Here are some of the exciting research projects we are currently funding:

Dr. Julianna Tomlinson/Dr. Michael Schlossmacher
University of Ottawa/Ottawa Health Research Institute
Pilot Project Grant
$45,000
• At the University of Ottawa, researchers Dr. Julianna Tomlinson and
Dr. Michael Schlossmacher are screening existing drugs to see if they lower the amount of a protein called alpha-synuclein in brain cells. Too much alpha-synuclein has been linked to Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Guy Rouleau
St. Justine Hospital
University of Montreal
Pilot Project Grant
$45,000
• At St. Justine Hospital, neurologist Dr. Guy Rouleau is searching for genes associated with a disorder that occurs during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) stage sleep, which he believes could be an early warning sign for Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Nicola Ray
University of Toronto/Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Basic Research Fellowship
$100,000 over two years
• Neuroscientist Dr. Nicola Ray is using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to scan the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease, to determine why some people develop pathological gambling problems after taking medication designed to ease their motor function symptoms.

Angela South, Ph.D. student
University of Western Ontario
Lawson Health Research Centre
Graduate Student Award
$30,000 over two years.
• At the University of Western Ontario, speech-language pathologist and Ph.D. student Angela South is studying why people with Parkinson’s disease often have trouble communicating and what impact this has on their lives.

For more information about Parkinson Society Canada’s National Research Program and currently-funded research, visit the Research section of the Parkinson Society Canada web site.

Parkinson Society Canada holds events in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto to celebrate research . . . recognize grant recipients.
Three recent events were held this Fall to highlight Parkinson’s research in Canada.

Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario
1 December 2010 – Helping people with Parkinson’s find the right words, one of five novel research awards granted

Left to right: Ivy Lim-Carter, Director, Research & Clinical Programs, Parkinson Society Canada; Debbie Davis, CEO, Parkinson Society Central & Northern Ontario; Angela South, Dr. Richard Walsh, Dr. Isabelle Boileau, Dr. Nicola Ray and Bruce Ireland, Chair, Parkinson Society Canada.

Parkinson Society Quebec
23 November 2010 – Parkinson Society Canada awards record amount of funding to Quebec scientists

Left to right: André Lemelin, Chair, Parkinson Society Quebec; Nicole Charpentier, Executive Director, Parkinson Society Quebec, Dr. Alexander Thiel, Dr. Jacques Drouin, Dr. Guy Rouleau, Jean-Francois Trempe; Jeremy Vanraamsdonk; Gian-Luca McLelland.

Parkinson Society Ottawa
16 November 2010 – Ottawa scientists zero in on causes and treatment of Parkinson’s through study of proteins, gene mutations and potential drug treatments

Left to right: Jean-Pascal Souque, Chair, Parkinson Society Ottawa; Ivy Lim-Carter, Director, Research, Parkinson Society Canada; Dr. Juliana Tomlinson, Dr. Michael Schlossmacher, Mohammad Parsanejad; Dr. David Park; Dennise Taylor-Gilhen, CEO Parkinson Society Ottawa; Joyce Gordon, President & CEO, Parkinson Society Canada.