More than 250 Parkinson’s patients, family members, scientists, and advocates gathered recently in Washington to urge Congress to expand federal funding for Parkinson’s disease research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They were part of the annual Parkinson’s Policy Forum, hosted by organizations including the Michael J. Fox…
News
Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor are associated with distinct signaling patterns of two key brain neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, according to a new study. These two chemical messengers allow nerve cells to communicate. Using machine learning, researchers analyzed the regulation of neurotransmitter systems during reward-based decision-making, a cognitive process…
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has awarded a grant to Valo Health to support the development of new treatments targeting the underlying causes of Parkinson’s disease. The funding will allow researchers to use artificial intelligence to uncover the root causes of the disease and identify new…
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is providing $4.04 million for the 2025-2026 funding year to support research projects on Parkinson’s disease. That represents an increase of more than 55% from last year, according to an association press release. Research areas receiving funding range from brain changes…
Some experimental therapies for Parkinson’s disease designed to improve the function of mitochondria may inadvertently damage them instead. That’s according to the study, “Putative PINK1/Parkin activators lower the threshold for mitophagy by sensitizing cells to mitochondrial stress,” which was published in Science Advances. Researchers said…
The Parkinson’s Foundation invites U.S. medical centers offering outstanding Parkinson’s disease clinical care and resources to join its Global Care Network as Centers of Excellence. Applications from academic medical centers in Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, and Washington will be given priority. Special consideration…
Brain damage in Parkinson’s disease may be driven in part by certain nerve cells working too hard, causing them to accrue damage and die. This suggests that treatments that reduce the activity of these cells may help slow the brain damage that drives the condition. That’s according to the…
Hemoglobin — a protein best known for carrying oxygen in the bloodstream — has an under-recognized role in protecting brain cells from damage, researchers found. Data from animal experiments showed that a treatment designed to boost the protective effects of hemoglobin in the brain may be an effective strategy for…
A roundtable in the U.S. capital, hosted by the Parkinson’s Foundation, is aiming to find new ways to improve access to healthcare providers and treatment, define inroads for innovation, and align stronger policies in Parkinson’s disease care by centering patient and caregiver voices in a nationwide planning session. The…
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded a $697,000 grant to a research project using preclinical models to study early Parkinson’s disease linked to mutations in the PINK1 gene. Cynthia Kelm-Nelson, PhD, a department of surgery senior scientist, will lead the three-year project…
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