Dr. Jacqueline Crawley
National Institute of Mental Health/NIH

Perhaps the most puzzling thing about autism is that more than a decade into this public health crisis, our best, smartest government scientists and public health officials still say they have no idea what's causing it. Unfortunately, because the behaviors we associate with autism are so fundamentally human in nature, it has been difficult for researchers to decide which mouse behaviors are optimal for assessing autism-like traits in mouse models.

Dr. Crawley is developing methods to assay communication deficits in animal models of autism. The three defining clinical symptoms of autism are aberrant reciprocal social interactions, deficits in social communication, and repetitive behaviors, including motor stereotypes and insistence on sameness. Her lab is developing a set of behavioral tasks designed to model components of these core symptoms in mice. Once available, mice with autistic characteristics will allow practical laboratory testing. This will eventually lead to a greater understanding of a disease that has eluded the understanding of so many in the research community and continues to frustrate parents of autistic children.

Dr. Dale E. Bredesen
Buck Institute for Aging Research

Dr. Bredesen has spent the past 22 years working in the field of aging research and sees firsthand the challenges our country faces as our population ages. He has witnessed the shift from death by infectious disease to that of chronic diseases, and the effects of that shift on our healthcare system. Cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, type II diabetes and renal failure, the leading causes of death, are generally not treated until the appearance of symptoms brings a patient to the attention of a physician. These diseases share a critical feature: by the time that symptoms appear, the disease is advanced, and very difficult and costly to treat.  More than 25 million people in the U.S. suffer from chronic conditions, and we can expect that number to rise with the elder boom. 

Our nation’s healthcare system faces daunting challenges; however, many chronic diseases are preventable with less-costly, preemptive care. Dr. Bredesen will outline many of the research and healthcare challenges facing Congress as our nation ages: the funding of biomedical research, the approval process for new therapeutic approaches and combinations, and the design of the healthcare system. How Congress responds will define the future of this country and the health of its citizens.

Dr. Susan Lindquist
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research/Massachusetts Institute of Technology

What do "mad cows," people with neurodegenerative diseases, and yeast cells growing profusely on a deadly antibiotic have in common? They are all experiencing the consequences of misfolded proteins. These proteins must fold into just the right shape to do their jobs properly.

Dr. Lindquist explaines what happens when proteins misfold. In humans, the consequences of protein misfolding can be deadly, leading to devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease. Lindquist has been studying yeast to screen for genes that may improve the ill effects caused by misfolding proteins in Parkinson's disease. The genetic pathways she is identifying represent promising targets for the development of new drugs that may lead to innovative treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's.