In 2020, during the pandemic, my family and I were spending more time together at home, and one night we watched the movie Awakenings. I was deeply moved by the story, the patients’ struggles and the compassion shown by the doctors. I asked my dad about it, and he explained that the condition shown in the film was Parkinson’s disease (PD).
My dad is a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders, so during that time, as he worked from home, I learned more about this work. I was newly aware of how his patients fought every day against this disease, and how much it affected not only them but their families too. Learning that there was no cure broke my heart, but my dad also told me about the Parkinson’s Foundation and the incredible work they do to bring education, research and hope to those affected by PD.
I was only 10 years old, but I wanted to help. Since I loved music, I decided to create a Facebook fundraiser and perform piano pieces to inspire donations for the Parkinson’s Foundation. Then I thought, why not invite others to join? Soon, friends, family and even professional artists became part of it. That’s how Parkin-SONG was born. To my surprise, our first event in 2020 even featured Gloria Estefan and was mentioned in the local news!
In 2025, I brought Parkin-SONG back, bigger and stronger, through my nonprofit NeuroEduCares, a youth-led organization I founded to promote understanding, compassion and education about neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
With an incredible team of young leaders, we organized Parkin-SONG II as both a global virtual concert and a live event at American Heritage School (Palm Beach Campus). The campus came alive with music, karaoke, live performances and even a student dodgeball tournament, creating a day full of unity and purpose. It’s been amazing to see how something that started as one small online idea became a global and school-wide celebration of hope.
I’m proud to support the Parkinson’s Foundation as a Parkinson’s Champion through Parkin-SONG. To me, being a Parkinson’s Champion means taking action to help others. It means using my voice, my music and my efforts to bring comfort, hope and awareness to the Parkinson’s community.
It’s an incredible feeling to know that something that began from the heart can grow and truly make a difference, supporting the Foundation’s mission and giving strength to people with PD and families who face this disease every day.
The Parkinson’s Foundation brings hope where it’s most needed. The Foundation dedicates time, research and resources to improving the lives of people and families affected by this disease. Supporting the Foundation means helping fund education, care programs and research that could one day lead to a cure.
Through my experience as a Parkinson’s Champion, I’ve learned any idea, big or small, can have a large impact. You don’t need to be an adult or an expert to make an impact; you just need passion and a willingness to act. If you truly believe in your cause and put your heart into it, people will join you.
For more information on becoming a Parkinson’s Champion and creating your own fundraiser to support the Parkinson’s Foundation, visit Parkinson.org/DIY.
Mapping the Brain in High Resolution: How the University of Michigan is Advancing Parkinson’s Neuroscience
🧠 What will you learn in this article?
This article explains how researchers at the University of Michigan investigated connections between an area of the brain and Parkinson’s disease. It discusses:
What the thalamus does in the brain, and how it might impact PD.
How researchers used PET imaging to visualize neurons in people with PD.
The impact that Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center funding has on advancing scientific progress toward a cure for PD.
In a landmark investment to accelerate the path to a Parkinson’s disease (PD) cure, in 2019, the Parkinson’s Foundation awarded $8 million to establish four elite Parkinson’s Foundation Research Centers: Yale School of Medicine, University of Michigan, University of Florida, and Columbia University. Each one received $2 million over four years.
In this series of articles, we will share the story of each center — their goals, successes, surprises and the future of their PD research. In this article, we check in with the Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center at the University of Michigan.
The Thalamus and Parkinson’s Disease
Most research on how Parkinson’s affects the brain has focused on the substantia nigra. This brain region — slightly smaller than a piece of popcorn — plays key roles in regulating movement and healthy cognition.
In PD, the dopamine brain cells in the substantia nigra break down over time, leading to the progressive movement and cognitive symptoms of the disease. However, not all symptoms of PD can be explained by the loss of these substantia nigra neurons. For example, issues with gait and balance or visual dysfunction in PD do not seem to respond to dopamine therapies. This biological puzzle led the Michigan researchers to explore how PD impacts another part of the brain – the thalamus – and how dysfunction in this part of the brain may contribute to PD symptoms, and importantly, how targeting this area for therapies could improve the lives of people living with PD.
The thalamus is made of a pair of small, egg-shaped structures of grey matter that straddle the middle of the brain – one on the right side and one on the left. The most well-understood function of the thalamus is that it acts as a sensory “hub,” relaying signals of sight, sound, touch, and taste from the body to various regions of the cerebral cortex, the wrinkled, outer layer of the brain that provides functions like awareness, memory, and consciousness.
However, recent research on the thalamus has hinted that it may do more than justrelay sensory information. In fact, new evidence suggests that the thalamus actively modifies the signals that it sends along, playing an active role in the process connecting sensation to thought and to action.
Looking to unravel the role of the thalamus in PD, the researchers at the Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center at the University of Michigan, led by Roger Albin, MD, Nicolaas Bohnen, MD, PhD, and Daniel Leventhal, MD, PhD, each investigated the thalamus in a different way. By taking a cross-sectional approach, this Parkinson’s Foundation funded research team developed a new, thorough and detailed way to look at how thalamic disruption impacts PD — and how to address it.
“The Parkinson's Foundation Research Center was a chance to bring our more basic science researchers into pursuing something in an integrated topic. It was also the chance to explore something that hasn't been explored very much in Parkinson's research — the thalamus — but it's clearly an important area in neuroscience.” Dr. Albin.
Utilizing PET Scanning to Map Dopamine Neurons in the Thalamus
The University of Michigan is home to some of the most advanced brain imaging technologies available, including Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning. Neuroscientists can use this technology to visualize neurons in the brain.
For Dr. Bohnen and Dr. Albin, the Research Center funding combined with PET scanning technology created a rare opportunity to map and measure neurons in the human thalamus. They sought to understand how the thalamus directs vision, balance and movement, and how its disruption could contribute to PD.
Dr. Bohnen focused on how PD affects the dopamine neurons in the thalamus. Early findings from his team found that loss of dopamine neurons in the thalamus was strongly linked to PD-like symptoms and was a better predictor of symptom severity than assessing similar changes in the substantia nigra.
Dr. Bohnen
“Thanks to the Parkinson’s Foundation, we have been able to use novel brain imaging tools to study chemical messenger molecules in the thalamic complex in the living brain in people with Parkinson’s and how this relates to more complex gait functions.”
For his Research Center project, Dr. Bohnen designed a larger trial to dive deeper into how thalamic dopamine neuron loss contributes to PD symptoms. He used PET scanning to measure the amount and health of thalamic dopamine neurons in participants in different stages of PD. Understanding how dopamine neuron breakdown in the thalamus coincides with PD movement symptoms could help researchers design new treatments that target this area of the brain.
Exploring the Impacts of Acetylcholine
Another important signaling molecule used in the brain is acetylcholine. Neurons that communicate using acetylcholine are called cholinergic neurons and are the primary focus of Dr. Albin’s research project.
Cholinergic neurons in the thalamus play critical roles in visual attentional functioning - how the mind coordinates what it sees with how it reacts via movement. For example, entering a doorway requires high visual attentional function: arm movement to open the door must be coordinated with moving through the doorway, while also minding any step or threshold that could be tripped on.
Dr. Albin
“The work of our Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center project cemented our understanding of the importance of another major set of brain systems — the cholinergic systems — that are affected in Parkinson disease.”
Recent studies by Dr. Albin and his team found people with PD that fall more often, a dangerous and common risk of PD, had greater disruption in their thalamic cholinergic neurons. These results hinted that losing such neurons impaired those people’s visual attentional function, increasing their risk of falling.
Dr. Albin wanted to determine whether people with fewer healthy cholinergic neurons in the thalamus had more difficulty with visual attention tasks. Working with Dr. Bohnen, he designed a way to measure thalamic cholinergic neurons using PET scans, coordinated with Dr. Bohnen’s study of dopaminergic neurons.
By comparing PET scan results with participants’ performances on visual attention computer tests, he sought to determine if cholinergic neurons in the thalamus play a role in these tasks. Findings from this research could open new possibilities for future PD treatments addressing movement symptoms that are centered on acetylcholine neurons, in addition to dopaminergic ones.
Impacting Movement Symptoms
While the first two projects studied the thalamus in people, Dr. Leventhal used an animal model, the laboratory rat, to determine how PD-related changes in movement signals from other parts of the brain affect the “motor thalamus”.
The “motor thalamus” is a part of the thalamus responsible for regulating voluntary movement. It receives signals from two key regions of the brain:
The basal ganglia: associated with initiating movement
The cerebellum: connected to fine-tuning movement
In PD, disruptions in the function of the basal ganglia lead to movement symptoms – but we don’t exactly know how. Dr. Leventhal hypothesized that:
Signals from the basal ganglia to the thalamus were more important for reaction time and speed than the signals received from the cerebellum.
If he simulated PD-like neurodegeneration in rats, their reaction time would decrease as the signaling from the basal ganglia to the thalamus declined.
Pinpointing where the movement signal coordination occurs in the thalamus could guide new deep-brain stimulation (DBS) targets. Having new thalamic DBS treatment options could make DBS an option for more people with PD, granting them new opportunities to address their movement symptoms and improve their quality of life.
Mining Mountains of Data for Parkinson’s Breakthroughs
As with nearly all clinical research, the COVID-19 pandemic led to delays in Research Center projects. However, the Parkinson’s Foundation supported University of Michigan researchers to wait until it was safe to begin their studies.
“The Parkinson’s Foundation support was essential in maintaining our critical research infrastructure and personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. This allowed us to compete successfully for major extramural funding, including a Udall Center grant and a major grant from the Farmer Family Foundation.” Dr. Albin.
Additionally, the Research Center grant helped Dr. Bohnen and Dr. Albin form an international collaboration with PD researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. These collaborators, led by Teus van Laar, MD, PhD, were coincidentally running a similar clinical study called the Dutch Parkinson Cohort (DUPARC), also performing imaging collection with people with PD in northern Netherlands. By combining the University of Michigan data with DUPARC data, both groups significantly expanded their datasets.
With so much data available, the researchers are still deep in analysis, but some breakthroughs have emerged and have been published in major scientific journals. In particular, the cholinergic research has revealed how acetylcholine neurons across the brain decline over normal aging as well as in PD, charting degeneration patterns that researchers had never fully mapped before. By understanding how these neurons break down both with and without the influence of PD, scientists can better understand how the disease affects or accelerates that process and how to better slow or stop it.
Some early symptomatic correlations with cholinergic neurons have been discovered as well. Dr. Bohnen and Dr. Albin identified specific brain regions —inside and outside the thalamus — that are important for gait and balance. In those regions, when cholinergic neurons were impaired, there were greater issues with posture and movement coordination. These results break ground for new treatments to be developed that target those regions to help with balance and gait symptoms.
Dr. Leventhal’s research into the motor thalamus using rats is still ongoing, with results soon to be reported. In the meantime, his project has inspired collaborations with other researchers at the University of Michigan, investigating other dopamine neuron dynamics in rats with Christian Burgess, PhD, and identifying new brain feedback signals that could guide DBS placement during surgery with Enrico Opri, PhD.
Dr. Leventhal
“There is so much exciting research across disciplines right now. I teach a class on PD research to undergraduates and am amazed at how much I have to update the curriculum every year.”
A Research Center Becomes a Launchpad for PD Research
Research projects, especially clinical studies involving complex imaging, require significant time and funding. The Parkinson’s Foundation Research Center designation and its stable and long-term support allowed researchers to embark on this ambitious PD research effort.
The early results from these studies, and the many breakthroughs still to come from the analysis of the collected data, show how critical this support is in driving PD research toward new treatments. Their projects have revealed new insights about how PD affects neurons in the thalamus and the brain overall, guiding future treatment design to improve symptoms.
“We are on the cusp of understanding at a deep computational level how the brain regions affected by PD normally interact with each other, and how that changes in PD. Armed with that understanding, I am hopeful that we can more efficiently restore motor and nonmotor function with fewer side-effects to people with PD.”
University of Michigan researchers have developed a launchpad of PD research that spans not just their institution, but across the world. As their scientific work continues, their findings will propel the university and the greater PD research community toward new treatments and, someday, a cure.
Learn More
The Parkinson’s Foundation works to improve care for people with PD and advance research toward a cure. Learn more with these resources:
Episode 187: Breakthroughs Take Time: Looking at the Future of Parkinson’s Research
There is still much to learn about Parkinson’s disease (PD), and it remains an ongoing challenge for scientists and researchers. The Parkinson’s Foundation recognizes the importance of supporting new and innovative ideas to advance research toward a cure.
Research takes time- from a conceptual idea to early laboratory work, with the hope of eventually progressing to clinical stages and, ultimately, a breakthrough. PD GENEration: Powered by the Parkinson’s Foundation is a global research initiative that offers genetic testing and counseling to people with Parkinson’s. The goal is to use the genetic data collected to accelerate current and future clinical trials aimed at developing better, more personalized treatments for Parkinson’s.
In this episode, we speak with Connor Courtney, PhD, Associate Director of Research Programs at the Parkinson’s Foundation. He takes a deep dive into how basic science lays the groundwork for future research and highlights the importance of supporting young scientists throughout their career in Parkinson’s research. We later invite Maggie Caulfield, PhD, Director of Research Programs, who shares recent key insights from the PD GENEration study and discusses current challenges in Parkinson’s research. Together, Maggie and Connor emphasize the vital role individuals can play by learning more about and participating in research.
Released: December 30, 2025
We want to thank this episode’s podcast sponsor, BlueRock Therapeutics, for supporting our mission.
Connor D. Courtney received his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. His postdoctoral research, supported by a Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, investigated new cellular and circuit-based therapies for Parkinson’s disease. He subsequently joined the Parkinson’s Foundation as the Associate Director of Research Programs in 2024. His work in the field is inspired by his father, who lives with Parkinson’s disease.
Maggie is the Director of Research Programs at the Parkinson's Foundation where she supports the scientific efforts that build upon the landmark genetics study, PD GENEration. Additionally, Maggie leads the industry consortium at the Foundation and manages many cross- Foundation efforts prioritizing genetic testing and counseling for those living with PD in an effort to fast track new therapies and potentially a cure.
Starting with her PhD at Northwestern and continuing over the last 15 years, Maggie has worked in several academic and clinical settings including Mayo Clinic, focusing on immunology, neuroscience, and scientific pedagogy. Prior to joining the Foundation, Maggie was an assistant professor in a renown PD research lab at Michigan State University where she focused on pre-clinical testing of gene therapies for the reduction of levodopa- induced dyskinesia.
This article highlights our top eight Science News articles, which highlight some of the most impactful Parkinson’s studies of the year. It discusses:
Studies that made headlines including the relationship between golf courses and Parkinson’s risk.
Studies that cover hospital safety, GLP1’s and brain inflammation.
What these studies mean for people living with the disease.
Even though Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the U.S. and globally, it remains an underfunded field of research. However, every day, scientists are dedicated to unraveling how Parkinson’s works so that we can have new treatments and ultimately, a cure. Through funding research year-round, we know a breakthrough in Parkinson’s research can happen in any lab, from any researcher.
As one of our most popular blog article series, our Science News articles highlight some of the most impactful Parkinson’s studies and what they mean for people living with the disease. Explore our top Science News articles of 2025 below to learn more about the latest advances in PD research.
A Lancetstudy found that the diabetes drug exenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, did not improve Parkinson’s symptoms compared to a placebo over two years. Researchers also found no changes in dopamine activity in the brain, suggesting that current GLP-1 drugs are not effective as Parkinson’s treatments.
Living near golf courses may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s, according to a new study using 25 years of medical data from southeastern Minnesota. Researchers found that people who lived within one mile of a golf course were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with PD compared to those living six or more miles away.
These findings suggest that pesticides and herbicides used on golf courses could leach into drinking water and contribute to Parkinson’s risk. This study highlights how environmental exposures may play a role in PD. Understanding these risks could help individuals and regulators take steps to reduce exposure and protect brain health.
Two new studies suggest that stem cell-based therapies may safely boost dopamine production in people with Parkinson’s. Researchers in Japan, the U.S., and Canada transplanted early-stage dopamine-producing cells — derived from induced pluripotent (iPS) and human embryonic stem (hES) cells — into the brains of 19 participants. After up to two years, no serious side effects or tumors were reported, and brain scans showed increased dopamine activity. Many also showed improvements in movement symptoms.
While these early results don’t prove stem cell therapy can reverse Parkinson’s, they highlight a safe and promising new direction for developing future PD treatments.
People with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s, but the reason why has remained unclear. A new study compared the gut microbiomes of people with Parkinson’s, IBD, and healthy individuals, revealing striking similarities between the first two groups. Both showed reduced levels of certain bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which are important for gut and brain health.
These findings suggest that the loss of SCFA-producing bacteria may link IBD and Parkinson’s by disrupting gut and brain communication, known as the gut-brain axis. This could make some people with IBD more susceptible to developing Parkinson’s later in life.
Sleep problems are common even in the early stages of Parkinson’s. Among 162 people recently diagnosed with PD, 71% experienced at least one sleep disorder, and nearly half had more than one. The most frequent issues included insomnia (41%), REM sleep behavior disorder and excessive daytime sleepiness (each 25%), as well as restless legs syndrome (16%).
Researchers found that these sleep problems were more strongly linked to physical changes caused by PD than to emotional factors like anxiety or depression. The findings suggest that sleep disturbances may appear early in the disease and have a major impact on quality of life.
Parkinson’s can lead to dementia, affecting nearly half of people within 10 years of diagnosis. A new study explored early brain changes to understand why some people develop dementia while others don’t, focusing on two factors: brain inflammation and buildup of the protein tau.
Researchers found that people with Parkinson’s who were at higher risk for dementia showed more brain inflammation and performed worse on cognitive tests. These results suggest that brain inflammation may be an early driver of cognitive decline in Parkinson’s and could help identify those at greater risk.
Levodopa is a key treatment for the movement symptoms of Parkinson’s, but its effectiveness can diminish over time, a phenomenon known as “wearing off.” A study found that nearly 65% of women had symptom fluctuations between doses, compared to about 53% of men. Women were also more likely to develop dyskinesia (involuntary movements caused by levodopa).
The study concluded that female gender was the strongest predictor of wearing-off effects and dyskinesia. These findings highlight that men and women may respond differently to levodopa, suggesting the need for more personalized, gender-informed treatment plans for people with Parkinson’s.
People with Parkinson’s are more likely to be hospitalized, face complications and experience longer stays than those without PD. A new study shows that staying active during a hospital stay — moving safely in and out of bed at least three times a day — can greatly improve outcomes for patients with PD.
The study found that hospitalized patients with PD who stayed active had shorter stays, were more likely to be discharged home rather than to a care facility and had lower odds of dying within 30 to 90 days after release. These results highlight the importance of inpatient mobility programs and support the Parkinson’s Foundation’s recommendations for regular movement during hospitalizations to help improve recovery.
A study of 56.5 million Americans found that living in areas with higher air pollution may increase the risk of developing Lewy body dementia (LBD) — a finding with significant implications for the Parkinson's disease (PD) community, as approximately 70% of people with Parkinson's eventually develop LBD. Researchers linked long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — tiny particles from vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and wildfire smoke — to higher rates of LBD hospitalizations.
The findings suggest air pollution may trigger harmful brain changes similar to those seen in human LBD, highlighting the need for cleaner air and stronger environmental protections to support brain health.
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My PD Story
Researchers
Wilma van de Berg
2025 Trailblazer Award
Rethinking Lewy Bodies and Cellular Traffic in Parkinson’s Disease
In Parkinson’s disease (PD), it is believed that dopamine neurons break down in part due to internal buildup of disruptive clumps called Lewy bodies. These Lewy bodies contain many lipids, which make up membranes of cellular components, and proteins including a misfolded form of a protein called alpha-synuclein. While much research has focused on what damage Lewy bodies cause to cells after they are formed, we still do not fully understand what causes them to form in the first place.
Wilma van de Berg, PhD, recipient of a Parkinson’s Foundation Trailblazer Award, is piecing together what conditions lead to Lewy body formation in neurons. By better understanding how Lewy bodies form, researchers can design treatments and therapies that could prevent them from forming and fight PD progression.
“Our conceptually highly innovative research can potentially transform Lewy body research and contribute to the development of complementary strategies for currently lacking disease-modifying therapies in PD.” – Dr. van de Berg
Alpha-synuclein is involved in regulating the shuttling of signaling molecules like dopamine into and out of neurons. It does so by attaching to lipid membranes of vesicles, little enclosed packages optimized for transport.
Dr. van de Berg believes that PD causes a disruption in alpha-synuclein’s shuttling role at these membranes in cells, leading to traffic jams of vesicles and other proteins that then become Lewy bodies. She also theorizes that alpha-synuclein may misfold within developing Lewy bodies, rather than misfolded alpha-synuclein causing Lewy bodies, a novel perspective.
To test this hypothesis, Dr. van de Berg, senior postdoc Dr. Tim Moors (Co-PI) and their team at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, Netherlands, will first analyze postmortem brain tissue samples from people who did and did not have PD. They expect to see lower levels of critical shuttling regulation proteins in PD-affected neurons compared to non-PD neurons.
Next, Dr. van de Berg’s team will use neuron-like cells in petri dishes to see if deactivating cell shuttling signals (forcing a cellular traffic jam) leads to Lewy body formation. This could further confirm her hypothesis, especially if it leads to natural alpha-synuclein misfolding as well.
Dr. van de Berg’s team will also test a treatment involving PARP-1 inhibitors, intended to “loosen up” this traffic jam, to see if it can improve the health of those petri dish neurons with Lewy bodies. These experiments could set the foundation for future PD treatment development centered on this new understanding of Lewy body formation.
“The development of alternative and complementary hypotheses for Lewy body formation, their exploration in model systems, and their translation to patient-relevant materials are urgently needed,” said Dr. van de Berg. “I am really excited that I will be able to test our hypothesis and hope to contribute to novel therapeutics in the PD field.”
2024 Melvin Yahr Parkinson’s Disease Clinical Research Award
How Lying Down Could Counter the Risks of Standing Up in Parkinson’s
People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often experience disruptions related to the autonomic nervous system, which regulates all the “automatic” bodily functions. One of these affected functions is blood pressure, which can cause those with PD to develop a condition called neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH). This condition creates bouts of low blood pressure after standing, which can lead to dizziness or fainting.
Heba Deraz, MD, PhD, recipient of the 2024 Melvin Yahr Parkinson’s Disease Clinical Research Award, jointly awarded by the Parkinson’s Foundation and the International Association of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders (IAPRD), believes that a potential solution to nOH could be prescribed periods of lying down.
“This research aims to improve the understanding of orthostatic hypotension in Parkinson’s disease, a common but underrecognized source of disability. By identifying clinical patterns, it could lead to earlier detection and more targeted interventions.” – Dr. Deraz
In contrast to nOH, supine hypertension (SH) is when blood pressure increases when lying down. Dr. Deraz theorizes that regularly lying down, increasing blood pressure, will counterbalance the low blood pressure episodes of nOH when standing up. The difficulty is that sustained SH can also be a health hazard, so finding the right ratio of lying down to standing to maximize safety and relief is key.
Working in the lab of Dr. Alberto Espay at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Deraz will enlist the help of 60 people living with PD to test her hypothesis. Each will be equipped with 24-hour blood pressure monitoring devices which will capture bouts of decreased blood pressure from standing, as well as increased blood pressure from lying down. This data will be collected over several weeks, during which Dr. Deraz and her team will assess each person’s quality of life and nOH severity through routine questionnaires.
At the end of the experiment, Dr. Deraz expects to see that those with a greater number of SH episodes relative to nOH episodes have increased quality of life and reduced blood pressure problems when standing. These results could inform practical medical guidance for those with PD and nOH, offering relief from this hazardous condition by simply optimizing time spent lying down.
As a neurologist who works with many people with PD in her medical practice at Cairo University Hospitals in Egypt, Dr. Deraz knows firsthand what the impacts of such a study would mean for the PD community.
“This support motivates me to build a career dedicated to improving understanding and treatment of these often-overlooked autonomic dysfunction symptoms,” said Dr. Deraz. “Ultimately, this work could contribute to a broader focus on autonomic dysfunction as a key component of Parkinson’s care and research.”
Investigating How the Puzzling G2385RLRRK2 Mutation Leads to Parkinson’s
While aging and environmental factors are the greatest contributors to developing Parkinson’s disease (PD), Parkinson’s Foundation researchhasfound that approximately 13% of people with Parkinson’s have a known genetic link to the disease. For those people, a small change in their DNA (a DNA variant) contributes to PD-associated cellular disruptions.
Variants of the gene that create a protein called Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 (LRRK2) are found in 1-5% of all PD cases. Significant progress is being made to understand how LRRK2 variants lead to PD, but some variants are more complicated than others, leaving gaps in our scientific understanding.
Patrick Lewis, PhD, recipient of a Parkinson’s Foundation Trailblazer Award, is devoting his research to one perplexing LRRK2 variant called G2385R. This variant affects a different area of the LRRK2 protein than other more well-studied variants. Interestingly, the effects of the G2385R variant on cell function may be the opposite of other LRRK2 variants, raising questions about how it leads to PD.
Decoding Gene Variant Naming
Scientists use a specific alphanumeric pattern to name genetic variants, which commonly goes letter-number-letter. The first letter and number refer to an amino acid — building blocks of proteins — at a specific position in a protein blueprint chain. The second letter refers to what the variant changes the original amino acid into, potentially affecting the function of the protein. For G2385R variants, the uncharged glycine (G) in the 2385th amino acid slot in the chain to build LRRK2 becomes a charged arginine (R) instead.
From his lab at the Royal Veterinary College in London, UK, Dr. Lewis is preparing a wide range of experiments to fully understand how G2385R LRRK2 operates within cells and how it contributes to PD. First, he and his team will observe the biochemical activity of the variant protein, comparing and contrasting its functionality to both original LRRK2and otherLRRK2 variants.
They will then monitor how the variant LRRK2 reacts to biological stress within the cell, where it moves and accumulates and how that disrupts other pathways and processes. Finally, Dr. Lewis will test how various drugs, including LRRK2 inhibitors currently undergoing clinical trials, impact G2385R LRRK2, providing insight into potentially useful therapeutics in the future.
The G2385R LRRK2 variant is more common in east Asia than in Europe or America, affecting nearly 2% of people with PD across countries including China, Japan and Korea. Understanding the disease association of this variant will go a long way in advancing treatments not just for those hundreds of thousands of people with the G2385R variant, but for all those with LRRK2 variants as our scientific understanding of the whole protein increases.
When asked about what this support means to him and his work, Dr. Lewis said, “Receiving a Trailblazer Award from the Parkinson's Foundation is really an honor. This project will allow me to develop a new avenue of research investigating LRRK2 to understand how one of the most common Parkinson's risk variants worldwide can increase the likelihood of developing Parkinson's at a functional level.”
Scanning Family Trees for Hidden Parkinson’s Risk Factors
It is widely understood that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is caused by a combination of environmental and genetic risk factors, with unique combinations of these factors for each person. Parkinson’s Foundation researchhasfound that approximately 13% of people with Parkinson’s disease have a genetic link to the disease through one of the seven most common disease-related variants.
The genetic testing from this research has helped connect those people to therapies and research studies directly related to their PD genetic background. However, the large amount of people with PD that do not have those genetic variants implies that there could be more rare disease-associated variants to be discovered.
Paolo Moretti, MD, recipient of a Parkinson’s Foundation Trailblazer Award, is analyzing the genetic family histories of thousands of people with PD to find these previously hidden disease-associated genetic risk factors. By leveraging the power of a unique, rare set of generational genetic data, he hopes to identify new variants to screen for and use to better determine PD risk in families.
“The most important outcome of our studies will be the identification of PD risk variants that are, at least in part, different from those that have been discovered to date.” - Dr. Moretti
Based at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, Dr. Moretti will utilize the vast genealogical and genetic data within the Utah Population Data Base and University of Utah Health Science Center electronic data warehouse. This resource includes highly detailed, multigenerational medical records and DNA samples from families that often date back to the mid 1800s. Using statistical analysis tools, Dr. Moretti and his team will screen for extended families with above-average incidence of PD without common genetic risk factors.
These analyses could uncover more subtle genetic risk factors for PD that could only be spotted by looking at well-documented family tree genetics. Dr. Moretti will then validate these new potential genetic risk factors by scanning for them among larger PD databases, seeing if they are indeed associated with higher risk of disease. Altogether, this research hopes to yield new genetic insights into PD that are crucial to our overall understanding of the disease.
“Receiving the Trailblazer Award is the culmination of an effort that my collaborators and I began a few years ago,” said Dr. Moretti. “With this award, we are hoping to further our understanding of the genetic architecture of PD and to collaborate with other investigators in the field to facilitate genetic and pathogenesis studies in PD.”
This article highlights the ways the Parkinson’s Foundation helped people living with Parkinson’s and the Parkinson’s community in 2025. It highlights:
How we advanced research through funding grants and evolving our genetics study.
Funded local community programs.
Launched new policy effort to improve care and research through advocacy.
Spread Parkinson’s awareness through programs, campaigns and resources.
2025 was a remarkable year for the Parkinson’s Foundation. Over the course of 365 days, we advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) research while working hard to represent the one million people in the U.S. living with this neurodegenerative disease. We strengthened our connections among care partners and everyone serving the PD community.
With your support, we launched new initiatives and vital PD resources, stayed fast in our commitment to improving PD care and research, and empowering the community through education and new resources.
Thanks to YOU, here are the top 12 ways we made a difference this year:
In a year when federal funding for disease research sharply declined, we significantly increased our investment in Parkinson’s research. We awarded more than $4.3 million across 44 grants. We are proud to fund scientists pursuing innovative studies across diverse areas of PD — driving the development of new therapies, treatments and ultimately a cure for the 10 million people worldwide living with this neurological disease.
Dr. Kim is leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) to advance genetics research. His research seeks to understand how overlapping PD mutations may influence the risk of developing PD.
Providing genetic testing and counseling to 30,000+ people with Parkinson’s, at no cost.
Finding that approximately 12-13% of participants carry a genetic link to PD.
Expanded study to a total of 77 testing sites worldwide and counting — adding sites in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru and El Salvador.
We also launched an exciting new pilot program, PD Trial Navigator, to help advance PD GENEration’s goal of accelerating genetic-focused clinical trials. This program helps inform PD GENEration participants about Parkinson’s genetic trials they may qualify for based on their genetic results.
Hosting a national roundtable on Parkinson’s care and innovation to identify national priorities to improve care for people with PD.
Co-hosted the 2025 Parkinson's Policy Forum, where 250 people with PD, family members and advocates from 45 states gathered in Washington, D.C. to urge Congress to accelerate progress toward better treatments and a cure.
We awarded more than $1 million in community grants for programs that help people living with PD across 38 states. Our 2025 grants fund local programs that provide exercise and educational support for people with PD and their care partners and address mental health needs. Since 2011, the Foundation has devoted more than $12.7 million in community-based programs, reaching a combined 81,000 people with PD and care partners.
Pictured: Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grantee, Parkinson's Exercise Program For You, in Dana Point, CA, offers PD-tailored exercise programs.
To find your nearest exercise or wellness class, visit your local chapter’s webpage or call our Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).
5. Appointed our first-ever Chief Medical Officer.
This year, we welcomed Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, as Chief Medical Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation. A nationally recognized movement disorders specialist and educator, Dr. Mantri believes in getting to know her patients and personalizing their treatments. “I'm excited to bring that philosophy of care to this role and address the needs of people with Parkinson’s on a national scale,” she said.
Look out for virtual events featuring Dr. Mantri in 2026.
6. Moved two Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech drugs into trials.
Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech is a research-driven investment fund we support alongside Parkinson’s UK. In 2025 we shared two exciting advances:
Project ASPro-PD became the first Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech project to enter a large phase 3 trial, assessing whether ambroxol (a common cough medicine ingredient) can slow the progression of Parkinson’s. This trial is the closest to delivering a new treatment.
A new drug from NRG Therapeutics, designed to repair the mitochondria that power brain cells, is advancing to clinical trials for Parkinson’s and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). This progress was made possible through early investment from the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, proving how our venture philanthropy model fuels innovation — turning bold ideas into real possibilities for people living with Parkinson’s and making investments less risky for future funders.
We know that healthcare appointments for Parkinson’s can feel overwhelming. Which is why we published new content and tips dedicated to help people with PD and care partners advocate for their best care. Use our Steps to Prepare for a Parkinson’s Appointment worksheet for a step-by-step guide to choosing your top three appointment topics.
8. Raised $263,000 on Parkinson’s Foundation Day of Giving.
Our incredible community came together and made our third annual Day of Giving the most successful so far, raising double the amount raised in 2024. Our steadfast supporters made this special day a success, raising awareness and funds to support our mission to make life better for people with Parkinson’s disease.
9. Facilitated 3,949 community service hours through Parkinson’s Ambassadors.
Volunteers are essential to our mission and help us localize our reach. This year, we trained 239 new Parkinson’s Foundation Ambassadors and brought all our volunteers together at our national Volunteer Leadership Summit.
Etana Soloman joined our People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council to add her voice and help represent young caregivers and people like her mother who are in the later stages of PD. “Being able to care for my mom is truly an honor” Read her story.
10. Reached 8.6 million visits to Parkinson.org and expanded Spanish-language engagement.
Parkinson.org reached a record of 8.6 million visits, including 1.3 million visits to our Spanish content. Every page visit represents an opportunity to connect people with life-changing resources, digital events and actionable ways to help make life better for people with Parkinson’s.
11. 20,000 participants raised more than $8.3 million through community fundraising events.
Parkinson’s Foundation community fundraisers raised an impressive $8.3 million to advance PD research, access to care and life-changing resources in 2025. Together, every person who participates in Moving Day, A Walk for Parkinson’s, Parkinson’s Champion and Parkinson’s Revolution bring us closer to a cure.
Two years after his diagnosis, Brooke Ramsey found Moving Day Columbus. For the last 14 years his family has raised more than $117,000 to help make life better for people with Parkinson’s. Read his story.
12. Engaged with our audience through two awareness campaigns.
In April, we introduced the world to PAM, your guide to Parkinson’s Awareness Month. To raise PD awareness, PAM shared essential information, tips and resources about PD on our social media channels and website.
In April we:
Posted 5 new videos highlighting PD facts everyone should know.
Reached 2+ million visits to Parkinson.org — our most page views in a single month!
Earned 914,000 impressions across our social media posts
In November, for National Family Caregivers Month, we amplified the diverse experiences of caregiving through our Real Care. Anywhere. campaign. We provided tailored resources for three types of caregivers including those caring for someone living with Parkinson’s, those providing care from a distance and those managing PD alone.
Breathing Danger: Study Links Air Pollution to Lewy Body Dementia Risk
🧠 What will you learn in this article?
This article highlights a new study that found that living in an area with higher air pollution was linked to hospitalization for Lewy body dementia (LBD). It discusses:
How 75-80% of people with Parkinson's eventually develop LBD.
Possible causes behind the findings
What this study means for people with PD today.
For years, researchers have suspected that the air we breathe might affect our brain health. Now, a study examining 56.5 million Americans reveals a troubling connection between living in a place with higher air pollution and Lewy body dementia (LBD) — a finding with significant implications for the Parkinson's disease (PD) community, as 75-80% of people with Parkinson's eventually develop LBD.
Lewy body dementia is an umbrella term for two related conditions: dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD). Both involve the accumulation of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies — which contain clumps of alpha-synuclein protein — throughout the brain. While people with Parkinson's initially experience movement symptoms like tremor and rigidity due to Lewy bodies primarily in neurons within movement-control brain regions, most will eventually develop cognitive symptoms as these protein deposits spread to areas controlling memory and thinking.
The study, which was supported by the Parkinson’s Foundation and led by 2019 Stanley Fahn Jr. Faculty Award recipient Xiaobo Mao, analyzed health records of 56.5 million Americans who used Medicare from 2000 to 2014, across 34,824 zip codes. Researchers matched the zip codes to exposure to PM2.5, tiny particles in the air that come from sources like vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions and wildfire smoke. These particles are so small they can penetrate deep into the lungs and the bloodstream. While PM2.5 is recognized as a health concern and risk factor for dementia, this is the first study to find a link between PM2.5 and Lewy body dementia.
Study Results
The analysis showed that there was a strong link between long-term PM2.5 exposure and higher risk for someone’s first hospital admission for LBD, indicating that living in a place with more air pollution is associated with a greater risk for LBD.
To understand how air pollution could be connected to LBD, the researchers conducted experiments with mice. They found that long-term PM2.5 exposure caused brain shrinkage and cognitive deficits in normal mice, lending support to their initial findings. Interestingly, this effect disappeared in genetically engineered mice lacking alpha-synuclein—the protein that forms the characteristic Lewy bodies. This suggests that alpha-synuclein plays a crucial role in how air pollution damages our brains.
Perhaps most striking, the research team discovered that PM2.5 exposure in mice engineered to display Parkinson's-like symptoms led to the development of what they call “PM-PFF”—a particularly harmful version of alpha-synuclein that is highly resistant to breakdown and especially toxic to brain cells. The team showed that this corrupted protein closely resembles the abnormal alpha-synuclein found in actual LBD patients.
When the researchers exposed mice engineered to develop Parkinson's-like symptoms to air pollution samples from China, the U.S. and Europe for two months, they all consistently produced dangerous “PM-PFF” protein formations, suggesting air pollution is a global concern to brain health.
The team also compared gene expression activity patterns between PM2.5-exposed normal mice and human LBD patients, finding prominent similarities. This pattern match strengthens the evidence that air pollution isn't just correlated with dementia—it may actually cause the biological changes seen in the disease.
Highlights
The study analyzed health records of 56.5 million Americans who used Medicare in a 14-year period, residing in 34,824 zip codes.
Living in an area with higher air pollution (higher long-term levels of PM2.5 particles) was linked to hospitalization for Lewy body dementia (LBD).
In normal mice, long-term PM2.5 exposure caused brain shrinkage and cognitive deficits. These issues depended on the presence of alpha-synuclein, a protein associated with PD and LBD.
In mice engineered to develop Parkinson's-like symptoms, PM2.5 exposure created what they call “PM-PFF”—a particularly harmful version of alpha-synuclein that's highly resistant to breakdown and especially toxic to brain cells.
Gene activity patterns in PM2.5-exposed normal mice were similar to those in human LBD patients.
What Does This Mean?
This research provides the first clear biological explanation for how air pollution might trigger or accelerate the development of Lewy body dementia. The identification of PM2.5 as a specific risk factor means we now have a measurable, modifiable environmental target for disease prevention.
This study, and others like it, have found a clear association between environmental toxicants and neurodegenerative diseases – which is important as this knowledge could inform and impact environmental policies.
This study highlights the importance of reducing exposure to air pollution when possible and continuing proactive steps that support brain health, like regular exercise, quality sleep and staying proactive with medical care.
What do these findings mean to the people with PD right now?
While this research doesn’t change day-to-day treatment for people with PD right now, it strengthens what many in the Parkinson’s community have long suspected — that environmental factors play a real role in disease development and progression. Knowing that air pollution may contribute to Lewy body disease gives us a new area to monitor and advocates another reason to push for cleaner air and stronger environmental standards.
If you are concerned about exposure to air pollution, or PM2.5 particles, talk to your doctor.
Learn More
The Parkinson’s Foundation believes in empowering the Parkinson’s community through education. Learn more about PD and the topics in this article through our below resources, or by calling our free Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) for answers to your Parkinson’s questions.
Small particles in the air with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less that come from sources like vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, and wildfire smoke.
