Focus of the program
The Parkinson Canada Research Program focuses on funding early-stage investigators to help launch a career in Parkinson’s research; clinical fellowships to increase access to care by growing the number of qualified specialists; and new and novel ideas which otherwise may not get their start.
Guided by a thorough peer-review process led by our Scientific Advisory Council, the Research Program invests in innovative Canadian research led by established and promising investigators.
Since 1981, the Parkinson Canada National Research Program has invested more than $31 million in funding for:
- Innovative Canadian research by established and promising investigators.
- Discovery stage research where investigators test new theories and pursue promising new leads.
- Researchers at the beginning of their careers in order to foster the next generation of Parkinson’s scientists.
- Novel research to build greater capacity, promote creativity and engage more researchers.
- More than 600 awards, fellowships, and grants that teach us more about diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s disease.
Download an overview of the Research Program.
Research funding
Financial support from individuals, corporations and foundations makes the Parkinson Canada Research Program possible. Funding for the Parkinson Canada Research Program is provided by Parkinson Canada, our regional partners and our research partners across the country.
Together, donors and researchers partner to fuel research innovation including:
- Finding better treatments to learn more about the causes, progression, and complications of Parkinson’s. Improving quality of life for people with Parkinson’s and their families so they can live their lives to the fullest, despite the challenges of this disease. This area of research spans a variety of health disciplines such as nursing, occupational therapy, speech language pathology and social work.
- Building capacity among the next generation of Canadian researchers. We also fund specialized training for doctors in the diagnosis and management of the disease and other movement disorders so there will be more Parkinson’s specialists to provide high quality care.
- Contributing on an international scale to the collective understanding of this complex disease and to the global search for a cure. Continued investments in research will produce more life-changing discoveries and bring us closer to a world without Parkinson’s disease.
- Researching Related Disorders, such as Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and other Parkinson’s conditions, are also funded by the Parkinson Canada Research Program.
Scientific Advisory Council (SAC)
The Scientific Advisory Council is a volunteer panel of experts which reviews funding applications to determine scientific excellence and relevance to Parkinson’s disease, providing the highest quality of objective adjudication.
Each year, the SAC receives approximately 100 applications and dedicates more than $1 Million in new funding, providing the start for many new innovative ideas, yet leaving many more worthy ones unfunded.
The next breakthrough could be in one of the unfunded applications.
- Dr. Ron Postuma, Chair, Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University; Staff neurologist, Montreal General Hospital, Researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and at Sacré Coeur Hospital
- Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell, Assistant Professor, Medicine/Neurology, University of British Columbia; Clinician Scientist, Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre and Djavad Mowafghian Centre for Brain Health
- Dr. Robert Chen, Professor of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto; Senior Scientist, Krembil Research Institute; Senior Scientist
- Dr. Bin Hu, Professor, Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Cell Biology & Anatomy, University of Calgary
- Dr. Lorraine Kalia, Assistant Professor and Clinician-Scientist, Division of Neurology at University of Toronto; Neurologist, Movement Disorders Centre, Toronto Western Hospital
- Dr. Wayne Martin, Professor, Division of Neurology, Movement Disorders Program, University of Alberta, Kaye Edmonton Clinic
- Dr. Mario Masellis, Associate Scientist, Sunnybrook Health Institute; Assistant Professor, Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
- Dr. Abid Oueslati, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval
- Dr. Caroline Paquette, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University
- Dr. Tamara Pringsheim, Associate Professor, with the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary
- Dr. Ekaterina Rogaeva, Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
- Dr. Abbas Sadikot, Neurosurgeon, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University
- Dr. Louis-Eric Trudeau, Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal
- Dr. Jean-François Trempe, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University
- Dr. Joel Watts, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto; Principal Investigator, Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CRND)
Research Policy Committee
The Research Policy Committee (RPC) provides funding allocation recommendations to the Parkinson Canada Board of Directors. The RPC also advises the Board on policies about the most effective means to promote research into the cause(s), management, and eventual cure of Parkinson’s disease.
The Research Policy Committee (RPC) and Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) are two separate volunteer committees. The chair of the SAC also serves on the RPC to ensure continuity.
- Dr. Martin McKeown, Chair, RPC; Pacific Parkinson’s Research Institute/University of British Columbia Chair in Parkinson’s Research; Director, Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre; Professor, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia; Adjunct Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia
- Dr. Ron Postuma, Chair, SAC; Associate Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University; Staff neurologist, Montreal General Hospital, Researcher at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and at Sacré Coeur Hospital
- Dr. Wendy Horbay, Vice-Chair, Independent Heath Related Strategic Planning Consultant
- Dr. Daniel Levesque, Professor, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Montréal
- Dr. Julie Nantel, Associate professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa
- Dr. Angela Roberts, Speech Language Pathologist, Endowed Fellow in Care of the Aging, Lawson Health Research Institutes
- Mr. John Parkhurst, Patient Advocate
- Dr. Antonio Strafella, Canada Research Chair in Movement Disorders and Neuroimaging; Professor in the Dept. of Medicine (Division of Neurology) at the Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, University of Toronto; Senior Scientist in the Krembil Research Institute at the University Health Network; Scientist in the Research Imaging Centre at CAMH (Centre for Addiction Mental Health).