My PD Story

2024 Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Parkinson’s Disease

Uncovering Air Pollutants that Could Contribute to Parkinson’s

Air quality plays a significant role in healthy living, and breathing in polluted air over time can lead to serious medical issues. Growing evidence suggests air pollution could be a risk factor in the development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, air pollution comes in many forms from different sources, and it is not understood which types of air pollution are the greatest contributors to PD.

Brittany Krzyzanowski, PhD, is analyzing air quality information from across the U.S. to identify the high-risk pollutants associated with PD and where they are most concentrated. She’s completing this analysis as a recipient of the 2024 Clinical Research Training Scholarship in Parkinson’s Disease funded by the Parkinson’s Foundation and the American Brain Foundation, in collaboration with the American Academy of Neurology.

 “This support enables me to dive deeper into my investigations of environmental determinants of Parkinson's disease, particularly focusing on air pollution as a modifiable risk factor,” said Dr. Krzyzanowski.

As an assistant professor at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, Dr. Krzyzanowski uses her expertise in geospatial research to analyze environmental data to support prevention of future PD cases. Across the U.S., thousands of air quality monitoring stations, operated by federal, state, and local agencies, record the levels of various pollutants in the air.

“Different sources emit different types of air pollution that have different chemical compositions, with some compositions being more toxic than others,” she said.

By overlaying detailed air quality data with maps showing where people with and without PD live, Dr. Krzyzanowski links millions of individuals in the U.S. to their neighborhood-level air pollution to determine which pollutants are most associated with the disease. This information could guide future public health policies that reduce exposure to these pollutants, potentially decreasing the incidence of PD in vulnerable communities.

“This opportunity reinforces my commitment to interdisciplinary science and supports my long-term goal of contributing to research that can inform prevention and public health strategies,” Dr. Krzyzanowski said.

Meet more Parkinson’s researchers! Explore our My PD Stories featuring PD researchers.