My Life, My Science

""Among dreaded inherited genetic conditions, Huntington's disease may be the most notorious, challenging scientists, historians, and novelists for centuries. This is Nancy Sabin Wexler's enthralling account of her own search for the source of this difficult inheritance. Pursuing a cure, Wexler becomes an anthropologist, entering a world of families across the globe who struggle and persist through the bond that Huntington's disease bestows on their communities. Her extraordinary story brings science to life and life to science."" -- Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Professor Emerita of English and Bioethics, Emory University, Hastings Center Fellow and Senior Advisor on Disability ""An intimate and eloquent memoir of scientific discovery, social policy-making, and self-reflection that is as inspiring as it is harrowing. With verve, wit, and passion, Nancy Wexler tells her own story of creating a new model for biomedical research while racing to find a cure for the lethal family disease she herself will one day inherit. Searing and illuminating."" -- Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon, CNN medical reporter, and author ""Nancy Wexler's story is a lesson in courage, fortitude, heroism, and above all ... love. I read it in one gulp. My heart is full."" -- Carol Burnett, actor and writer ""Nancy Wexler's vision and courage have drawn countless scientists into Huntington's disease research, embodying brilliance, compassion, and unwavering perseverance. This memoir is a vivid portrait of a scientist and advocate whose work transformed our understanding of the disease and touched hearts and lives around the world."" -- Dr. Elena Cattaneo, Full Professor of Pharmacology, University of Milan, Italy; Senator for Life of the Italia Republic ""No one in human genetics research has done more to connect cutting-edge science and its powerful human consequences than Nancy Wexler. Here is her own compelling and intimate narrative, written in riveting prose even as the disease she gave her life to conquering seeks to silence her voice. Nancy's story shows us the nobility of searching for truth and healing with the tools of science and how--despite living under a cloud--it is possible to pursue a life of fearless dedication."" -- Dr. Francis Collins, former Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health ""With honesty, humor, and infinite empathy--but never self-pity--Nancy Wexler describes her unrelenting search for a treatment for the inherited scourge of Huntington's disease. Over decades, she has built a dedicated alliance of the willing, across disciplines and continents, to better understand this dread disease."" -- Dr. Susan Hockfield, Professor of Neuroscience and President Emerita, Massachusetts Institute of Technology