Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

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Parkinson's

Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are investigating promising new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat Parkinson's disease. Our work spans the full spectrum of research from basic science to clinical research to implementation. Learn more below.

Research News

	Take a peek inside the brain with prize-winning artwork inspired by research at The Ottawa Hospital July 6, 2023 - Patients, visitors and staff at TOH’s General Campus can now experience what it might be like to float through the human brain, thanks to a unique collaboration between local artist Svetlana Swinimer and neuroscientist Dr. Michael Schlossmacher.
	Discovery reveals how Parkinson’s-linked gene protects the brain April 5, 2023 - For more than 20 years, researchers have known that young-onset Parkinson’s disease is often caused by mutations in the parkin gene, but the exact function of this gene has been hotly debated.
	Predicting Parkinson’s: mathematical model could help with earlier diagnosis and treatment September 23, 2022 - An innovative mathematical model developed by researchers at The Ottawa Hospital could one day help with the prevention and early treatment of Parkinson’s disease.
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	The Ottawa Hospital’s push to demystify Parkinson’s disease April 29, 2022 - Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s, affecting at least 100,000 Canadians. Researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are on the global stage seeking answers for patients desperately waiting for a breakthrough.
	Meet Dr. Michael Schlossmacher April 29, 2022 - Growing up in Austria, Dr. Michael Schlossmacher couldn’t have foreseen his future as a physician-scientist conducting groundbreaking Parkinson’s research at The Ottawa Hospital.
	Meet Parkinson’s researcher Dr. Julianna Tomlinson April 29, 2022 - Born, raised, educated, and trained in Ottawa, Dr. Julianna Tomlinson is using research to change the way we think about Parkinson’s disease.
	The Ottawa Hospital Joins Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Expansion of the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), Landmark Study toward Better Treatments and Prevention of Disease March 3, 2022 - The Ottawa Hospital aims to enroll people recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s who are not yet taking medication and individuals over age 60 with certain risk factors in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI),
	Does Parkinson’s start in the nose? International team awarded US$9 million ASAP grant to find out October 26, 2021 - More than 80 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease suffer from a reduced sense of smell, something that often occurs years before the onset of typical movement-related symptoms. Now, thanks to a US$9 million grant from the Aligning Science Acros
	Experts on call: Parkinson’s care and research April 22, 2021 - Topics of discussion will include recently approved Parkinson’s drugs, Duodopa pump treatment and progress in understanding early-onset Parkinson’s.
	Parkinson’s discovery points to possible future treatment approaches April 6, 2021 - More than 20 years after the discovery of the parkin gene linked to young-onset Parkinson’s disease, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa may have finally figured out how this mysterious gene protects the brain.
	Drug can treat Parkinson’s-related drooling, study shows October 21, 2020 - An Ontario study led by Dr. Tiago Mestre provides the first longer-term evidence that glycopyrrolate can reduce drooling associated with Parkinson’s disease.
	Two researchers at The Ottawa Hospital receive Ontario Early Researcher Awards September 1, 2020 - Two researchers from The Ottawa Hospital affiliated with the University of Ottawa received Early Researcher Awards from the Ontario Research Fund.
	Decoding the mystery of Parkinson’s disease July 10, 2020 - For more than 200 years, no one has been able to solve the Parkinson puzzle. While the exact cause of the disease remains a mystery, dedicated researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are gaining ground—determined to solve the puzzle.
	New Frontiers in Research Fund supports trailblazing research on autism, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s June 3, 2020 - Researchers from The Ottawa Hospital are involved in four new projects funded through the Exploration stream of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund. The fund is designed to support high-risk, high-reward and interdisciplinary research.
	Unravelling the mystery of how one gene contributes to Parkinson’s, Crohn’s and leprosy September 25, 2019 - Researchers have struggled for years to understand how mutations in one gene, called LRRK2, can increase the risk of three very different diseases: Parkinson’s (a brain disease), Crohn’s (a gut disease) and leprosy (a peripheral nervous system diseas
	Clinical trials offer strong foundation for better patient care May 16, 2019 - Clinical trials are an important step toward developing new treatments and learning more about diseases and conditions. In honour of International Clinical Trials Day, read how some of the researchers at The Ottawa Hospital are making huge contribut
	Researchers honoured for outstanding work in Parkinson’s, critical care and surgery April 11, 2019 - A number of outstanding researchers and research teams were recognized at The Ottawa Hospital’s Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 11. They include the Parkinson Research Consortium, the Operating Room Black Box® Research Program and ICU resear
	Researcher brings made-in-Ottawa approach to Parkinson’s care to Europe March 15, 2019 - A personalized approach for Parkinson’s care pioneered in Ottawa will soon be tested in Europe, thanks to a prestigious $2.2 M grant. This approach, called the Integrated Parkinson’s Care Network, was developed by Drs. Tiago Mestre and David Grimes.
	Brain Health Awareness Week: October 15-19 October 10, 2018 - Researchers, clinicians, patients and members of the general public are invited to take part in Brain Health Awareness Week from October 5-19, hosted by the University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, in collaboration with The Ottawa Hosp
	Researchers to test patient-centered approach to Parkinson’s care December 15, 2017 - Dr. Tiago Mestre has received a $197,000 New Investigator Award from the Physicians’ Services Incorporated Foundation to test a new model of care for people living with Parkinson’s disease. This project, called the Integrated Parkinson’s Care Network
	Award-winning scientist challenges medical dogma in quest to prevent, treat neurodegenerative disease October 25, 2017 - Dr. Michael Schlossmacher grew up in Austria, trained at Harvard and now leads The Ottawa Hospital’s neuroscience research program. His research helped establish a key concept in Alzheimer’s disease and led to a clinical trial of an experimental ther
	The Ottawa Hospital awarded 18 research grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, worth $10.7 million May 19, 2017 - Eighteen research groups at The Ottawa Hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, have been awarded nearly $11 million in the most recent project grant competition from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This represents a suc
	Levodopa pumps new life into Ottawa Parkinson’s patient March 31, 2016 - Retired teacher Nick Kaethler, now 75, was the first person in Ottawa to receive a newly approved treatment for advanced Parkinson’s disease that delivers drugs directly to the small intestine. He said the pump has reduced his symptoms and given
	Deep-brain stimulation brings a family doctor with Parkinson’s back from “the abyss” June 30, 2015 - Doctors aren’t known for their great handwriting skills, but this was more than just bad handwriting. Dr. Jacques Theriault’s writing got smaller as he moved across the page. It was 2006 when he first noticed the problem, and while most people might
	Weston grants to accelerate development of new therapies for Parkinson disease and related dementias November 26, 2014 - Drs. Michael Schlossmacher and Julianna Tomlinson and their colleagues have been awarded $300,000 from the Weston Brain Institute for two research projects aimed at developing new therapies for Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. These p

Researchers

Name	Scientific appointment	Diseases, conditions and populations of interest	Research and clinical approaches
Albert, Paul PhD	Senior Scientist (NS)	Mental health, Vascular cognitive impairment, Anxiety, Depression, Intellectual disabilities, Parkinson's, Schizophrenia, Stroke, Suicide	Basic research, Epigenetics, Exercise, Gene expression, Translational research, Disease models, Epigenetics, Genetics, Imaging, Molecular and cellular biology, Optogenetics, Transgenic/knockout models
Amorelli, Gabriel MD	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Ataxia, Huntington's, Parkinson's, Tourette's
Chakraborty, Santanu MBBS, MRCP, DMRD, FRCR, FRCP(C)	Senior Clinician Investigator (NS)	Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Brain cancer, Concussion, Dementia, Head and neck cancer, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Traumatic brain injury	Bioinformatics, Clinical research, Health economics, Health professional behaviour change, Imaging, Immunization, Patient safety, Quality Improvement, Risk assessment
Gray, Douglas PhD	Senior Scientist Emeritus (CR)	Aging, Cancer, Lung cancer, Parkinson's	Basic research, Disease models, Genomics, Imaging, Transgenic/knockout models, Genetics, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology
Grimes, David MD, FRCPC	Associate Scientist (NS)	Huntington's, Parkinson's	Clinical research, Clinical trials, Patient decision aids
Manuel, Douglas MD, MSc, FRCPC	Senior Scientist (MIR)	Aging, Alzheimer's, Cancer, COVID-19, Dementia, Diabetes, Frailty, Global health, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Health in older peoples, Immigrant and refugee health, Infectious disease, Obesity, Parkinson's, Population health, Stroke, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Artificial intelligence and data science, Big data, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Digital and mobile health, Epidemiology, Health research methods, Health services research, Prevention, Public health
Mestre, Tiago MSc MD	Scientist (NS)	Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's, Parkinson's	Clinical trials, Imaging
Ngsee, John Ph.D.	Affiliate Investigator (NS)	Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Dementia, Parkinson's	Cell therapy, Drug development, Model organisms, Molecular and cellular biology
Rahgozar, Arya PhD	Scientist (MIR)	Aging, Alzheimer's, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Dementia, Parkinson's	Artificial intelligence and data science, Digital and mobile health
Ramsay, Timothy PhD	Senior Scientist (MIR)	Addiction, Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Anxiety, Ataxia, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism, Bipolar, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Colorectal cancer, Concussion, Cystic fibrosis, Dementia, Depression, First Nations, Inuit and Métis Health, HIV, Immigrant and refugee health, Influenza, Kidney disease, Lung cancer, Macular degeneration, Men's health, Multiple sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy, Myasthenia gravis, Obesity, Ovarian cancer, Parkinson's, Pulmonary hypertension, Septic shock, Spinal cord injury	Artificial intelligence and data science, Behaviour, Biomaterials, Biostatistics, Cell therapy, Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Drug development, Emergency medicine, Epidemiology, Health professional behaviour change, Health promotion, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Immunization, Immunotherapy, Palliative care, Patient decision aids, Pharmacology, Pharmacy, Prevention, Psychology, Psychometrics, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Regenerative medicine, Rehabilitation, Risk assessment, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews, Transfusions, Translational research, Transplantation, Viral therapy
Sachs, Adam MD, MA, FRCSC	Associate Scientist (NS)	Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Spinal cord injury, Parkinson's	Artificial intelligence and data science, Clinical trials, Imaging, Neuro-stimulation, Surgery
Santos, Marlise MD (FRCPC), MSc, MPH	Clinician Investigator (NS)	Alzheimer's, Anxiety, Ataxia, Autoimmune disease, Autoimmune diseases of the nervous system, Blood cancer, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Brain cancer, Cancer, Concussion, Dementia, Depression, Global health, Head and neck cancer, Health equity, Health in disadvantaged peoples, Infectious disease, Intellectual disabilities, Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Population health, Sickle cell anemia, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Subarachnoid hemorrhage, Thrombosis / thromboembolism, Traumatic brain injury, Traumatic injuries, Vascular cognitive impairment, Vascular, heart and metabolic disease	Artificial intelligence and data science, Basic research, Behaviour, Biostatistics, Cancer biotherapeutics, Clinical decision rules, Clinical research, Clinical trials, Cohort studies, Critical care, Epidemiology, Health economics, Health research methods, Health services research, Health technology, Imaging, Patient safety, Pragmatic trials, Prevention, Public health, Qualitative methods, Quality Improvement, Shared decision making, Surgery, Surveys, Systematic reviews
Schlossmacher, Michael MD, DABPN, FRCPC	Program Director and Senior Scientist (NS)	Aging, Brain and neuromuscular disease, Crohn's, Dementia, Inflammatory bowel syndrome, Dementia, Parkinson's	Basic research, Biomarkers, Cohort studies, Disease models, Drug development, Genetics, Lipidomics, Molecular and cellular biology, Proteomics, Risk assessment, Transgenic/knockout models, Translational research
Tiberi, Mario PhD	Senior Scientist (NS)	Parkinson's, Schizophrenia, Stroke	Basic research, Drug development, Molecular and cellular biology, Proteomics, Translational research
Woulfe, John PhD, MD	Associate Scientist (NS)	Brain and neuromuscular disease, Brain cancer, Cancer, Parkinson's	Basic research, Clinical research, Translational research

Related Resources

Parkinson Research Consortium

Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Neuroscience Program

The Ottawa Hospital Movement Disorders Clinic

University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute

Search for clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital related to this disease or condition.