APDA Scientific Advisory Board Deciding 2016-2017 Research Funding

New York, NY, May 26, 2016  The American Parkinson Disease Association's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) met this week to review more than 55 grant submissions, all vying for nearly $800,000 in funding that will be awarded to experienced and young scientists in the Parkinson's field.    APDA is focused on advancing scientific research that supports its mission to Ease the Burden - Find the Cure for Parkinson's disease.  "The objective of APDA and the SAB is to invest in the best science," commented Dr. David G. Standaert, Chairman of the SAB.  "As we evaluate these proposals we focus on funding researchers who are at the start of their Parkinson's research career. Our aim is to accelerate research and support translational ideas that have the potential to truly improve the quality of life and make a difference." APDA's SAB is comprised of scientists with a wide array of backgrounds and expertise in all areas relevant to Parkinson's disease (PD) research.  Post-doctoral fellowships are awarded at the $35,000 level to support scientists whose research training holds promise into new insights such as geriatric psychology, pathophysiology, etiology and treatment of PD. Research grants are awarded at $50,000 per year and are available to established junior investigators pursuing research in Parkinson's disease. The prestigious Dr. George C. Cotzias Fellowship is a $240,000 grant given over three years to support promising young physicians and researchers in establishing careers in research, teaching and patient service relevant to the problems, causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's disease and related neurological movement disorders. This critical research funding is possible due to the financial support from APDA's steadfast supporters and the dedicated work of the SAB who gather on a regular basis to diligently review and recommend the most cutting edge research. This year's meeting was kicked off by Leslie A. Chambers, President & CEO of APDA who recognized four SAB members who reached a twenty year milestone of serving on the board: Marie-Francoise Chesselet, MD, PhD, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine; Dennis W. Dickson, MD, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville; Richard Myers, PhD, Boston University School of Medicine; and Mahlon R. DeLong, MD, Emory University School of Medicine The SAB meeting also included research updates from four of the eight 2015-2016 junior investigators who each represent a vast diversity of research areas that can impact the treatment of PD.    Vivek K. Unni, MD, PhD, of Oregon Health and Science University is researching how the protein alpha-synuclein forms many types of aggregates that are either potentially toxic or could be protective to cells.  While at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, Tim Bartels, PhD, is working to characterize pathology associated forms of alpha-synuclein to understand more about the mechanism of Parkinson's pathogenesis and quantify their abundance as potential biomarkers.  Jacqueline Burré, PhD, from Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University in New York, has sought to determine the link between age and alpha-synuclein pathology that will facilitate understanding the pathogenesis of sporadic Parkinson's.  Finally, studying non-motor symptoms, perception and cognition as it relates to normal and abnormal brain activity, Alice Cronin-Golomb, PhD, from Boston University, and Joseph DeGutis, PhD, from Boston University and The VA Boston Healthcare System are exploring the effectiveness of exercise and cognitive training interventions in Parkinson's to determine whom it is best suited for.    The announcement of 2016-2017 grant funding will take place in August.

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