FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON April 30, 2014
Pennsylvania Researcher Receives $240,000 for Parkinson鈥檚 Research
Funded by American Brain Foundation and Parkinson鈥檚 Disease Foundation
PHILADELPHIA -
A Pennsylvania researcher will receive $240,000 to continue her research into Parkinson鈥檚 disease鈥攁 common neurodegenerative disorder with no known cure or treatment to slow its progression鈥攖hrough the Clinician-Scientist Development Three-Year Award in Parkinson鈥檚 Disease funded by the and the . The award was presented in Philadelphia during the 好色先生鈥檚 66th Annual Meeting, the world鈥檚 largest meeting of neurologists. Amber D. Van Laar, MD, a fellow in the Comprehensive Movement Disorders Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, received this award for her investigation into gene therapy for Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Current therapies are aimed at alleviating the symptoms of late stages of Parkinson鈥檚 disease, which can include significant disability, a heavy burden on caregivers and increased mortality. 鈥淲hile these treatments can provide benefit to daily activities, they do not slow or halt the inevitable loss of neurons that die in Parkinson鈥檚 disease,鈥 said Van Laar. 鈥淚n spite of intensive research, neurologists currently have little to offer in regards to delaying the progression of Parkinson鈥檚 disease. Thus, there remains a critical need for therapies to slow or stop neuronal degeneration in Parkinson鈥檚 disease.鈥 Van Laar鈥檚 research focuses on determining whether increasing the PARK2 gene, which controls a protein called parkin, can protect neurons from damage. 鈥淯ltimately, these findings could lead to a novel therapy for Parkinson鈥檚 disease that would slow the disease course and provide a more effective treatment for this debilitating disorder,鈥 Van Laar said. The three-year award will consist of an annual salary of $75,000 plus $5,000 per year in educational expenses. Clinical research is the fundamental transition stage between discovery and treatment. Clinical research provides the scientific basis for all forms of care, addresses patient and caregiver needs and is the backbone for drug development and cost-effectiveness studies needed to improve lives. Fellowships provide recipients with up to three years of 鈥減rotected time,鈥 with salary that allows them to continue important research projects. "In the search for the cure for Parkinson鈥檚 disease, a critical component is highly-trained physician-scientists who can bring their expertise to the search for new treatments,鈥 said James Beck, PhD, Vice President of Scientific Affairs for the Parkinson鈥檚 Disease Foundation. 鈥淭he Parkinson鈥檚 Disease Foundation is proud to support Dr. Van Laar鈥檚 work in partnership with the American Brain Foundation, an organization which shares our goal of ensuring there remains a steady supply of brilliant young scientists who can dedicate themselves to creating a world without Parkinson's disease." The award is sponsored by the and the . April is Parkinson鈥檚 Awareness Month. Learn more about Parkinson鈥檚 disease at . About the American Brain Foundation: The American Brain Foundation supports crucial research and education to discover causes, improved treatments, and cures for the brain and other nervous system diseases. One in six people is affected by brain diseases such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson鈥檚 disease, multiple sclerosis, autism, and epilepsy. For more information about the American Brain Foundation and how you can support research, visit or visit us on , , and .