease gene with neuropsychologist Nancy Wexler. When Jack dies suddenly, Anne must confront her personal demons and a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Through it all, Anne builds a cutting-edge research center, offering hope for new therapies for movement disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. This raw and honest portrayal is a testament to the power of perseverance and resilience. It is a must-read for anyone who has ever faced adversity and come out the other side stronger.
By:
Anne Buckingham Young (Massachusetts General Hospital)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009492904
ISBN 10: 100949290X
Pages: 420
Publication Date: 31 May 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Acknowledgments; Prologue; 1. A fascination with disorderly movements; 2. Chemistry major at all women's college; 3. One of 10 women in a class of 114; 4. Surviving the courses and clinical rotations; 5. The car accident; 6. Neurotransmitters, drugs and receptors; 7. Training in disorderly movements; 8. Setting up our labs and clinic; 9. Neuros in the lagoon; 10. Exploring the neurotransmitters of basal ganglia; 11. Functional anatomy of basal ganglia disorders; 12. The boat trip, April 4, 1985; 13. Adventures in Peru; 14. Being recruited; 15. First woman chief at Mass General; 16. Ground-breaking discovery: The HD gene; 17. Scud missiles; 18. Designing a new research center; 19. Jack's memorial service; 20. Recovery after Jack's death; 21. The Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders (MIND); 22. Stepping down after 21 years; 23. Hope for the future of disorderly movements; Index.
Dr. Anne Buckingham Young is a pioneering neuroscientist, the first female department chair at Mass General Hospital, and past president of the Society for Neuroscience and the American Neurological Association. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Reviews for Disorderly Movements: A Neurologist's Adventures in the Lab and Life
'I knew her as Dr. Anne Young, Chair of the Department of Neurology at Harvard Medical School. Now I know her journey from rebel-adolescent to wife/parent and determined physician/researcher. This is an honest memoir of love and loss transformed into a life of deep meaning and legacy. This memoir would be particularly appreciated by anyone already in, or considering a future in, medicine. Yet, as my own personal neurologist, I will always consider her as Dr. Anne Young: the Queen of Neurology - and now I know why I liked her so much not only as a physician, but as a human.' Jill Bolte Taylor, Author of My Stroke of Insight and Whole Brain Living, Time 100 Most Influential 'Dr. Anne Young is a true rock star of neurology and her amazing story is an inspiration for all seeking to overcome life's obstacles to reach the highest pinnacles of success. Disorderly Movements is a triumph of human spirit and pure brilliance!!' Rudolph E. Tanzi, New York Times Bestselling Author, Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital
