June 10, 2026 – The Huntington’s Disease Foundation is proud to announce Won-Seok Lee, PhD, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, as the 2026 recipient of the Nancy S. Wexler Young Investigator Prize.
This Prize honors the pioneering spirit, relentless dedication, and enduring optimism of Nancy S. Wexler, PhD, President of the Huntington’s Disease Foundation. It is awarded annually to an early career researcher whose work reflects the highest caliber of excellence, diligence, and creative thinking.
Dr. Lee’s research targets one of the most pressing open questions in HD: how do neurons with very long somatic CAG repeat expansions actually die? To answer this question, he’s developed a project that intersects the genetic changes that cause HD with how that impacts protein production.
Sticky protein clumps have been a recognized hallmark of HD pathology for decades but take on new significance in Dr. Lee’s work. He demonstrates that neurons with very long somatic CAG repeat expansions are the very same neurons that contain these protein clumps.
By bringing together established science and the cutting edge of what we’re learning, Dr. Lee’s research merges two lines of discovery to determine how one drives the other with the ultimate goal of revealing what’s actually killing neurons in HD and uncovering new ideas for protective treatments.
HDF is honored to present Dr. Lee this award to continue his innovative work toward new treatments for Huntington’s disease.
Congratulations, Dr. Lee!