M. Maral Mouradian, MD

Dr. Mouradian is distinguished professor of neurology, the William Dow Lovett Endowed Chair for Parkinson's Research, the founding director of the Institute for Neurological Therapeutics, the Vice Chancellor for Faculty Development at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and the Director of the American Parkinson Disease Association Center for Advanced Research at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Dr. Mouradian is an internationally recognized physician scientist with expertise in elucidating the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and identifying improved treatments. She trained in neurology at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center followed by further specialty training in movement disorders, neuropharmacology and molecular neurobiology at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) where she worked with the Nobel Laureate Marshall Nirenberg. Prior to joining Rutgers, Dr. Mouradian led the Genetic Pharmacology research program of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the NIH intramural program in Bethesda, MD.

Her career focus has been to elucidate the molecular pathogenesis of PD and its treatment complications, and to develop improved and novel therapies both for better symptom control and disease modification. Her seminal contributions have provided the rationale for the development of continuous therapeutic modalities for PD such as pumps, skin patch, and controlled release formulations of oral drugs that are now available to people with the disease. To date, she has authored over 240 scholarly publications, edited two books on Parkinson’s disease, and holds several patents. Her research is funded by the NIH, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, the American Parkinson Disease Association and other foundations. She chairs the Scientific Review Committee of the Parkinson Study Group and serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the American Parkinson Disease Association and the Board of Directors of the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics. In addition, she is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Neurotherapeutics. She is the recipient of several awards including the NIH award of Merit, the Distinguished Collaborative Research Award from the World Parkinson Congress, the Rutgers University Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research, and the Daniel Gorenstein Memorial Award, which is Rutgers University’s highest honor for outstanding scholarly achievement and exceptional service. Additional recognitions include election the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the Excellence in Research Award from the New Jersey Health Foundation, the Honorary Alumni Award from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and the Outstanding Medical Research Scientist Award from the Edward J. Ill Excellence in Medicine Awards. She is an elected member of the Association of American Physicians and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.