Dr. Breakefield is a Professor of Neurology in the Neuroscience Program at Harvard Medical School and Geneticist in the Neurology and Radiology Services at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular etiology of movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and early onset torsion dystonia, as well as gene and drug therapy for neurologic diseases. Dr. Breakefield received her PhD from Georgetown University and did post-doctoral training with Dr. Marshall Nirenberg at NIH. She joined the faculty in the Human Genetics Department at Yale University School of Medicine before moving to Boston. She has received a McKnight Foundation Neuroscience Development Award, two Senator Jacob Javits Awards, the Mathilde Solowey Neuroscience Award and the NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Award. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Gene Therapy and on an NINDS Study Section.