October’s Paper of the Month reveals how a conserved protein complex across species may unlock new clues to Huntington’s disease

The answers to human diseases may lie in the biology we share across species. In his recent studies, Stephen Farmer, a PhD student in the Molecular and Translational Biology and Neuroscience programs in Sheng Zhang, PhD’s lab at the Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, investigated how conserved protein structures across species can advance understanding of Huntington’s disease. His findings show that the HTT-HAP40 complex is structurally conserved from model systems to humans and that a small region of HAP40, the BΦ motif, is crucial for HTT function — providing new insight into potential therapeutic targets for this neurodegenerative disorder.

Therapeutics and Pharmacology student Anna DeBruine recognized at Italy conference for outstanding work in cancer cachexia research

Therapeutics and Pharmacology student Anna DeBruine was honored with the Women in Cachexia Student Spotlight Award at the 8th Cancer Cachexia Conference in Turin, Italy, for her poster on estrogen-related receptors and cancer cachexia. DeBruine’s research aims to reduce muscle loss in cancer patients and improve quality of life. Attending the conference allowed her to connect with leading international researchers, gain insights to advance her work to improve patient outcomes, and celebrate the first annual World Cancer Cachexia Awareness Day with her global colleagues.

Swathi Arur, PhD, and Rachel Miller, PhD honored with annual Oldham Faculty Award

MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences faculty members Swathi Arur, PhD, and Rachel Miller, PhD, have been named recipients of the 2025 D. Dudley and Judy White Oldham Faculty Award, recognizing exceptional leadership and service to the Graduate School community. Both Arur and Miller are widely respected for their contributions to biomedical research and education.