American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research

Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is home to an American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research. The Center is directed by M. Maral Mouradian, MD and includes a comprehensive team of experts.

APDA Centers for Advanced Research must meet the highest academic standards and be distinguished leaders in the field of Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. There are nine such Centers across the country.

APDA’s funding of this Center supports a large research program that encompasses a multidisciplinary team of scientists and expert clinicians conducting a range of studies spanning from genes, RNA, proteins, small molecules, cells, iPSCs, animal models and human studies including clinical trials. Over 25 faculty members in various departments engage in studies related to Parkinson’s disease. These include 6 MDs, 4 MD/PhDs, an APN, and the rest are PhDs. Their training and expertise include movement disorders neurologists and physician scientists, neuropathologist, neurosurgeons specialized in neuromodulation, neuropsychologists, rehabilitation and movement scientists, pharmaceutical development experts, molecular and cell biologists, chemists, and biostatistician. Preclinical research projects focus on understanding the molecular pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and its progression, identifying novel therapeutic targets and agents, and advancing them through the drug discovery pipeline. A major interest of the Center is the protein alpha-synuclein, factors that contribute to its pathologic misfolding and propagation, and discovering means to mitigate these processes. High throughput screens and single-cell omics are among the approaches used towards these goals.

In addition to conducting state-of-the art research in Parkinson’s disease, the Center’s mission includes training the next generation of translational neuroscientists to take their discoveries from the laboratory bench to the clinic to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease. This is possible with a T32 training grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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 in the United States with PD live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $282 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 ultimately put an end to this disease. To join APDA in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and to learn more about the support APDA provides nationally through its network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, as well as its national Research Program, which includes Centers for Advanced Research like this one, please visit www.apdaparkinson.org.

Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million people in the United States, with at least 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The chronic and progressive neurological condition is the second most common neurodegenerative aging disorder after Alzheimer’s disease.

For more information contact:

• Medical Director: M. Maral Mouradian, MD
• Phone: 732-235-4772
• E-mail: m.mouradian@rutgers.edu