In honor of Arab American Heritage Month, we continue to recognize the economic, cultural, political, and social contributions of notable immigrants and refugees who’ve helped shape America’s vibrant tapestry. Today, we highlight Dr. Huda Zoghbi, a Lebanese American geneticist who has significantly advanced our understanding of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
Huda Yahya Zoghbi was born in June 1954 in Beirut, Lebanon. Although she initially had a passion for literature, her mother encouraged her to pursue a degree in biology, believing it would offer greater independence for a woman living in the Middle East.
In 1973, Zoghbi enrolled as a biological sciences major at the American University of Beirut and entered its medical school two years later. However, in 1976, the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War forced her and her brother to relocate temporarily to Austin, Texas. Unable to return home, Zoghbi transferred to Meharry Medical College in Nashville, where she earned her MD in 1979.
In 1982, Dr. Zoghbi began her postdoctoral research in pediatric neurology at Baylor College of Medicine. She later reflected on the emotional difficulty of her work, often having to deliver heartbreaking news to parents about their children’s genetic disorders. In 1983, during her pediatric residency at Texas Children’s Hospital, her research on the rare genetic disorder Rett syndrome revealed that many cases were previously misdiagnosed. Her findings drew national attention and led many families affected by the disorder to seek care there.
In 1985, she became a U.S. citizen.
Zoghbi figured out what causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, a rare brain disorder that worsens over time and affects balance, making it hard to walk, talk, and even breathe. During her research, she also discovered that this disease works in a similar way to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
This brilliant geneticist received numerous awards for her groundbreaking research and scientific contributions. Most recently, she was awarded the 2022 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience in recognition of her discoveries related to the genes responsible for Rett syndrome and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1—work that has significantly deepened understanding of these neurological disorders.
Today, Dr. Huda Zoghbi serves as the Research-in-Chief of Texas Children’s Research Institute and is the founding director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital. Jeff– Please triple check this.
Others we are celebrating in honor of Arab American Heritage Month:
2025
Dr. Mona Hanna, public health advocate whose research exposed the Flint water crisis
Kahlil Gibran, Famed writer, poet, and philosopher
Farouk El-Baz, NASA’s Apollo Program Scientist