Dr. Michael Hayden: A Passion for Discovery

In twenty five years at the forefront of genetic medicine, Dr. Michael Hayden has made inroads in many devastating genetic illnesses. In 1999, he made a breakthrough discovery locating the gene that controls  'good cholesterol' - a gene that holds the key to curing the number one killer in the world - heart disease. Following an approach he calls "extreme genetics," Dr. Hayden studies rare genetic illnesses in order to decipher the basis for common ones. Thus, he is now a world leader in Huntington's Disease research and in studying the very rare Tangier's Disease, Dr Hayden has unraveled the genetic underpinnings of coronary disease and is developing a cure that will benefit millions of coronary patients.