Center Grants

Through its Center Grants Program, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) provides funding to select research groups that have a long and distinguished track record of, and commitment to, understanding Parkinson’s. Center Grants are based on the concept that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. These grants allow a strong group of talented scientists, working on different but related Parkinson’s projects, the flexibility to collaborate with one another and tie their work together.

Currently, PDF awards Center Grants to the movement disorders centers at three prestigious institutions:

• Columbia University Medical Center (New York City)
• Rush University Medical Center (Chicago)
• Weill Cornell Medical Center (New York City)

Our investment at these three centers covers the spectrum of Parkinson’s research: basic, translational and clinical.

Parkinson's Research Centers are funded based on continuing excellent performance, accredited by peer review from the Scientific Advisory Committee. PDF looks for innovative, pioneering work that advances the understanding and treatment of Parkinson's disease. Evidence of notable contributions to science is also obtained by the quality of the Center's research publications and receiving grant support from other sources.

In the current fiscal year, the Center Grants program will account for about $2.97 million — more than 60 percent of our total research budget.

PDF-Funded Parkinson’s Research Centers

Columbia University Medical Center Grant 

The cornerstone of PDF's Center Grants Program is the program at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, NY. Since 1957, the Parkinson's Disease Foundation has supported Columbia’s research efforts in finding the cause(s) of and a cure for Parkinson's.

Columbia's researchers and clinical doctors lead the field in research, training and impact in the study of Parkinson's disease. They developed scales to assess the severity of PD, tested new drugs to treat the disease, and are leaders in uncovering the pathogenesis of the disease.

Through PDF's support of Columbia’s post-graduate education and training programs, more than a hundred young scientists and Parkinson's specialists have been trained as Movement Disorder Fellows. Many of these former Fellows are today's leading investigators in the US and more than a dozen other countries.

With the modernization of the laboratories in the Black Building (a two-year project that was completed in early 2006) the research program has been significantly streamlined to increase efficiency and progress.

PDF’s FY 2009 grant of $2.7 million supports research in neuroinflammation, genetics, programmed cell death/GDNF in development of DA neurons, experimental animal models utilizing toxins and gene alterations, gene regulation in neuronal cell death, molecular alterations of nerve terminal dopamine pools, neuropsychology, behavioral effects, epidemiology, clinical trials and evaluation of surgical procedures.

• Learn more about the recent accomplishments of the Columbia University team.

 

Rush University Medical Center Grant  

Since 1999, PDF has supported the Rush Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder program in Chicago, IL.  Basic and clinical research scientists at Rush work closely together in planning and executing projects dealing with Parkinson's.  The clinical program is directed by Dr. Christopher Goetz, and the basic science program by Dr. Jeffrey H. Kordower.

In FY 2009, the total PDF center funding - the PDF grant plus matching gifts - is $650,000.  One half of this is contributed by PDF and the other half is provided as matching funds by Rush donors. 

• Learn more about the recent accomplishments of the Rush University team.

Weill Medical College of Cornell University Center Grant

Another New York institution with an important program in Parkinson's research is Weill Medical Center, headed by Dr. M. Flint Beal. Since 2003, PDF has committed a third Center grant to support the research efforts of this group.

This year, Weill-Cornell received $200,000 to support its research projects in Parkinson's disease.

• Learn more about the recent accomplishments of the Cornell University team.