Emory University is home to an American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Center for Advanced Research. The Center is directed by Thomas Wichmann, MD, along with a comprehensive team of experts.
APDA Centers for Advanced Research must meet the highest academic standards and be distinguished leaders in the field of Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. There are nine such Centers across the country.
APDA’s funding of this Center supports a large research program, which includes both, numerous laboratory scientists (graduate students and PhDs) and practicing physicians (MDs, DOs) who work together to conduct research that will uncover the causes of PD or discover new or improved treatments for PD symptoms and signs. Projects range from pre-clinical research including studies on drug development, studies on brain circuit mechanisms underlying PD symptoms, to clinical research that directly involves patients. The latter has covered a broad range of topics, including deep brain surgery effectiveness and mechanisms, autonomic dysfunction in PD, and the brain changes underlying gait dysfunction.
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is a nationwide grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s disease (PD) and works tirelessly to assist the more than one million people in the United States with PD live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $282 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and ultimately put an end to this disease. To join APDA in the fight against Parkinson’s disease and to learn more about the support APDA provides nationally through its network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, as well as its national Research Program, which includes Centers for Advanced Research like this one, please visit the APDA website.
Parkinson’s disease affects more than one million people in the United States, with at least 90,000 new cases diagnosed each year. The chronic and progressive neurological condition is the second most common neurodegenerative aging disorder, after Alzheimer’s disease.
For more information contact: Medical Director: Thomas Wichmann, MD | Email