Update: 4/2003 The Parkinson Alliance co-sponsors March 15, 2003 Washington, D.C. R21 Fast Track Meeting
R21 "Fast Track" Program Awards $11 Million in Grants
The Parkinson Alliance and The Tuchman Foundation are proud to be part of an unprecedented collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private Parkinson's organizations to jointly fund a program of $11 million in Parkinson's disease research grants. The R21 Fast Track Grant Program awarded 35 two-year grants making it the largest initiatives in the history of NIH's Parkinson's disease research.
The awards were made through an innovative streamlining of the NIH's normal grant process. The goal was to stimulate novel, or high impact approaches relevant to the cure, cause, prevention, or improved treatments of Parkinson's disease. The new process includes: (1) an emphasis on innovative projects; (2) an abbreviated application form; (3) an accelerated review and award process; and (4) a proven, multidisciplinary review committee.
A great deal of good has come out of this program. First and foremost, a large body of excellent research is being funded—an investment that will bear fruit for years to come. Second, a number of new investigators have been attracted to the Parkinson's disease research field. Third, a precedent has been established for a public-private partnership in Parkinson's that will lead to future initiatives. In addition, the Parkinson's community is truly working together on research. We are very proud to be working with NIH on this extraordinary collaborative project and believe it gets us one step closer to finding the cure by 2005.
In addition The Parkinson Alliance, the following Parkinson's nonprofits are helping fund the R21 Fast Grant Program:
- The Parkinson's Disease Foundation
- National Parkinson Foundation
- Parkinson's Unity Walk
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
Award Winners
The following researchers (listed in alphabetical order) have been awarded grants through the R21 program:
| Alberto Ascherio, MD, PhD Harvard University School of Public Health |
Anne Messer, PhD Wadsworth Center |
| Krys Bankiewicz, MD, PhD University of California at San Francisco |
David G. Morgan, PhD University of South Florida |
| Marie Csete, PhD University of Michigan |
George A. Oyler, MD, PhD University of Maryland at Baltimore |
| Lee A. Cunningham, PhD University of New Mexico |
Vincent A. Pieribone, PhD John B. Pierce Laboratory, Inc. |
| Ted M. Dawson, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins University |
Lorraine O. Ramig, PhD University of Colorado |
| Julie Desbarats, PhD McGill University |
Eric K. Richfield, MD, PhD University of Rochester |
| Grigori Enikolopov, PhD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory |
David Ron, MD New York University |
| Anthony L. Fink, PhD University of California at Santa Cruz |
Scott J. Sherman, MD, PhD University of Arizona |
| Gary M. Fiskum, PhD University of Maryland at Baltimore |
Ann L. Smiley-Oyen, PhD Iowa State University of Science and Technology |
| Peter T. Fox, MD University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio |
Caryl E. Sortwell, PhD Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center |
| Lawrence I. Golbe, MD Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/University of Medicine & Dentistry of NJ |
Michal K. Stachowiak, PhD State University of New York at Buffalo |
| Su Guo, PhD University of California at San Francisco |
Chantal E. Stern, D.Phil Boston University |
| Theo Hagg, MD, PhD Dalhousie University |
Caroline M. Tanner, MD, PhD The Parkinson's Institute |
| John F. Houde, PhD University of California at San Francisco |
Takao Yagi, PhD Scripps Research Institute |
| Peng Huang, PhD Medical University of South Carolina |
Naoki Yoshimura, PhD University of Pittsburgh |
| Lorraine M. Iacovitti, PhD Thomas Jefferson University |
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| Susan Lindquist, PhD University of Chicago |
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| Jerilyn A. Logemann, PhD Northwestern University |