Focus On

Mission to Stop a Devastating Disease

Friedreich’s ataxia is a rare, genetic, life-shortening disorder. Its symptoms, which can begin as early as age five, include muscle weakness and loss of coordination in the arms and legs; vision impairment, hearing loss, and slurred speech; curvature of the spine; diabetes mellitus or carbohydrate intolerance; and a serious heart condition (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy).

Right now, there is no treatment or cure to Friedreich’s ataxia. But today, there is hope thanks to Dr. Joel Gottesfeld, a dedicated scientist at Scripps Research.

Learn how Dr. Gottesfeld is leading his team to find a small molecule that could be developed into a pharmaceutical to fix the gene mutation responsible for this debilitating disease.

Milestones in Medical Science

The Big Picture: Nicholas Schork Searches the Genetic Code for Clues

Nicholas Schork was working on a graduate degree in phi­losophy at the University of Michigan when he got a job at the nearby medical school writing pro­grams to analyze medical data. While there, he came into contact with some of the scientists who would ultimately prove to be pioneers in genetics research. Their work changed his life.

Now, as a professor in the Department of Molecular and Experimental Medicine at Scripps Research, and the director of research for genomic medicine at Scripps Health, Dr. Schork is working to bridge the gap between producing useful information about the human genome, and using it to develop life-saving treatments for cancer and other diseases.

The Future of Scripps

Marjorie Fink looks forward, not back

On September 11, 2001 as the whole world was focused on the destruction of the World Trade Center, Rodney and Marjorie Fink discovered terrible news of their own. On that day they learned that Rodney had non-smoker’s lung cancer. This devastating disease is one of the most lethal cancers known. He lived barely three months after the diagnosis.

After Mr. Fink’s illness and death, his wife Marjorie’s interest in medical research was captured by the announcement of the Scripps Florida project. She has become a pivotal figure in the development of Scripps Florida, and a motivating force behind our pioneering science.