Parkinson Study Group: Retrospective Data-Mining Projects for Parkinson’s disease and related disorders

The Parkinson Study Group (PSG) has funding available for investigators seeking initial support for Parkinson’s disease research.  Candidates propose a hypothesis driven, one year research plan for a retrospective data-mining research project in Parkinson’s disease using PSG databases.  Funds have been provided by the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation to the PSG to support retrospective data-mining projects.

The following investigators have been awarded:

February 2007

Ergun Uc, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, of the Divisions of Movement Disorders & Neuroergonomics, Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinic, was awarded a $25,000 grant from the PSG and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation for his data-mining research proposal entitled “Predictors and Course of Cognitive Decline and Depression Early in the Course of PD based on the DATATOP Cohort”.   This was a collective effort of the PSG Cognitive/Psychiatric Working Group with John Growdon, Kelvin Chou, Karen Marder, Irene Litvan, Michel Panisset, Steve Anderson, and Peter Como all as Co-investigators.  Michael McDermott, PhD is the statistical Co-PI. Dr. Uc’s abstract is posted for your information (read more).
 
June 2007

Michael Schwarzschild, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, at Harvard Medical School, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital has been awarded a $25,000 grant from the PSG and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation for his data-mining research proposal entitled “Predicting PD Progression Subtypes by CSF Urate Pathways”.  He and Alberto Ascherio, MD, PhD serve as co-PIs on the project. Their abstract is available if you would like to read more...

July 2007

Jing Zhang, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology, Shaw Endowed Professorship in Neuropathology Division of Neuropathology Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, was awarded a $25,000 grant from the PSG and Parkinson's Disease Foundation for his data-mining research proposal entitled "Using human cerebrospinal fluid samples collected in DATATOP study for biomarker discovery in patients with Parkinson's disease".  This was a collective effort of the PSG Biomarkers Working Group.  Un Jung Kang, MD will be an active participant and advisor on this project.  Michael  McDermott, PhD will provide statistical support.  Dr. Zhang's abstract is available if you would like to read more...

October 2007

Spiridon Papapetropoulos, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, University of Miami, was awarded a $25,000 grant from the PSG and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation for his data-mining research proposal entitled “Weight loss in Parkinson’s disease”.  This was a collective effort of the PSG Other Non-Motor Features of PD Working Group with Carlos Singer, MD, Ergun Uc, MD, Jay Rao, MD, and David Oakes, PhD as Co-investigators. Dr. Papapetropoulos' abstract is available if you would like to read more...As of May 2008, Dr. Ergun Uc assumed the role of PI on this project.

Connie Marras, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor at Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto Movement Disorders Centre, was awarded a $25,000 grant from the PSG and Parkinson’s Disease Foundation for her planning project entitled “Environmental exposures modifying clinical expression of LRRK2-associated Parkinson’s disease”.  Caroline Tanner, MD, PhD and Anthony Lang, MD serve as Co-PIs on the project.  Dr. Marras’ abstract is posted for your information (read more).

May 2008

Marian Evatt, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Emory University and Assistant Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Wesley Woods Hospital, Atlanta, GA, was awarded a $25,000 grant from the PSG and Parkinson's Disease Foundation for her data-mining project entitled "Vitamin D Insufficiency: Prevalence and Clinical Correlates in the DATATOP Cohort". Vin Tangpricha, MD, PhD and Mahlon R. Delong, MD serve as Co-PIs on the project.

Parkinson Study Group: Mentored Clinical Research Award for new investigators in patient-oriented research in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders

The Mentored Clinical Research Award (MCRA) for new investigators is funded by a grant from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) to the Parkinson Study Group (PSG). The purpose of this grant is to support a new investigator for a 1 year project in patient oriented research in Parkinson’s disease or other parkinsonian disorders under the mentorship of an experienced investigator. The goal of the Award is to provide funding for an investigator with the potential to become an independent researcher. Appropriate applicants for the MCRA are clinicians and scientists who are within 5 years of having completed formal training. The applicant must identify an appropriate mentor or mentors with extensive research experience.  Either the applicant or the mentor must be a member of the PSG.

The following investigators have been awarded:

2004 

Wendy Galpern, MD, PhD, Movement Disorders Fellow, Toronto Western Hospital:  "Antidyskinetic properties of topiramate: A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with Parkinson's disease and levodopa-induced dyskinesias". Dr, Galpern's proposal is posted for your information (read more).

2005

Connie Marras, MD, FRCP(C), Clinical Movement Disorders and Epidemiology Fellow, Toronto Western Hospital:  “A family study of LRRK2 mutations: Establishing evaluation and screening methods”.  Connie’s initial proposal is posted at: http://www.parkinson-study-group.org/Resources/PSG%20Grant%20Marras%20electronic%20version2.pdf.

2006

Vicki Shanker, MD, Movement Disorders Fellow, Beth Israel Medical Center: “Defining the prevalence and phenotype of the leucine-rich repeat kinase (LRRK2) in Ashkenazi Jews”.  Her abstract is available if you would like to read more...

2007

Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, Nutritional Epidemiology Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard School of Public Health: “Prospective study of diet quality, dietary urate index and survival of PD patients”. His abstract is available if you would like to read more...

2008

Gregory Pontone, MD, Geriatric Psychiatry and Movement Disorders Research Fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine: "Prevalence and familial aggregation of panic disorder in patients with Parkinson's disease".

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