10 Fox Focus | Research
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without Parkinson’s — to better understand
disease and improve clinical trial design.
“Parkinson’s research has made significant strides
toward better diagnostics and new treatments
in past decades, but most research has included
only a subset of patients with a common
European ancestry,” said MJFF Deputy CEO
Sohini Chowdhury. “Imagine where we would be
with a more holistic view of the disease.”
“We each have our own
Parkinson’s experience, and
more diverse study participation
can bring us closer to new
treatments for everyone.”
Claudia Revilla, MJFF Patient Council member
A Worldwide Approach
Kin Ying Mok, FRCP, PhD, at University College
London knows there is much to learn about
Parkinson’s genetics. He is using his connections
from his hometown of Hong Kong to lead
The Michael J. Fox Foundation-funded genetics
study in East Asia.
“Gathering as many genetic factors as possible
through this global effort will enable us to have
a more thorough understanding of Parkinson’s
disease mechanisms and hopefully better
treatment,” says Kin.
His team will work with neurology centers in
China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam to
gather and analyze samples from thousands of
people with Parkinson’s and control volunteers
to uncover genetic links to disease. Genetic
analysis will be coordinated through the
International Parkinson’s Disease Genomics
Consortium (IPDGC), a collaboration of
geneticists worldwide.
“We at University College London have been
building close working relationships with partners
in East Asia on genetic studies. This program
allows us to merge the Parkinson’s genetic
research experience of the IPDGC with local
expertise and resources in East Asia,” Kin says.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIN YING MOK, PHD