Huda Y. Zoghbi, an expert on disorders of the nervous system, will be the featured speaker for the Caskey Lecture Oct. 4.

The program, sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences, will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Lumpkin Auditorium of the Moore School of Business. It is free and open to the public.

Zoghbi will discuss the genetic and biochemical approaches to inherited spinocerebellar ataxias. Ataxia is the loss of bodily movement, including unsteadiness and clumsiness, but also can include vision, hearing, and speech problems. Some types of ataxia are caused by specific genetic abnormalities. Zoghbi's research has led to new understanding of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), one of nine neurodegenerative disorders caused by changes in genes.

Zoghbi is the Marvin Fishman Professor of Pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine, where she also is a professor of neurology, neuroscience, and molecular and human genetics. She is an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and her interests range from neurodevelopment to neurodegeneration.

The recipient of numerous awards for her research, Zoghbi is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Science.

After earning her bachelor's degree from the American University of Beirut, Zoghbi earned her medical degree from Meharry Medical College. She completed residencies in pediatrics and pediatric neurology and a research fellowship in genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine.

The Caskey Lecture series was established in 2004 by Thomas Caskey, a Lancaster native, to address issues on the impact of biotechnology on medicine in the 21st century. Caskey earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from USC and his medical degree from Duke University. He is CEO and president of Cogene Biotech Ventures Ltd. and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine.

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