Latest news with #Huntington
Perth Now
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Scott Porter's marriage went through 'complete change' when wife discovered genetic disorder
Scott Porter's marriage went through a "complete change" when his wife discovered that she had Huntington's disease in her family. The 45-year-old actor has been married to casting director Kelsey Mayfield since 2013, but when she discovered that her mother had the brain disorder that affects movement, thinking, and behaviour, he noted just how "quickly" it had altered things between them. He told People: "That was definitely a moment of complete change, as far as the trajectory of my wife's and my relationship. "It can really tear through families very quickly." Hungtingo's disease is genetic, meaning that each child of a parent who suffers from it has a 50 per cent chance of inheriting it themselves but the Ginny and Georgia star - who has McCoy, 10, and eight-year-old Clover with Kelsey - insisted that getting tested is a "choice" that must be made by each indiviudal. He added: "People who find Huntington's disease is in their family have a choice to make: get tested or not get tested. "Live your life not knowing or live your life knowing that you possibly have a neurodegenerative disease that could take your mind, your body, your balance, your moods, and turn them into something completely different than you are now. "There is no right or wrong way to go about things." The Friday Night Lights actor also noted that when Kelsey learned of her diagnosis, that she simply told him she wanted to be around "as long as possible" for her children He said: "My wife said the words to me: 'I want to be a mother as long as possible.' And that was the impetus for her wanting to get tested. It was the right thing. And as her husband, I was so incredibly supportive of that. "The moments immediately after her positive test were silent. "She looked at me and she said, '50/50 chance. It was a coin flip and it came up tails.."
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Our Class' expands across the decades to confront a historic evil
'Our Class' introduces 10 twentysomethings — five Catholics and five Jews — who have gone to school together since they were 5, and then follows them from the 1930s to 2000. The show focuses on the impact of one pivotal incident in their lives, when several hundred Jews in their town were rounded up and deliberately burned to death in a barn. For many decades, the Poles blamed the Nazis, denying responsibility for murdering their friends and neighbors. 'I went to the site where the barn stood outside the town of Jedwabne,' Golyak says. 'It's a beautiful, peaceful landscape. You almost feel you are in the presence of God. And then to know something so tragic happened here, it makes you realize how easy it is for people to shift from a gray area of humanity to super dark and violent.' Advertisement As events spiral out of control, the play includes the seemingly unimportant details, such as a neighbor offering advice to a new mom on how to treat her son's colic — even holding him tenderly and suggesting a simple remedy — before sending both mother and child to their death. Director Igor Golyak during rehearsal. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff 'We can't take in the horror unless we see the mundane details of their lives and recognize these people as longtime friends who fall in love, gossip together, tease each other,' says Golyak. 'Growing up together, these young people are bound together by their years together in school,' he says. 'If these people can do such an awful thing, we are all capable of doing something horrible.' Inside Arlekin's modest rehearsal and performance space in Needham, Golyak's actors and production team — who hail from New York, Russia, Latvia, Ukraine, Germany, and the Boston area — walk through some of the play's toughest scenes. In Golyak's inventive and always-engaging approach, high-tech tools, like images projected on a chalkboard backdrop, mix with low-tech props, like balloons on which the characters draw faces before letting the balloons go and watching them float away. In the midst of a suspenseful scene in which people are being herded together, two characters perform a graceful, slow-motion dance. Advertisement 'The ritualized Jewish dance brings a kind of beauty and joy to a horrifying moment,' says Richard Topol, who is reprising his role in 'Our Class' after the New York performances. Boston audiences may know him best from his current TV series, 'Godfather of Harlem,' as well as his appearance in the Huntington's 2019 remounting of the Tony award-winning 'Indecent.' 'I play Abram,' Topol says, 'who was the classmate who moved away as a teenager to become a rabbi. He writes to his friends, and misses them, but he never sees them again.' Abram serves as a kind of narrator, and Topol says Golyak's vision 'creates a kind of magic that lifts us up between two worlds, allowing us to be distant and then close to the action.' Chulpan Khamatova during rehearsal for "Our Class." Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff Chulpan Khamatova, a renowned Russian film and theater actress who now lives in exile in Latvia, says the trauma and pain the survivors experienced led to a numbing denial. Khamatova plays Rachelka, a young woman who is saved by a classmate, but must convert to Catholicism to survive. 'She dies two times,' says Khamatova. 'First when she loses her entire family, and then when she decides to hide the truth — about her true identity and about who is responsible for the atrocity.' 'It's fascinating to see how long a common lie could last,' says Boston-based actor Deborah Martin, who plays Zoha, a woman who saves some of her classmates, but finds that brave choice forces her into impossible situations. 'I have to look my friend in the eye and tell her I can't save her baby,' she says. 'It's harrowing.' At one point, one character says to another, 'We are classmates. We are like family, better than family,' which makes their actions even more incomprehensible. Advertisement 'I am like a narrator,' says Topol. 'I'm tasked with retelling the story, so that we don't forget.' New Works Festival runs June 26-29 Moonbox Productions Fourth Annual Boston New Works Festival will feature three full productions of new plays and four readings June 26-29 at the Calderwood Pavilion and the Boston Center for the Arts. Full productions include 'Fangirl,' by Luna Abréu-Santana; 'Guts,' by Rachel Greene; and 'Mox Nox,' by Patrick Gabridge. Readings include 'Choose and Celebrate,' by Catherine Giorgetti; 'Creature Feature, ' by Micah Pflaum; 'Hitch,' by James McLindon; and 'How to Kill a Goat,' by Mireya Sánchez-Maes. OUR CLASS By Tadeusz Slobodzianek, adapted by Norman Allen. Presented by Arlekin Players Theater, at the Calderwood Pavilion in the Boston Center for the Arts June 13-23. Tickets: $84-$124.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
uniQure Announces Appointment of Kylie O'Keefe as Chief Customer and Strategy Officer
~ Proven biotech executive to lead commercialization of AMT-130 in Huntington's disease ~ LEXINGTON, Mass. and AMSTERDAM, June 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- uniQure N.V. (NASDAQ: QURE), a leading gene therapy company advancing transformative therapies for patients with severe medical needs, today announced the appointment of Kylie O'Keefe as Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, effective June 6, 2025. In this role, Ms. O'Keefe will lead the development and execution of uniQure's global commercialization strategy for AMT-130, the Company's investigational gene therapy for the treatment of Huntington's disease. Her responsibilities include all commercial functions and medical affairs. Ms. O'Keefe was most recently Chief Commercial Officer at PTC Therapeutics. 'We are very pleased to welcome Kylie to the uniQure executive leadership team as we plan for the potential U.S. commercial launch of AMT-130 in 2026,' said Matt Kapusta, chief executive officer of uniQure. 'Kylie brings deep commercial expertise in rare diseases, and her knowledge of Huntington's disease and execution of gene therapy launches will be invaluable as we prepare to transition to a commercial-stage biotechnology company.' Ms. O'Keefe is an accomplished business leader with broad biopharmaceutical experience and a proven track record in rare diseases and gene therapy. Most recently, she served as Chief Commercial Officer at PTC Therapeutics, where she led global commercial strategy, operations and portfolio management for multiple rare neurology and metabolic commercial products across more than 50 countries. During her tenure, Ms. O'Keefe led several strategically significant commercial launches and supported corporate strategy and pipeline development for both small molecules and gene therapies including Upstaza™ (AADC deficiency). She also directed the development and execution of reimbursement strategies, including payer engagement and health economic assessments, and led business development and investor relations. Earlier in her career, Ms. O'Keefe held key roles at LEO Pharma where she launched a portfolio of pharmaceutical products in more than 30 countries. Ms. O'Keefe holds a Bachelor's degree in Biotechnology Innovation from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia and a Graduate diploma in Managing Medical Product Innovation from Copenhagen Business School in Frederiksberg, Denmark. 'I am thrilled to join uniQure at such an exciting time for the company,' commented Ms. O'Keefe. 'AMT-130 has the potential to be the first disease-modifying treatment for Huntington's disease. With a clear and aligned path towards accelerated approval in the U.S., uniQure is well positioned to deliver a potentially historic breakthrough in Huntington's disease. I look forward to leveraging my experiences in rare disease and gene therapy, and to working with the talented team at uniQure to advance its mission of addressing the urgent needs of Huntington's patients.' About uniQure uniQure is delivering on the promise of gene therapy – single treatments with potentially curative results. The approvals of uniQure's gene therapy for hemophilia B – an historic achievement based on more than a decade of research and clinical development – represent a major milestone in the field of genomic medicine and ushers in a new treatment approach for patients living with hemophilia. uniQure is now advancing a pipeline of proprietary gene therapies for the treatment of patients with Huntington's disease, refractory temporal lobe epilepsy, ALS, Fabry disease, and other severe diseases. uniQure Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are often indicated by terms such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," 'establish,' "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look forward to", "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," 'seek,' "should," "will," "would" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management only as of the date of this press release. Examples of these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the Company's commercialization plans; the Company's ability to deliver potentially life-changing therapy to people living with Huntington's disease and related timeline for doing so; the potential clinical and functional effects of AMT-130; and the Company's plans to continue clinical development of AMT-130. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements for many reasons. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: risks associated with the Company's Phase I/ll clinical trials of AMT-130, including the risk that interim data from the trials may not be predictive of later data readouts that will serve as a basis for further regulatory interactions, may not support a Biologics License Application (BLA) submissions or accelerated approvals, may not be satisfactory to the FDA and other regulators, and new analyses of existing data and results may produce different conclusions than established as of the date hereof; risks related to the Company's current and future interactions with regulatory authorities, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical trials, its BLA submission plans and pathways to regulatory approval; risks related to the Company's ability to pursue business development efforts with respect to AMT-130; uncertainties as to the FDA's and other regulatory authorities' interpretation of the data from the Company's Phase I/ll clinical trials of AMT-130 and acceptance of the Company's clinical programs and the regulatory approval process; later developments with the FDA and other regulators that could be inconsistent with the feedback received to date; the Company's ability to continue to build and maintain the Company infrastructure and personnel needed to achieve its goals; the Company's effectiveness in managing current and future clinical trials and regulatory processes; the continued development and acceptance of gene therapies; the Company's ability to demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of its gene therapy candidates in clinical trials; the Company's ability to obtain, maintain and protect intellectual property; and the Company's ability to fund its operations and to raise additional capital as needed. These risks and uncertainties are more fully described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission ('SEC'), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2025 and in other filings that the Company makes with the SEC from time to time. Given these risks, uncertainties and other factors, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. uniQure Contacts: FOR INVESTORS: FOR MEDIA: Chiara RussoDirect: 617-306-9137Mobile: Tom MaloneDirect: 339-970-7558Mobile: in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated to Present at the Morgan Stanley US Financials Conference
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Huntington Bancshares Incorporated (Nasdaq: HBAN) will participate in the Morgan Stanley US Financials Conference on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Zach Wasserman, chief financial officer, is scheduled to present to analysts and investors at 8:15 AM (Eastern Time). He will discuss business trends, financial performance, and strategic initiatives. The presentation will include forward-looking statements. Webcast InformationInterested investors may access the live audio webcast in the investor relations section of Huntington's website ( A replay of the webcast will be archived on the website. About HuntingtonHuntington Bancshares Incorporated (Nasdaq: HBAN) is a $210 billion asset regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1866, The Huntington National Bank and its affiliates provide consumers, small and middle‐market businesses, corporations, municipalities, and other organizations with a comprehensive suite of banking, payments, wealth management, and risk management products and services. Huntington operates 968 branches in 13 states, with certain businesses operating in extended geographies. Visit for more information. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Huntington Bancshares Incorporated Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
05-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Is this why Americans have hit the brakes on the #vanlife dream?
Is this why Americans have hit the brakes on the #vanlife dream? After a boom during the pandemic, Americans are no longer embracing vanlife with as much enthusiasm as they did during lockdown. Plenty of pandemic-era habits have stuck around - Zoom calls, grocery delivery, comfy pants - but living out of a van freely on the open road, it seems, has not had the same staying power. Vanlife represents the outdoorsy lifestyle centered around mobile shelters like camping trailers, recreational vehicles, and retrofitted vans. Starting in 2020, as cities emptied and remote work became the norm, thousands of people took to this relatively cheap and crowd-free way to explore the country. As they traveled, they fueled the trend by sharing their most idyllic experiences on social media with the hashtag #vanlife. However, new research conducted by Motointegrator and the data experts at DataPulse Research suggests that many people who signed on to vanlife at the height of the pandemic are now putting it in their rearview mirror. Sales of RVs - a good proxy for all kinds of camping vehicles, including custom retrofitted vans - have not only cooled off but have fallen below pre-pandemic levels, based on an analysis of sales data. What is more, the number of households that camp in RVs has also dropped back to levels not seen since the 2018–2019 period, following a rapid spike during the height of the pandemic, according to a similar analysis of RV camping activity. It turns out, when you sell a record number of campers in a few short years, there's not a lot of fresh demand left after the rush, which is the key reason why RV sales today are lower than they were even a decade ago. "The pandemic was such a massive disruption [to RV sales] that the previously observed trends were no longer applicable," a November 2024 report by the news site notes. "Indeed, had RV sales continued on the path that was established pre-COVID-19, it is estimated that there would have been continued consistent growth year-over-year." The #vanlife dream This is not to say vanlife is completely gone. Its popularity just seems to be returning to pre-pandemic norms. The #vanlife hashtag dates back to the early 2010s when a New Yorker named Foster Huntington quit his corporate job to live on the road. Along his journey, he found many others living in vans, preserving a subculture that began with the hippies of the 1960s. Huntington used the hashtag when he posted photos of his new life on social media, and, soon enough, #vanlife began to trend among a rising generation of free-spirited people who followed in his footsteps. When the pandemic hit in 2020, people around the world, freshly untethered from their office jobs, saw an opportunity to embark on their own on-the-road adventures. Across the U.S., there was a surge in RV sales, from 400,000 shipments in 2019 to 600,000 in 2021, according to the RV Industry Association. Those figures do not account for retrofitted vans, which are beloved by the vanlife community. These vans, often former work vehicles or delivery vans, exploded in popularity thanks to their budget-friendly customization options and flexibility. Unlike larger trailers or bus-like mobile homes, they are easier to drive and park while still being more comfortable than tents. However, securing one became difficult; as CNN reported in 2021, companies that retrofit vans suddenly had yearslong waitlists - and that was assuming the customer had a van to retrofit given the competition. During lockdowns, online orders for household items surged and Amazon needed to expand their fleet of van models - namely, Mercedes Sprinters, Ford Transits and RAM ProMasters - which happen to be the preferred choices for vanlifers, as well. The end of the dream Nonetheless, many Americans did succeed in landing their own recreational vehicle. The race to get (or retrofit) RVs created an influx of newbie owners. As shown by the chart below, more than half (55%) of today's RV owners are newbies who have owned their vehicle for just five years or less. The vanlife movement appears to have deflated as quickly as it ballooned in pandemic-era America. For many, the vanlife lifestyle turned out to be a detour, not a destination. As a result, many vehicles bought during the pandemic are not racking up much mileage today. Some 10 million households, or close to 8% of all households in the U.S., camped in an RV last year - and around 8 million of those campers were RV owners. That might seem like a lot, but it is down from the 15 million (nearly 12% of households) that camped in an RV at the 2022 peak. The drop in vanlifers is also evident in yearly survey data that tracks campers by experience level. The share of inexperienced campers (those who were brand new to camping or who had started "in the last few years") peaked in the years after the pandemic's onset, according to Kampgrounds of America. In 2022, people who were relatively new to camping accounted for more than 40% of all campers. After that peak though, the numbers dropped off pretty quickly. The mad rush to join the vanlife community was over, new blood was not coming into the vanlife community as quickly, and there was attrition among the vanlifers who had given it a shot. By 2024 the share of relatively new campers had dropped to 16% - levels that were typical before the pandemic hit. There are many reasons why the dream did not live long. For one, vanlife is not the "Insta-glam" life it is cracked up to be. There are difficult realities of vanlife, as New York Times essayist Caity Weaver captured in her own pursuit of the idyllic lifestyle in 2022, noting that just the act of sleeping in a van was "cramped, slovenly and bad." Vanlife also became impractical as life got back to normal. As the major waves of COVID-19 petered out, managers became less tolerant of the work-from-anywhere approach, making it difficult for most to juggle both vanlife and their careers. Still, vanlife left its mark While vanlife may have been a flash-in-the-pan for many, the overall number of people who seek outdoorsy experiences, including RVing, tent camping, or glamping, may now start to stabilize to normal growth levels. Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that the growth would be about 2 million additional households a year. As the camping community returns to normal, it is interesting to note that a few things have, in fact, changed for good. For one, there has been "a notable increase in younger and more diverse [RV] owners compared to previous years," a RV Industry Association report notes. "Younger generations are much more engaged than they used to be." Indeed, those who have stuck around are more committed to the lifestyle. Today, owners use their RVs a median of 30 days a year, up 50% from the 20 days reported in 2021. And campgrounds have tried to accommodate them, offering more amenities like WiFi, according to Kampgrounds of America. Perhaps vanlife is now how it was always intended to be: a smaller, scrappier community that genuinely wants the open road, the early mornings in nature, and yes, the occasional headache of a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. This story originally appeared on Motointegrator, was produced in collaboration with DataPulse Research, and was reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
