The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), a component of the National Institutes of Health, has established two new sites as part of the Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence in Parkinson's Disease Research. The NINDS grants will provide a five-year investment totaling more than $16 million for Emory University in Atlanta and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset, N.Y.
NINDS Director Story Landis, Ph.D., announced the awards today at the World Parkinson Congress in Glasgow, Scotland. The congress is an international, interdisciplinary forum designed to showcase the latest developments in the world of Parkinson's disease, featuring a network of scientists, clinicians, patients, caregivers and allied health professionals from 66 countries.
"For more than a decade, the Udall Centers of Excellence have represented our commitment to bring together the talent and effort of the foremost investigators advancing research in Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Landis. "I look forward to these new centers partnering with us to accelerate basic, translational and clinical research to find a cure for this devastating illness."
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder that attacks neurons in the substantia nigra, a part of the brain that controls movement. Symptoms include involuntary shaking, stiffened muscles and impaired balance. Although certain drugs, such as levodopa, can reduce Parkinson's disease symptoms, there is no proven method to slow its progressive course.
With the new centers announced today, NINDS is supporting 11 Udall Centers of Excellence across the United States. The grants provide funding for a wide range of independent and collaborative projects. These include genetic and genomic studies, research to pinpoint the disease's underlying mechanisms, work to improve animal models, the development and testing of potential therapeutics, and clinical research with Pa
'/>"/>
| Contact: Gregory Roa greg.roa@nih.gov 301-496-5751 NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Source:Eurekalert |