Making Hope Possible: American Parkinson Disease Association Supports Researchers With $4.04 Million in New Funding

APDA-funded researchers pursue cutting-edge projects that aim to find innovative ways of diagnosing, treating, and preventing Parkinson's disease.

NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is proud to announce $4.04 million in new funding to support innovative Parkinson's disease (PD) research – an increase of more than 55% from the previous year. This impressive amount does not include a new specially-designated allocation of grant funding for recent APDA researchers who lost funding from other sources this year. These researchers applied for APDA bridge-funding to help them continue their critical work and the final decisions on these grants will be announced by early October.

The newly funded research projects span a wide range of key areas in PD research, which aim to advance our understanding of PD and find innovative ways of diagnosing, treating, and ultimately preventing the disease. APDA proudly invests in the most promising clinicians and scientific projects and has been a funding partner in many major PD breakthroughs since its inception in 1961.

There are approximately one million people living with PD in the United States, with 90,000 new diagnoses every year – one every six minutes. Research is critical as we push for better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. APDA is steadfast in its research focus, aiming to fund early investigators – whether new to their careers or to PD research – giving them the initial funding needed to obtain the preliminary data necessary to secure a large grant.

Leslie A. Chambers, President & CEO of APDA comments, "At APDA, we believe in the power of progress and the hope it brings to the Parkinson's community. Our mission is deeply rooted in our tagline, 'Strength in optimism. Hope in progress.' By providing essential seed funding, we empower researchers to explore innovative ideas and gather critical pilot data. This early support often acts as a catalyst, enabling them to secure larger grants." Chambers continues, "We are immensely proud to play a pivotal role in advancing these groundbreaking projects that might otherwise never take flight, and in doing so, we continue to bring hope to everyone impacted by Parkinson's disease."

APDA's new funding has been awarded in the form of eight Post-Doctoral Fellowships, fourteen Research Grants, one Diversity in Parkinson's Disease Research Grant, one Social Sciences in Parkinson's Disease Research Grant, nine APDA Centers for Advanced Research, and one George C. Cotzias Memorial Fellowship, APDA's most prestigious award.

This year marks the inaugural award of APDA's Social Sciences in Parkinson's Disease Research Grant, a new funding category designed to support innovative projects that address the psychological, social, and cultural dimensions of Parkinson's disease. These grants expand APDA's long-standing research portfolio by investing not only in biomedical discoveries, but also in the social science approaches that help us better understand patient and caregiver experiences, reduce stigma, and improve quality of life.

For the sixth consecutive year, APDA has funded a dedicated Diversity in Parkinson's Disease Research Grant, to better understand how PD affects underrepresented groups and to improve care for people from all communities.

All APDA grants are awarded through a competitive application process and reviewed by APDA's esteemed Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), which is comprised of scientists with a wide range of backgrounds and expertise in all areas relevant to PD research. The SAB meets annually to diligently and methodically review all grant proposals and determine the most promising and innovative research to fund.

"As always, our Scientific Advisory Board reviewed many excellent applications and had to make tough choices about whom to fund," states Rebecca Gilbert, MD, PhD and Chief Mission Officer at APDA. "We have an incredible responsibility to the Parkinson's community to choose the research that shows the most promise for real progress, as well as a responsibility to our donors to make sure every dollar counts in the search for answers. It is a challenging process, approached with the utmost care and diligence, and I am proud of both the quality and quantity of promising projects and researchers that we are able to fund this year."

The 2025-2026 APDA Research Grants

The George C. Cotzias Fellowship is APDA's most prestigious grant and is awarded to a young physician-scientist with exceptional promise who is establishing a career in research, teaching, and clinical services relevant to Parkinson's. The award spans three years and is designed to fund a long-range project focused on PD. This year's awardee is:

• Gaurav Chattree, MD – The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | Project: Developing Novel Therapeutic Strategies for Pathologic Circuits in Parkinson's Disease

Post-Doctoral Fellowships are awarded to support post-doctoral scientists who recently completed their PhD work and whose research holds promise to provide new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology, and treatment of PD. This year's awardees are:

• Sammy Alhassen, PhD – The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles | Project: Circuit Mechanisms of Prefrontal Cognitive Impairments in Parkinson's Disease Mouse Models
• Michael Almeida, PhD – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Project: The Role of CHIP Dysfunction in a-Synuclein Pathology: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies for Parkinson's Disease
• Julita Chlebowicz, PhD – Weill Medical College of Cornell University | Project: Synaptic Vvesicle Lipid Dyshomeostasis in Synucleinopathies
• Matthew Keeney, PhD – Brigham and Women's Hospital | Project: Dissecting the Impact of PD-relevant Stressors on RNA-binding Protein Biology in Tractable iPSC Synucleinopathy Models
• Nirmal Kumar, PhD – Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | Project: Synaptojanin-1 and VPS35 Interaction in Presynaptic Vulnerability
• Maria I. Olivero-Acosta, PhD – Yale University | Project: Antisense Oligonucleotide Downregulation of Pathologic circRNA Profiles in SNCA Triplication Midbrain Organoid Models
• Letizia Zanetti, PhD – The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York | Project: Investigating Neuroinflammation in a Novel PrknR275W Mouse Model of PD
• Aryeh Zolin, PhD – Weill Medical College of Cornell University | Project: Trans-synaptic Propagation of Alpha-synuclein Aggerates in Vivo From Genetically Select Neural Populations

Research Grants are awarded to investigators performing innovative PD research at major academic institutions across the United States. This year's awardees are:

• Jessica Butts, PhD – William Marsh Rice University | Project: Characterizing the Cellular Heterogeneity of the PPtg Using a Novel Marker - Spx
• Peter Chung, PhD – University of Southern California | Project: Exploring the Role of Lipid Droplets in a-Synuclein Binding and Multimerization
• Benjamin Clayton, PhD – Case Western Reserve University - School of Medicine | Project: Modulating Pathological Astrocytes to Promote Neuroprotection in PD
• Laura Cox, PhD – Brigham and Women's Hospital | Project: Investigating Immunologic Mechanisms by Which Alistipes Contributes to PD Pathogenesis
• Robert Heuermann, PhD – Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis | Project: Pain as a Nonmotor Symptom in Parkinson Disease: Exploring the Role of the Amygdala
• Gary Ho, PhD – Brigham and Women's Hospital | Project: Palmitoylation of the Glucocerebrosidase Receptor LIMP2 and Regulation of Alpha-synuclein Homeostasis
• Valery Krizhanovsky, PhD – Weizmann Institute of Science | Project: The Role of Senescent Microglia in Parkinson Disease
• Zechuan Lin, PhD – Yale University | Project: Translating GWAS Into Target Genes for Parkinson's
• Jonathan Lovell, PhD – The Research Foundation for The SUNY on behalf of University at Buffalo | Project: a-Synuclein Active Immunotherapy With pS129 Nanoliposomes
• Mariana Monje, MD, PhD – Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine | Project: Elucidating GPNMB Endolysosomal Localization and Implications for Parkinson's Disease
• Abby Olsen, PhD – University of Pittsburgh | Project: Validating Ak1 as a Therapeutic Target in a Mammalian PD Model
• Abid Oueslati, PhD – Laval University (Université Laval, Québec) | Project: Targeting Early-Stage a-Synuclein Aggregation for Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics
• Darci Trader, PhD – The Regents of the University of California, Irvine | Project: Degradation of alpha-Synuclein Oligomers via ByeTACs
• John Vaughen, PhD – The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco | Project: Tracking GBA-dependent Lipids in Neurons and Glia Across Circadian Time

This year's Diversity in Parkinson's Disease Research Grant awardee is:

• Michelle Fullard, MD – University of Colorado Denver, AMC and DC | Project: Improving Shared Decision Making for Women with Parkinson's Disease

And the inaugural Social Sciences in Parkinson's Disease Research Grants awardee is:

• Tim Passmore, PhD – Oklahoma State University | Project: Advanced Recreational Therapy Balance/Fall-Prevention Program for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease in Small Cities

In addition, continued funding was granted for nine APDA Centers for Advanced Research to support various programs including research trainees, clinical fellowship programs, early-stage discovery programs and later-stage clinical translation. These Centers facilitate research that is at the forefront of investigation into the causes, treatments and ultimately the cure for PD. The current APDA Centers for Advanced Research are:

• Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
• Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
• Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ
• The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA
• University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
• Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
• Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

"We are confident that the research we are funding will make a significant impact in the fight against Parkinson's disease," says Chambers. "This vital work is made possible by the support of our generous APDA donors."

Learn more about these grantees and the exciting work they are doing, and browse all APDA-funded research, by visiting www.apdaparkinson.org/research/what-we-fund.

Researchers and physicians who are interested in applying for APDA funding can visit www.apdaparkinson.org/research/research-opportunities for more information. Letters of Intent for the next grant cycle can be submitted beginning November 2025 with a deadline of January 30, 2026.

Those who want to support APDA's critical research efforts with a donation can do so by visiting www.apdaparkinson.org/donate or by mailing a check payable to the American Parkinson Disease Association to: American Parkinson Disease Association, PO Box 61420, Staten Island, NY 10036.

To learn more about APDA or to get PD information and support, visit www.apdaparkinson.org, email [email protected], or call 800-223-2732.

About the American Parkinson Disease Association:
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is a nationwide grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson's disease (PD) and works tirelessly to assist the more than one million people with PD in the United States live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $313 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and end this disease. To join in the fight against Parkinson's disease and to learn more about the support APDA provides nationally through a network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, as well as a national Research Program and Centers for Advanced Research, please visit us at www.apdaparkinson.org.

SOURCE American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc.