DECEMBER 2024
Letter from the Chair
On behalf of the board members at the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Institute (PPRI), I would like to thank each of you, members of our valued community, for your interest, support, and commitment throughout 2024. PPRI funds leading-edge research aimed at both finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and improving the quality of lives for those living with PD in British Columbia, across Canada and around the world. Your support drives our success.
This past year has been marked by many exciting events including the Annual Scientific Review held on May 1, 2024, which highlighted progress on many of the important research projects at the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre (PPRC), a PPRI presentation to the North Shore Health Expo in early June 2024, and the launch of the ‘Bjorn Moller Research Repository’ (BMRR) project on September 20, 2024 to create an ongoing bio-repository for all PD research projects at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
PPRI invested over $1.2 million in continuing PD research projects such as Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Stimulation (LIFUS), Impact 360, and Multi Modal Neuroplasticity, supporting trainees, and funding the Marg Meikle Professorship (Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell) as well as the John Nichol Chair (Dr. Martin McKeown) at UBC.
PPRI also committed more than $2.49 million towards new, multi-year groundbreaking research projects at the PPRC, including Dr. Jon Stossel’s project on “Altered plasticity in Prodromal Parkinson’s and the Impact of Lifestyle-based Interventions” and the abovementioned ‘Bjorn Moller Research Repository’ (BMRR). PPRI funds were also invested in the Michael Smith Health Research BC (MSHRBC) three-way trainee partnership (PPRI, MSHRBC and Parkinsons BC).
Anyone interested in learning more, or participating as a volunteer in any of these research projects, is encouraged to contact PPRI via Kathryn Pearson at info@pacificparkinsons.org. For those who might be interested in participating in the BMRR, which is actively recruiting new participants, please reach out to the BMRR project manager Dr. Samantha Schaffner via bjorn.moller.repository@ubc.ca.
Our important work as a volunteer-driven charity will continue next year. You are warmly invited to participate in any and all PPRI events that you find to be of interest. Please mark your calendar for our 2025 Scientific Review planned to take place on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre at UBC.
If you are interested in more details about PPRI, PPRC, any of our events or any of our funding opportunities for groundbreaking research projects, please visit our recently updated PPRI website.
We are particularly delighted to showcase our new video just created to provide an overview of PPRI and PPRC. Please share the video link widely to those you feel might also be interested.
Thank you for your commitment to PPRI and involvement in our community.
Don Anderson
Chair, Pacific Parkinson’s Research Institute