The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know Her decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself? Gina Kolata for @nytimes.com #GiftLink www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

“As Alice [her sister] sees it, testing does not resolve the big questions. “While the test was marketed as a choice between certainty and uncertainty, for me it always seemed more a choice between one form of uncertainty — will I get Huntington’s? And another — when will I get Huntington’s?”

Beautiful profile of an inspiring geneticist, Nancy Wexler, whose work led to the identification of the cause of Huntington's disease (gift link). www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know. Nancy Wexler's decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself? by Gina Kolata www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s... via @nytimes.com

💔 Now, being cared for by full-time assistants, confined to her apartment, unable to feed or bathe herself, robbed of her charismatic personality by her struggles to speak, I asked what life is like for her. “It’s not so scary,” Nancy replied. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

Gina Kolata in @nytimes.com on Nancy Wexler & Huntington disease. I met her 35 yrs ago but saw her only rarely afterwards. I was shocked & pained at a Soc. for Neuroscience conference a few yrs ago seeing her at a reception, clearly w/HD. Great person; good profile www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know, Nancy Wexler featured in the @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

Very powerful and inspirational article. We have been following Nancy Wexler and her Huntington’s Disease research since the 1980’s. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know. Her decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself? www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

A Huntington's Disease researcher faces an agonizing decision. "The decision to be tested turned out to be more difficult than it might seem. Is it better to know you are doomed or to hope you are not?... Once you have that knowledge you can’t take it back.” 🎁 link www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know - At age 80, Nancy Wexler has Huntington’s disease. Her decades of work on Huntington’s disease helped lead to the creation of a genetic test for the devastating condition. Why didn’t she take it herself? www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The researcher who didn't want to know about her Huntington's disease Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

"The Researcher Who Didn't Want to Know" #Huntington #Wexler www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

A fascinating article. Choice is good. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

Feed: "NYT > Science" By: Gina Kolata on Thursday, June 11, 2026

Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

This researcher descended from a family with #Huntingtons . She studied it, she worked with affected families who contributed to the gene hunt. A very compelling arc. #GiftArticle www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/s...

The Researcher Who Didn’t Want to Know https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/science/researcher-huntingtons-disease-wexler.html