The Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research at the University of Pittsburgh is funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The center, one of 12 nationwide, received $5 million dollars from NINDS over a five-year period. Related funding comes from other sources, including the U.S. Army’s Neurotoxin Exposure Treatment Research Program (NETRP). Dr. Michael J. Zigmond, Department of Neurology, directs the Udall Center, which also includes Robert Y. Moore, and Amanda D. Smith, Department of Neurology; Brian J. Lopresti and Chester A. Mathis, Department of Radiology, and faculty from several other institutions, including University of Michigan, University of Texas-Austin, Vanderbilt University, and Wake Forest School of Medicine.

At present, the Center's research focuses on five sets of issues:

1. how can we detect PD in its earliest stages,
2. what are the biological bases for the extended preclinical period of Parkinson's disease (PD),
3. what is the mechanism by which forced exercise produces neuroprotective effects and
4. do the effects continue with age, and, finally,
5. can trophic factor expression be increased by pharmacological and/or hormonal manipulations?

In addition to clinical studies with patients having Parkinson's disease, a wide variety of models are being used, including those involving cell lines, primary neuronal cells, and experimental animals. Methodologies include molecular and cell biology, microscopy, biochemical and microarray analyses, PET imaging, and behavioral analyses. By combining a variety of basic, translational, and clinical approaches, the investigators hope to make significant progress toward the development of a therapeutic approach to Parkinson's disease.