TORONTO, ON, November 25, 2009 . . . Two Toronto researchers share $150,000 from Parkinson Society Canada to improve quality of life and treatment outcomes using medications for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Amitabh Gupta, recipient of a Clinical Research Fellowship, and a past recipient of a Clinical Movement Disorders Fellowship is working under the supervision of Dr. Tony Lang at the Morton & Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Centre. Dr. Phillipe Huot, recipient of a Basic Research Fellowship, is currently a Movement Disorders Fellow pursuing his PhD at the Toronto Western Research Institute under the supervision of Drs. Jonathan Brotchie and Susan Fox. The two scientists will be honoured at a research celebration today in Toronto.

According to Joyce Gordon, President and CEO of Parkinson Society Canada, the organization has a long tradition of funding Canadian-based Parkinson’s research. “Along with the support services, advocacy and education that we provide, this kind of research will improve the lives of people living every day with Parkinson’s,” says Gordon. “Until a cure is found, much of their quality of life depends on successful and timely management of symptoms through medications.”

Funded projects are:

• Dr. Amitabh Gupta, (one year $50,000 clinical research fellowship) to conduct Clinical Research in the area of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), a condition with Parkinson-like symptoms such as stiffness and difficulty moving. Dr. Gupta hopes to identify a genetic marker so that MSA patients can receive appropriate drug therapy sooner, and if diagnosed early enough, prevent the onset of the disease before irreversible neurological damage is done.
• Dr. Phillipe Huot (two year $100,000 basic research fellowship) to investigate The influence of 5HT1A and 5HT2A serotoninergic receptors in the generation of psychosis in Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Huot hopes that by better understanding the role these serotonin receptors play in Parkinson’s disease, he will eventually provide an avenue for new compound drugs that will act as tools against the debilitating effects of the illness.

“We are pleased to receive support from our community through events like SuperWalk and Porridge for Parkinson’s. Not only do local researchers receive essential funding but also their work is helping people living with Parkinson’s all across Canada,” says Debbie Davis, CEO Parkinson Society Central and Northern Ontario. In Toronto, SuperWalk for Parkinson’s raised $795,503.00 this past September.

Parkinson Society Canada funds pilot grants, new investigator awards, basic research and clinical fellowships as well as graduate awards to encourage innovative ideas and foster emerging Canadian scientists who choose careers to further understand Parkinson’s disease.

This year, Parkinson Society Canada is funding 28 projects across Canada totaling $1,079,340. Grant applications are peer reviewed by Parkinson Society Canada’s Scientific Advisory Board comprised of Canada’s leading neurologists and respected members of the scientific community.

Over 100,000 Canadians have Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disease. Currently there is no cure. Movement is normally controlled by dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between the nerves in the brain. When cells that normally produce dopamine die, the symptoms of Parkinson’s appear. People can live with Parkinson's and MSA for years.

Parkinson Society Canada, with its 12 regional partners, and over 235 chapters and support groups, is the only Canadian charitable organization dedicated to research, education, support and advocacy on behalf of over 100,000 Canadians living with Parkinson’s. In 2010, Parkinson Society Canada will mark 45 years of service in Canada.