Press Release - Feb 14, 2013
Scherzer Receives Grant for Research on Parkinson’s Biomarkers
 |
Clemens Scherzer,
MD |
Clemens Scherzer, MD, an associate neurologist in the Department of Neurology at BWH and co-director of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Biomarker Program, has received a $2.6 million U01 grant from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) to conduct research on biomarkers related to Parkinson's disease. For the five-year grant, titled "Biomarkers for early intervention in Parkinson's disease," Scherzer and his team will investigate whether Parkinson's is associated with changes in the activity of non-coding, "dark matter" genes (which do not make proteins) in brain tissue, blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
The team will also integrate the Parkinson's Disease Biomarker's Program (PDBP) at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and a Parkinson's biomarkers study at the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, which has already enrolled approximately 2,000 individuals.
The PDBP at the NINDS brings together multiple stakeholders dedicated to research and discovery that will advance diagnostic and progression biomarkers for Parkinson's disease. Through the sharing of information and resources, the PDBP aims to accelerate the pace of Parkinson's disease biomarker discovery.
The NIH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is the nation's leading medical research agency. It is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each focusing on particular diseases and body systems, and aims to seek fundamental knowledge about the behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.
|