Lila Levinson, PhD,  Science Writer—

Lila is a Science Writer at BioNews. She completed her PhD in neuroscience at the University of Washington, where she studied how the natural flexibility of the human brain can be used to promote recovery after injury. Previously, she has written about science for The Dallas Morning News and the University of Washington Computational Neuroscience Center. She enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest and spending time with her cat, Fibonacci.

Articles by Lila Levinson, PhD

Verily gets $14.7M grant to develop data for Parkinson’s research

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded a $14.7 million research grant to Verily, an artificial intelligence platform for health analytics, to generate a detailed set of molecular information for Parkinson’s disease research. Verily will analyze biological samples, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid, from participants in the…

Defects in Parkinson’s-linked VPS13C disrupt lysosome repair

Defects in VPS13C, a protein whose dysfunction has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, can prevent cells from repairing damage to their waste disposal systems, a study shows. VPS13C and other proteins associated with genetic forms of Parkinson’s help repair damaged lysosomes, which are cell components that recycle waste. Without…

AI video analysis tool helps assess Parkinson’s symptoms

A new open-source software called VisionMD may help doctors assess motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled video analysis, a study reports. Analyzing videos of patients tapping their fingers and doing other clinical tests can help clinicians understand disease progress and…

Students investigate role of occupational therapy in Parkinson’s

Researchers and students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) are developing evidence-based occupational therapy practices to help people with Parkinson’s disease manage their condition and regain the ability to participate in the activities they enjoy. The research aims to help occupational therapy professionals deliver the best possible…

Photopharmics raises $6M for Parkinson’s light therapy device

Photopharmics will use $6 million in newly secured funding to complete a Phase 3 clinical trial testing Celeste, its light therapy device for Parkinson’s disease, and to support precommercialization efforts before submitting regulatory applications. The ongoing Phase 3 trial (NCT04453033), dubbed Light for PD, has enrolled more…

1ST Biotherapeutics joins MJFF LRRK2 gene-targeting program

1ST Biotherapeutics said it joined an initiative led by the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) aimed at advancing therapies that target the LRRK2 gene, a key genetic contributor to Parkinson’s disease. The initiative, MJFF’s LRRK2 Investigative Therapeutics Exchange (LITE) program, brings together biotech companies and academic research…