{"id":33439,"date":"2012-11-01T12:05:44","date_gmt":"2012-11-01T16:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parkinson.netfirms.com\/epp_e\/?p=245"},"modified":"2012-11-01T12:05:44","modified_gmt":"2012-11-01T16:05:44","slug":"parkinson-society-canada-national-research-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archiveparkinson.thedev.ca\/fr\/parkinson-society-canada-national-research-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Parkinson Society Canada National Research Program"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your research dollars at work<\/b><\/p>\n

Parkinson Society Canada has funded more than 400 awards, fellowships, and grants, since 1981. The resulting research is teaching us more about how to prevent, diagnose and treat Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

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Studying how pesticide exposure affects the development of Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/b><\/p>\n

Dr. Scott Ryan
\n<\/b>Post-doctoral Fellow<\/em>
\nSanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute<\/em><\/p>\n

At Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, Post-doctoral Fellow Dr. Scott Ryan investigates the relationship between genetic mutations and pesticide exposure in Parkinson\u2019s disease. Using florescent microscopy techniques, Dr. Ryan will study the effects of pesticides on mitochondria, the parts of a cell responsible for producing energy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope to learn more about what exactly goes wrong in cells following exposure to pesticides and how it can affect the development of diseases, such as Parkinson\u2019s.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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Investigating bowel biopsy as a diagnostic test for Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/b><\/p>\n

Dr. Anthony Lang
\n<\/b>Director, Division of Neurology, University of Toronto<\/em>
\nDirector, Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital<\/em><\/p>\n

Dr. Anthony Lang is investigating if a bowel biopsy from a colonoscopy is an effective diagnostic tool for Parkinson\u2019s disease. If he finds it is, he will explore the effectiveness of bowel biopsies from rigid sigmoidoscopy. Unlike a colonoscopy, this procedure can be performed in any clinic room and patients don\u2019t need to take laxatives. This could result in a widely available screening method for Parkinson\u2019s disease and perhaps a way of monitoring the impact of disease modifying therapies.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hope is that we\u2019ll have a way to diagnose the disease at a very early stage. In the future, this could help us implement disease modifying therapies when they are going to be most effective and also measure the effects of those therapies.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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Learning more about why people with Parkinson\u2019s often develop uncontrolled movements<\/b><\/p>\n

Dr. Andre Felicio
\n<\/b>Post-doctoral Fellow<\/em>
\nPacific Parkinson\u2019s Research Centre, University of British Columbia<\/em><\/p>\n

Many people with Parkinson\u2019s disease develop dyskinesia, uncontrolled movements that can be a side effect of dopamine-replacement therapy. But dopamine may not be the only chemical involved. Using brain imaging, University of British Columbia neurologist Dr. Andre Felicio investigates whether the chemical serotonin also plays a role in this debilitating side effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cCurrently, therapies for dyskinesia focus only on dopamine dysfunction. We\u2019re studying whether another chemical in the brain, serotonin, is involved. Learning more about the causes of dyskinesia is important in order to develop more effective therapies.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

For more information about Parkinson Society Canada\u2019s National Research Program and currently-funded research, see:<\/p>\n