Objective:
The GBA1-PD Research Catalyst Program seeks to build a deeper, globally integrated understanding of GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease by aligning efforts across geographies and maximizing the value of shared datasets and research assets. Funding will support hypothesis-driven projects with an emphasis on integrative, cross-cohort analyses and the systematic characterization and standardization of models to enable broad use by the research community.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s Initiative (ASAP), Parkinson’s UK, Parkinson Canada and McGill University, through the G-Can initiative, funded by The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation, are joining forces to advance the biological understanding of GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease (GBA1-PD).
The GBA1-PD Research Catalyst Program supports:
Hypothesis-driven studies that define the molecular mechanisms linking GBA1 dysfunction to neurodegeneration, including interrogation of lysosomal biology, lipid metabolism, and alpha-synuclein dynamics, as well as investigations into variant-specific effects and the biological basis for disease specificity in Parkinson’s disease versus Gaucher disease.
Research aimed at identifying modifiers of penetrance, progression, and clinical heterogeneity in GBA1-PD, leveraging existing longitudinal cohorts, multi-modal datasets, and cross-cohort analyses to uncover genetic, molecular, and environmental drivers of disease variability.
Studies that characterize cell-type–specific and systems-level effects of GBA1 dysfunction, including work in neurons, glia, and peripheral systems, alongside efforts to rigorously evaluate, benchmark, and standardize preclinical models to improve translational relevance and reproducibility.
The funders will prioritize proposals that:
Integrate data across cohorts, modalities, and/or model systems to generate robust, generalizable insights into GBA1-PD biology
Leverage and enhance existing resources (e.g., cohorts, datasets, models), with clear plans for validation, standardization, and data sharing to maximize impact across the research community
For this round, we will not consider proposals focused on the following:
Development or preclinical testing of therapeutic interventions targeting GBA1
Studies that do not leverage existing datasets, cohorts, or preclinical model
Please note that MJFF has an Open Science Policy which governs research outputs (such as preprints, journal articles, data, code, and software) resulting from MJFF-funded work. The Open Science Policy applies to this funding program and includes specific rules, timing, and format for the return of those research outputs and requires them to be shared openly, to be free to access, and with persistent identifiers. Please contact openscience@michaeljfox.org for questions about the Open Science Policy.