Support research breakthroughs
You can help fund groundbreaking research where the results won't just be seen in the lab. They'll be seen in life changing breakthroughs for people with Parkinson's.
Will you give a gift to researchers?
Your donation will help get new treatments to the people that need them, faster.
£70 could pay for 7 blood spot collecting kits to carry out genetic testing.
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Find out more about our research
Our research projects are divided into 2 categories: Cure and Improve Life.
- Cure projects develop treatments and strategies to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson's. We currently have 27 active projects in this category.
- Improve Life projects develop treatments to improve symptoms and quality of life for people living with Parkinson's. We currently have 21 projects in the Life category.
Our pioneering research programme is already paving the way towards better treatments and a cure and helping everyone live better with Parkinson's, now. We won't stop because Parkinson's won't stop.
Watch the video below to learn more about research at Parkinson's UK.
Your donation could support projects like these today
There are so many ways your donation will have a huge impact, and research like this is only possible with your support. Every donation counts and will help us continue to fund vital research, and ultimately bring us closer to a future free of Parkinson's. Your gift could fund the next breakthrough.
Read on to find out more about just a few research projects happening at Parkinson's UK.
Protecting brain cells
In Parkinson's, communication of messages between cells in the brain becomes more difficult as a type of brain cell called neurons are damaged and lost over time. At Newcastle University, Dr Gavin Hudson and his team are investigating how other brain cells may also be affected, meaning they can't support the work of the neurons. The hope is by understanding how different types of brain cells are affected, we can work towards protecting them, the first steps towards a cure.
Improving balance and preventing falls
People with Parkinson's have told us that balance problems are one of the top symptoms they want us to address. Dr Qadeer Arshad at the University of Leicester, has developed a virtual environment game to engage participants in weight shifting, which is known to improve balance. This research could help introduce new exercise-based therapies to improve balance and prevent falls.
Or choose a specific project to support
We know brain cell communication and recycling systems are affected in Parkinson's, but why and how do they interact? And what role do they play in the development of Parkinson's? That is what Dr Dayne Beccano-Kelly and his team at Cardiff University are investigating.
Toxic clumps of alpha-synuclein can form Lewy bodies in the gut. We know that these can lead to the movement symptoms associated with Parkinson's. Professor Spillantini and her team are aiming to find out how this happens and how they travel to the brain.
The Parkinson's UK Brain Bank was established in 1984 at Imperial College London. Scientists around the world access the Brain Bank to deepen their understanding of the condition whilst searching for better treatments and ultimately a cure.