James Beck 00:00:01
While previous research has established that males are two times more likely than females to develop Parkinson's, women tend to have more severe involuntary movements caused by the Parkinson's medication levodopa. Hi, I'm Dr. James Beck, Chief Scientific Officer of the Parkinson's Foundation. Today, I want to highlight our research strategy and some exciting Parkinson's research we're funding right now.
Parkinson's is a complicated disease, and tackling it requires the involvement of a global network of scientists and laboratories. For example, the Parkinson's Foundation funds teams of scientists at our research centers where they engage in a different approach to research. They work as a team to solve Parkinson's disease. Our Parkinson's studies range from basic science research to understand what might be the cause of the disease, to research involving clinical studies, which focuses on solving real-life problems associated with PD. We also undertake population health studies that help us better understand who and how many people have Parkinson's, and to reveal health disparities and outcomes among people with Parkinson's disease.
Our strategy is based on an understanding that science is a human endeavor. We directly fund research throughout the world, supporting individual investigators who are building on novel approaches designed to advance our understanding of Parkinson's disease. We believe every researcher we fund can propel science to new pathways or discoveries. We support research in three interrelated areas: understanding the biology of PD, understanding the circuitry of PD, and understanding the symptoms of PD.
James Beck 00:01:37
We still do not yet know what causes Parkinson's. We're working to find out what happens at the cellular level that leads to the start of the disease. Understanding the biological basis of Parkinson's therefore gets us closer to finding out its cause, along with why and how it progresses. Dr. Ellen Hess of Emory University received a grant from the Parkinson's Foundation to study biological sex differences in Parkinson's.
While previous research has established that males are two times more likely than females to develop Parkinson's, women tend to have more severe involuntary movements caused by the Parkinson's medication levodopa. Dr. Hess's research will examine sex differences in gene expression in the parts of the brain affected by PD, and which control movement. The findings could lead to the discovery of drugs specifically targeted to male and female patients using a personalized medicine approach.
Understanding circuitry means understanding how exactly Parkinson's impacts the brain. In this area of research, we focus on understanding the detrimental changes in how brain cells work and talk to each other. Dr. Taraz Lee of the University of Michigan is using his foundation grant to study the relationship between movement and cognition systems in the brain.
Dr. Taraz Lee 00:02:50
My research is focused on understanding the link between skilled movements and executive function processes such as attention and short-term memory. In my work funded by the Parkinson's Foundation, my lab and I are using non-invasive brain stimulation and neuroimaging to investigate how activity in the parts of the brain important for attention might be contributing to movement dysfunction. We hope that our research might provide a new target for therapeutic treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease.
James Beck 00:03:18
Parkinson's is a disease that leads to a variety of symptoms ranging from minor to debilitating. Ongoing research helps us define these symptoms, how they affect people with Parkinson's, and how we may be able to control or even treat them. Dr. Daniel Silverman of the University of California Berkeley is using his grant from the foundation to study the mechanisms that contribute to sleep disturbances in Parkinson's disease. Sleep problems sometimes act as an early sign of PD and may severely impair quality of life.
Gaining a better understanding of the dysregulation that causes sleep disturbances in Parkinson's could lead to innovative treatments or preventative measures to improve this cumbersome symptom of Parkinson's disease. Progress toward new medicines, better therapies, and eventually a cure for Parkinson's relies on innovative, high-quality research. Since 1957, we've invested more than $400 million in Parkinson's research and clinical care.
Our goal is to always support and continuously grow the number of researchers focused on Parkinson's. We invest in promising pathways to help us better understand and more effectively combat this disease. Learn more about our research initiatives at parkinson.org/research.
