2019-20 Funded Research

Funded Research for 2019-20

George C. Cotzias Fellowship

The George C. Cotzias Fellowship is named in honor of the scientist who had a critical role in developing Levodopa as a treatment for Parkinson’ disease and is awarded with the purpose of encouraging young Neurologists to follow in his footsteps.


Vikram Khurana, MD, PhD

Brigham & Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Molecular mechanisms of perturbed mRNA metabolism in alpha-synucleinopathy


Aasef G. Shaikh, MD, PhD

Cleveland VA Medical Center, University Hospitals Cleveland, and Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
The influence of basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum network on discordant visual input induced gait disorder in Parkinson’s disease (PD)



Post-Doctoral Fellowships

This fellowship is awarded to post-doctoral scientists whose research holds promise to provide new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This is a fellowship of $50,000 per year for one year.


Edward Griffin, PhD

University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
The role of T cells in α-synuclein induced inflammation and neurodegeneration


Livia Hecke Morais, PhD

California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA
Microbial-brain Interactions in Parkinson’s disease Neurodegeneration


Dorian Sargent, PhD

Van Andel Institure, Grand Rapids, MI
Novel Molecular Mechanisms of VPS35-Linked Parkinson’s Disease: D620N VPS35 Knockin Mice



Research Grants

This grant is awarded to investigators affiliated with and performing Parkinson’s disease research at major academic institutions, whose research holds promise to provide new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This is a grant of $75,000 per year for one year and is renewable.

Brian Daniels, PhD

Rutgers, The State University of NJ, Piscataway, NJ
Investigating RIPK3 as a driver of inflammatory astrocyte activation in Parkinson’s Disease


Xianjun Dong, PhD

Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Circular RNAs: A novel link between genetic susceptibility and Parkinson’s disease?


Monica Driscoll, PhD

Rutgers, The State University of NJ, Piscataway, NJ
Identification of Genes Mediating a Novel Mitochondrial Quality Control Mechanism Impacted by Parkin


Karen Nuytemans, PhD

John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics and John T. Macdonald Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
Genetic factors for Parkinson Disease in Hispanics


Mohammad Shahnawaz, PhD

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Detection of Alpha-Synuclein Oligomers in Blood for the Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease


Bonnie Wong, PhD

Boston University, Boston, MA
Alleviating depression and cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease through telehealth psychotherapy


IN THE NEWS

APDA Awards $1.7 Million in Research Grants. 

Click here to read the Press Release