Kennedy's Disease Association

A Public Benefit, Non-Profit Organization

Kennedy’s Disease Knows No Boundaries...

Our Focus Remains on Research, Education and Support

The Kennedy’s Disease Association has worked to educate others about this lesser-known disease and to support clinical research efforts. We distributed information to more than 10,000 neurologists to help them recognize clinical signs and symptoms of Kennedy’s Disease.

Will my child be born with this DNA defect?

It takes an enormous amount of money to fund research…more than any of us can afford alone, but together, we are capable of great accomplishments. We are searching for available foundation grants, but the process is lengthy. We need researchers to continue their work, and it is only the KDA that makes funding this disease a priority.

Kennedy’s Disease Knows No Boundaries...

It is passed on from generation to generation in families worldwide. Males generally inherit the disease symptoms and females are the carriers. The defect is in the ‘X’ Chromosome that makes testosterone almost a poison to his body.

What is Kennedy's Disease?

Kennedy’s Disease (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy) is an adult-onset “X” linked inherited disease with symptoms usually beginning to appear between the ages of 30 and 50. However, onset has also been reported as early as in the teens and as late as the 60s.

Promote Research

Our Focus Remains on Research, Education and Support

Since Kennedy’s Disease is a rare disorder, funding for research is not always readily available. The Kennedy’s Disease Association (KDA) financially supports as well as promotes research to find a treatment or cure for this disease. **90¢ of every dollar spent goes towards Kennedy’s Disease research (80¢) and education (10¢)*.**

The KDA supports research through the following programs:

Research Grants: The KDA is committed to fund one or more research grants each year to further the understanding of the pathological mechanisms of Kennedy’s Disease. Grants are awarded based upon the recommendations of the KDA’s Scientific Review Board after a thorough review of each applicant’s research. Applications from junior investigators and from senior post-doctoral fellows are encouraged.
Young Investigator Awards: The KDA also provides awards to help young investigators attend the Gordon Research Conference on ‘CAG Triplet Repeat Disorders.’ Researchers from around the world attend this bi-annual conference. The focus of this conference is on various CAG triplet repeat disorders, including Kennedy’s Disease.
Emergency Grants: Occasionally, the KDA has supported an on-going research project allowing a lab to continue their research while applying for additional funding.

* Information provided from 2007-2010 Annual Reports