January 15, 2021

The EHDN deeply regrets having to announce the death of Prof. Marina Frontali, who sadly passed away this week due to COVID-19

Prof. Marina Frontali presenting at the EHDN2010 Plenary Meeting

As a Medical Geneticist and Associate Director of Research at Institute of Translational Pharmacology CNR in Rome Prof Marina Frontali was an active member of the EHDN from the very beginning. She started working on HD in the 1980s and in these years was part of the first epidemiological study on HD in the Lazio region which led to the founding of the advocacy association AICH-Rome. She was a member of EHDN since the beginning, and was the co-leader of the Working Group on Genetic Testing and Counselling from 2007, leading the efforts on the predictive testing guidelines. She was Principal Investigator for the REGISTRY study at the Site St. Andrea in Rome from 2008 to 2014, a member of the Working Group on Ethics for Enroll-HD in 2011, and an active member of EHDN Scientific and Bioethical Committee from 2014 to 2019. Till the end she was passionately providing care and counseling for HD families. She was hopeful for the new HD therapies on the horizon. She will be missed in the HD community, but we will continue to build on her achievements.