Bestselling author Lisa Genova and Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. John Caviness join us to explore the emotional and medical complexities of Huntington’s disease through Genova’s novel Inside the O’Briens. The conversation delves into the science behind the disease, the complicated question of genetic testing, and the profound psychological toll on families. With powerful insights into caregiving, resilience, and the healing potential of storytelling, this episode is both a heartfelt tribute to those affected by Huntington’s and a compelling call to action for awareness and empathy.

This episode was made possible by the generous support of Ken Stevens.

We talked with:

• Lisa Genova, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar–winning film. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She is featured in the documentary films To Not Fade Away and Have You Heard About Greg. Her TED talks on Alzheimer’s disease and memory have been viewed over eleven million times.
• John Caviness, M.D., is a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a consultant in the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. His clinical practice focuses on movement disorders, electrophysiology of movement disorders and interpretation of electroencephalography. His main research interest is cortical dysfunction in movement disorders.

Purchase “Inside the O’Briens.” 

• From Barnes & Noble.
• From Amazon.
• From Bookshop.org.

Learn more from the Huntington’s Disease Society of America

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