SUN CITY, Ariz. — Banner Sun Health Research Institute has been awarded a $6 million grant to help accelerate the early detection of Parkinson’s disease through the development of blood- and fluid-based biomarkers.
The three-year grant, awarded by Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) in partnership with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, will support research aimed at improving earlier diagnosis and advancing more targeted treatments.
The funding also places Banner among ASAP’s Collaborative Research Network, a global initiative that includes 67 research teams across 187 institutions in 24 countries working to better understand Parkinson’s disease and speed the development of new therapies.
The project is led by Dr. Nicholas Ashton, senior director of Banner’s Fluid Biomarker Program, in collaboration with researchers from Beckman Coulter Diagnostics, Quanterix, Abcam and the University of Gothenburg.
“We are thrilled to be recognized by this global research initiative,” Ashton said in a statement. “This recognition supports our mission to develop and validate fluid-based biomarkers that enable earlier detection of disease and help advance targeted therapies.”
Banner Health Chief Research Officer Dr. Corey Casper said the funding strengthens Arizona’s role in advancing research for a disease that affects patients differently in symptoms, age of onset and progression.
Banner’s Fluid Biomarker Program is among a limited number of laboratories worldwide developing both blood-based biomarkers and cerebrospinal fluid assays for large-scale clinical use. Researchers say the work could lead to earlier diagnoses, more personalized treatment options and improved outcomes for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
The grant is part of ASAP’s $261 million expansion of its international research network, designed to accelerate discoveries and improve future care for patients worldwide. ♦︎
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