Parkinson's Disease Center of Excellence 2021 Pilot Project Awardees

	"Developing a drug discovery platform to identify inhibitors of alpha-synuclein aggregation using an in vivo Drosophila model system" Swati Banerjee, PhD, Associate Professor Cellular & Integrative Physiology Biju Chandu, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases
	"Characterizing neuronal and glial autophagy in Lewy body disease and multiple system atrophy" Kevin Bieniek, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Biggs Institute
	"Assessment of olfactory sensory map in an alpha-synuclein-preformed ebril model of Parkinson's disease" Biju Chandu, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases
	"Macrophage infiltration into the brain and their fates in Parkinson's disease" Senlin Li, MD, Professor Department of Medicine/Infectious Diseases

 

Parkinson's Disease Center of Excellence 2019 Pilot Project Awardees

	"Dysregulation of mitochondrial chaperon and supercomplex assembly in neurodegeneration" Yidong Bai, PhD, Professor Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy UTHSA
	"Tubulin polymerization promoting protein in Parkinson's disease" Swati Banerjee, PhD, Assistant Professor Jean Bopassa, PhD, Associate Professor Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology UTHSA
	"Analyisis of the relationship between alpha-syeuclein overexpression and the dysregulation of energy homeostasis in Parkinson's disease-related olfactory dysfunction" Biju Chandu, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Medicine UTHSA
	"Development of novel proteasome activators targeting Parkinson's disease pathology" Maria Gaczynska, PhD, Associate Professor Pawel Osmulski, PhD, Associate Professor/Research Department of Molecular Medicine UTHSA
	"A pilot investigation of wearable devices to detect REM sleep behavior disorder" Mitzi Gonzales, PhD, Assistant Professor David Gonzalez, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Neurology UTHSA
	"The role of miroglial L-type calcium channels in development of Parkinson's disease pathology" Sarah Hopp, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Pharmacology Brij Singh, PhD, Professor Department of Periodontics UTHSA
	"Miro1: A new molecular target for Parkinson's disease" Madesh Muniswamy, PhD, Professor Subramanya Srikantan, PhD, Instructor Department of Medicine UTHSA
	"Alpha-synuclein imaging: A tool for Parkinson's disease research and clinical management" Ramesh Neelamegam, PhD, Assistant Professor Department of Radiology/Research Imaging Institute UTHSA
	"Increased HSP25 reduces stress sensitivity and loss of dopaminergic neuron activity through the NRF2 pathway in an LRRK2-model of Parkinson's disease" Karl Rodriguez, PhD,Assistant Professor Department of Cell Systems & Anatomy/Barshop Institute UTHSA

 

Parkinson's Disease Center of Excellence 2018 Pilot Project Awardees

	"Role of the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane Protein (Mitofilin) in Parkinson's Disease" Jean C. Bopassa, PhD Assistant Professor Distinguished Junior Research Scholar Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology UTHSA
	"Characterization of NADP Oxidase Expression in the Brain of Alpha Synuclein-Overexpressing Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease" Biju Chandu, PhD
	"Beta2-adrenergic Receptor Activiation and Risk of Parkinson's Disease" Amrita Kamat, PhD
	"Consolidation of a Novel Neuroprotective Therapy for Parkinson's Diseas in a New α-synuclein (A53T) Mouse Model" Senlin Li, PhD
	"Calcium Channels: Novel Targets for Parkinson's Disease" Brij B. Singh, PhD Associate Dean for Research Professor Department of Periodontics UTHSA