Grant Awardees for 2006 Parkinson's Research

Guy Caldwell, PhD & Kim Caldwell, PhD

University of Alabama
Examining the Neuroprotective Capacity of Novel Gene Targets Associated with Parkinson's Disease

This study expands on their earlier data centering on the roundworm C. elegans by surveying a prioritized list of candidate Parkinson's disease gene targets for evidence of their inherent neuroprotective capacity. This is expected to inform human genetic studies.

Kevin McNaught, PhD

Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Neuroprotection in a Progressive Animal Model of Parkinson's Disease

With increasing evidence that failure of the bodies' ability to clear unwanted proteins contributes to cell death in Parkinson's disease, this study is aimed at testing various neuroprotective agents.

Zhenyu Yue, PhD

Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Characterizations of Park8: LRRK2 Interaction Partners and Biochemical Activity

This functional study aims to decipher the protein network that determines the early events in affected neurons of Parkinson's disease patients.