Planning for Prevention of Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleinopathies: A trial design forum

/ Abstract The conference, “Planning for Prevention of Parkinson's Disease and Related Synucleinopathies: A trial design forum”, the 4th in this now biennial series, will be held May 22 to 24, 2026, with future conferences planned for 2028 and 2030. The long-term objectives of this R13 program are to foster the education, training, and research of investigators in the emerging translational and clinical neuroscience theme of preventative therapeutics for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies like dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB); and to improve the design of the first prevention trials by fostering exchange of early experiences and emerging visions. These objectives will be achieved through five specific aims (SAs). SA #1 is to educate and update attendees on the critical design elements for prevention trials via interactive symposium sessions and workshops. SA #2 is to engage and educate early career investigators (ECIs) through travel fellowships and an additional curriculum with networking and mentorship opportunities, with direct support from this project. SA #3 is to foster partnerships within the growing community of stakeholders in synucleinopathy prevention, including individuals who are at high risk based on genetic and prodromal features and thus most likely to benefit from effective preventative therapy. SA #4 is to facilitate pre-competitive knowledge exchange and collaboration among researchers developing the first prevention efforts by inviting sharing and comparing of their early protocols and designs. SA #5 is to ensure enduring and wide access to the knowledge gained through the open-access publication of meeting findings and consensus in peer-reviewed neuroscience journals. Thuse the conference series will engage, educate, and motivate a wide collaborative community of prevention stakeholders to accelerate development of rigorously designed early trials for PD prevention, thereby enhancing prospects for their success. Project Number: 1R13NS147887-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) | Principal Investigator: MICHAEL SCHWARZSCHILD | Institution: MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL, BOSTON, MA | Award Amount: $15,000 | Activity Code: R13 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 SCIL-S (80)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11320962