APDA Center for Advanced Research
Mayo Clinic in Florida is home to an American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research. The center is directed by neuropathologist Dennis W. Dickson, M.D., neuroscientist Pam J. McLean, Ph.D., along with 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 research. There are nine such Centers across the country.
Drs. Dickson and McLean work with a team of experts in Parkinson's disease and related disorders, including Parkinson's disease dementia and Lewy body dementia. Parkinson's disease affects more than 1 million people in the U.S., 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. While there is still no cure for Parkinson's disease, scientists and physicians at Mayo Clinic are committed to advancing scientific understanding of these conditions and developing new treatments and cures.
Each APDA-supported Center for Advanced Research is recognized as meeting the highest academic standards and being a distinguished leader in the field of Parkinson's disease research. The centers support large research programs that include research trainees, fellowship programs, early-stage discovery programs and later-stage clinical translation.
At Mayo Clinic, the APDA funding supports a large research program that includes:
- Basic research laboratories that study causes of Parkinson's disease.
- Clinical and genetic studies of Parkinson's disease and related disorders.
- Brain banking and neuropathological studies.
- Biospecimen biobanking, such as skin, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, from people with and without these conditions.
Established and internationally recognized researchers and movement disorder clinicians, junior scientists, postdoctoral trainees, graduate students, and visiting scientists at Mayo Clinic support the center's research activities.
The APDA is a nationwide grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson's disease and works tirelessly to assist the more than 1 million people in the U.S. with Parkinson's disease 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 Centers, as well as its national Research Program, which includes Centers for Advanced Research like this one, please visit apdaparkinson.org.
Collaborations
The center's collaborations and affiliations include:
Contact
For more information about the APDA-supported center at Mayo Clinic, contact: