Aug. 13 marked eight years since I first started working with Bionews as a columnist for Friedreich’s Ataxia News. Anniversaries have a way of making us look backward, and this one has me thinking about how different my career looks from the one I once imagined before Friedreich’s ataxia…

Too little of the protein frataxin makes glial cells, which protect and nourish neurons, especially vulnerable to iron overload, while limiting how much iron is absorbed in the intestine may help extend survival and ease symptoms in Friedreich’s ataxia, according to a study that used flies to model the…

My husband, Dave, and I recently drove by the mansion where we were married and had our reception. Back then, it was a beautiful, grand old stucco building with a yard behind it where we had our ceremony and a breathtaking view of the ocean. We were lucky: It was…

Targeting enzymes that control how cells process fatty molecules called sphingolipids may offer a promising new treatment strategy for Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), a study in cells and mice has found. Researchers discovered that enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolism were disrupted in several cellular models of the disease. Targeting two…

Enduring three fractures over nine months — my femur in September, my nose in February, and my fibula in June — has certainly taken its toll on me. Not only are fractures and recoveries disruptive, painful, and exhausting, but they’re also emotional for me as someone with Friedreich’s ataxia…