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.
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.
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. 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)
