In 2007, Lisa Genova, whose training was in the field of neuroscience, self-published a book when she couldn’t find a publisher interested in her novel. That book “Still Alice” became a best seller and an awarding winning movie.
Today, Genova is now published by a major NY publishing company and has created a career as a successful writer specializing in books dealing with people who suffer from neurological disorders.
“Love Anthony” dealt with autism and “Left Neglected” with traumatic brain injury.
Her fourth novel, “Inside the O’Briens,” focuses on a Boston cop with Huntington’s disease and his four children. His children, all in their twenties, have a 50-50 chance of developing the fatal genetic condition. Huntington’s is a debilitating disease which today affects more than 30,000 people in the US.
Her next novel will deal with ALS, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She was inspired to write about ALS because the co-director of the movie “Still Alice” died of the disease in March.
Although Genova is no longer involved in scientific research, she feels that her novels reach a wide audience and helps to inform them about medical conditions.