Research Themes

The Circuitry and Brain-Body Interactions theme within the ASAP Collaborative Research Network (CRN) focuses on understanding how Parkinson’s disease (PD) affects isolated neurons and entire neural circuits and connections between the brain and the body.Researchers in this area study how disruptions in motor and non-motor pathways contribute to PD symptoms, and how peripheral systems – like the gut, immune system, and autonomic nervous system – interact with the brain to influence disease onset and progression. This theme aims to uncover how early changes across interconnected systems could serve as warning signs, contribute to disease spread, or offer new targets for intervention.

Chronic neuroinflammation has long been implicated in PD; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms mediating this process remain unknown. This theme focuses on uncovering the molecular and cellular contributions of the neuro-immune system in Parkinson’s.

Since the first identification of a causal genetic mutation in Parkinson’s disease (PD), genetic discoveries have expanded our understanding of PD heredity and broadened insights into spontaneous disease. This theme focuses on unraveling the biology underlying these genetic mutations.

The PD Heterogeneity theme explores the mechanisms behind different manifestations of PD, unpacking variability in disease onset, symptoms, and progression rates. Sub-areas of investigation target the roles of aging, co-pathologies, environmental risk factors, and cellular clearance mechanisms, as well as exploration of factors influencing alpha-synuclein seeding and the neural circuitry behind symptom presentation. By understanding these diverse drivers of disease, this theme aims to propel the field beyond “one-size-fits-all” treatments toward precision medicine tailored to specific patient subtypes.

The Tool Generation theme focuses on the development of novel, sustainable tools to accelerate the validation of emerging targets identified through ASAP research. These projects aim to create, validate, and globally distribute high-quality resources in collaboration with commercial repositories or academic cores, ensuring that these essential tools are openly accessible and reliably produced in order to remove bottlenecks for the entire Parkinson’s research community.