PMDC Pilot Grants

PMDC Pilot Grants is sponsored by Virginia Commonwealth University Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center. Provides initial support for collaborative, impactful research projects in Parkinson's disease, aiming to attract future funding.

PMDC Pilot Grants - Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center - Virginia Commonwealth University Since 2021, the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center has awarded over $1 million in Pilot Grants to nineteen teams of VCU investigators who are looking to improve treatment options for people with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other related disorders.

The PMDC Pilot Grants program seeks to bolster translational research initiatives that will transform the clinical care of patients with movement disorders by providing initial support for research projects that are collaborative, impactful, and likely to attract future funding.

These grants are funded through financial support received from philanthropic gifts by the Joan and Morgan Massey Foundation, the Johnson Family Fund for Essential Tremor Research, as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia. Awards are for one year and up to $75,000. Grant recipients are announced in the late summer.

Download an application here: PMDC Pilot Grant RFA 2026-2027 (Word) PMDC Pilot Grant RFA 2026-2027 (PDF) 2026-2027 Applications are due by 5PM EST on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 . Please email pdcenter@vcuhealth. org with any questions.

GPi-Based Neural Markers of Balance and Instability in Parkinson's Disease Principal Investigator: Nico Druck , M. D. -Ph.

D. student, Department of Biomedical Engineering, VCU College of Engineering Co-Investigators: Leslie Cloud, M. D.

, professor, Rogliano Family Endowed Chair and director of Parkinson’s Disease Program, Department of Neurology , VCU School of Medicine; Dean Krusienski, Ph. D.

, professor and graduate program director, Department of Biomedical Engineering , VCU College of Engineering This project proposes to use a bidirectional treadmill with Parkinson’s disease patients who have been implanted with Medtronic Percept Deep Brain Stimulation systems to characterize features of globus pallidus internus (GPi) local field potentials during steady walking, and during moments associated with loss of balance and perceived fall risk.

Investigators propose to apply machine learning models to detect fall risk from these GPi LFP signals. TBI-Induced Neurodegeneration of the Retina and Visual Processes Chelsie Poffenberger , M. D.

- Ph. D. student, Department of Surgery Kirsty Dixon, Ph.

D. , associate professor, Department of Surgery This project focuses on retinal changes that may precede the development of Alzheimer’s disease to provide predictive biomarkers and/or an avenue for novel preventative treatments. Through this study, specific neuroinflammatory pathways are expected to establish a link between TBI and cognitive changes associated with Alzheimer’s.

Studying the retina as a window into Alzheimer’s pathology may enable non-invasive, predictive biomarker development for earlier diagnosis and intervention. Quantifying Parkinson's Disease Burden in Virginia: A Population-Based Study of Spatial and Demographic Inequities Annie Rhodes, Ph. D.

, assistant professor, Department of Gerontology, VCU College of Health Professions Diane Bishop, M. P. H.

, instructor, Department of Epidemiology , VCU School of Public Health Matt Barrett, M. D. , professor, Division of Movement Disorders , VCU Department of Neurology Emily Peron, Pharm.

D. , associate professor, Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science , VCU School of Pharmacy This pilot study will develop Virginia statewide estimates of Parkinson’s disease incidence and prevalence, stratify results by race, ethnicity and gender, and identify “care deserts” by quantifying access to movement-trained neurologists.

This project seeks to evaluate areas of hot spots of Parkinson’s and deserts of Parkinson’s, as well as evaluate limitations to access and barriers to diagnosis or care based on social determinants of health that can be identified using geospatial analysis. Identifying and Characterizing Local Field Potentials Associated with Visuomotor Adaptation Deficits in Patients with Essential Tremor Dean Krusienski, Ph. D.

, professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering , VCU College of Engineering Brooke Dexheimer, Ph. D. , O.

T. D. , assistant professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Professions Kathryn Holloway, M.

D. , professor, Division of Functional Neurosurgery , Department of Neurosurgery Essential tremor (ET) is a common movement disorder with unclear pathophysiology. Deep brain stimulation is beneficial for ET and the ventralis intermediate nucleus (VIM) in the thalamus as the DBS stimulation site.

In clinic, ET patients show significant deficits in visuomotor adaptation.

This proposal plans to investigate the underlying mechanisms of visuomotor adaptation deficits in ET by testing the hypothesis that faulty information on limb state, integrated with sensory feedback in the cerebellum, results in downstream dysfunction within direct cerebellar-VIM connections and contributes to visuomotor adaptation dysfunction in patients with ET.

This grant was funded by a generous gift from the Johnson Family Fund for Essential Tremor Research. At-Home Monitoring of PD Patients through Non-Invasive Wi-Fi Sensing Principal Investigator: Eyuphan Bulut, PhD (VCU Department of Computer Science) Co-Investigator: Brian D.

Berman, MD, MS (PMDC, VCU Department of Neurology) This pilot study is aimed at developing and testing a non-invasive, low-cost, and privacy-preserving system for monitoring Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients at home using Wi-Fi sensing technology. The system intends to track PD-related symptoms, such as tremors and motor fluctuations, by analyzing the Channel State Information (CSI) from Wi-Fi signals.

The project aims to improve the monitoring of PD patients, provide better insights into the effectiveness of medications, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes. This project is funded by a generous contribution from the Joan & Morgan Massey Foundation.

Transformer-based anomaly detection to predict freezing-of-gait from GPi local field potentials and ankle IMU data Principal Investigator: Dean Krusienski, PhD (Department of Biomedical Engineering) Gang Zhou, PhD (WM Computer Science Department) Huajie Shao, PhD (WM Computer Science Department) Kathryn Holloway, MD (VCUHS, SE PADRECC) Leslie Cloud, MD, MSc (PMDC, VCU Department of Neurology) Ingrid Pretzer-Aboff, PhD, RN (PMDC, VCU School of Nursing) This grant proposal addresses the challenge of reliably detecting freezing-of-gait (FoG) in Parkinson’s Disease patients, a debilitating symptom with limited treatment options.

The proposal aims to examine local field potentials data from the GPi to predict FoG episodes via a transformer model. This addresses the problem of either inaccurate and/or time-consuming detection of FoG episodes. It also would allow real-time detection of FoG so that an immediate treatment could be delivered, e.g., customized DBS stimulation.

Conserved essential genes as pro-neuroprotective targets: Getting out from under the lamppost Principal Investigator: Rohil Hameed, PhD (VCU Department of Biology) Mentor: Alaattin Kaya, PhD (VCU Department of Biology and Human & Molecular Genetics, UVA Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics) Essential genes have crucial roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and function so mutations could impact neuronal health and neurodegenerative disease progression.

Dr. Hameed proposes to screen functionally conserved essential genes that may influence onset and progression of PD. He will use a C. elegans model and CRISPR activation to induce subtle gene expression by ingestion.

They have already created a model of CRISPRa of PD in C. elegans and found in a pilot analysis that overexpression of certain essential genes can modulate the levels of human a-synuclein. They state they have also established a model of PD through a toxin-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons and so can observe in real-time knock out or overexpression of target essential genes on their health.

With the PMDC pilot grant, they aim to design and generate a bacterial library with essential gene specific sgRNAs for gene induction through feeding, and to study the effects of essential gene over-expression on PD model endpoints. This could help create a novel method that uses injection mediated genetics to explore genetic factors in PD.

Dr. Hameed states this would represent the first systematic investigation of the effects of essential genes on a-synuclein levels on neurodegeneration in a humanized C. elegans model.

Examination of a GBA-RTK-α-synuclein axis in cellular and animal models of Parkinson’s Disease Principal Investigator: Santiago Lima, PhD (VCU Department of Biology, Massey Cancer Center) Co-Investigator: Jason Newton, PhD (VCU Department of Biology) This project builds on the investigators' 2023 PMDC Pilot Grant-funded project that helped them develop a GBA knockout cell model with increased α-synuclein accumulation.

They aim to now explore how GBA activity defects and associated glycosphingolipid alterations influence Trk receptor activity and impact cell survival. Specifically, this project seeks to 1) determine the glycosphingolipids that influence Trk levels and signaling and 2) establish a colony of GBA/SNCA transgenic mice to investigate role of GBA in neurodegeneration through regulation of Trk receptors and α-synuclein accumulation.

Establishing a link between GBA-related mechanisms and the altered kinase signaling pathway contribution to PD pathogenesis would provide greater insight into pathogenesis of PD and perhaps lead to identification of potential novel therapeutic targets.

Physical Adversarial Attacks on Wi-Fi Sensing Systems for Monitoring Parkinson’s Disease Patients Principal Investigator: Changqing Luo, PhD (VCU Department of Computer Science) This project aims to explore and design unnoticeable over-the-air physical attacks on Wi-Fi sensing systems used for monitoring Parkinson's Disease (PD) patients.

The research focuses on understanding the vulnerabilities in machine learning (ML) models used in these systems and devising attack strategies to disrupt the accurate monitoring of PD patient movements. The proposal addresses a critical gap in the security of Wi-Fi sensing systems by investigating physical adversarial attacks, which can compromise the effectiveness of these systems in monitoring PD patients.

SLEEP-PD: Group-based intervention for Insomnia in Parkinson’s Disease Natalie Dautovich, PhD (Psychology) Sarah Lageman, LCP, PhD (Neurology) SLEEP-PD: Group-based intervention for Insomnia in Parkinson’s Disease Epigenetic mechanisms for chronic memory impairment Laxmikant Deshpande, PhD (Neurology) Joseph McClay, PhD (Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science) Epigenetic mechanisms for chronic memory impairment following repeated exposure to organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos in rats Examination of a GBA-RTK-α-synuclein axis Santiago Lima, PhD (Biology) Jason Newton, PhD (Biology) Examination of a GBA-RTK-α-synuclein axis in cellular models of Parkinson’s disease.

This grant was funded by a generous gift from the Joan and Morgan Massey Foundation Blood flow restriction training for Parkinson’s Disease Leslie J. Cloud, M. D.

, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology; Director, Parkinson’s High intensity exercise has known benefits for older adults, but it’s difficult for people with Parkinson’s disease to get that kind of a workout. Blood flow restriction training may provide a solution by using low intensity exercise and pressurized cuffs to produce muscle strengthening results similar to high intensity training.

Blood flow restriction training hasn’t been rigorously examined in people with Parkinson’s disease, and this study will develop protocols, train staff, and generate preliminary data on using that exercise approach. Traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease Kirsty Dixon, Ph. D.

, Assistant Professor, Dixon will look at how traumatic brain injury and neuroinflammation affect brain signaling pathways and exacerbate neurodegeneration that can lead to disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Data collected will support a larger grant application for research into lowering the risk that traumatic brain injury leads to neurodegenerative diseases. Ingrid Pretzer-Aboff, Ph.

D. , R. N.

, Associate Professor, Department of Adult Health and Nursing Systems Co-investigators: Leslie Cloud, M. D. , Department of Neurology; Kathryn Holloway, M.

D. , Department of Neurosurgery; Gang Zhou, Ph. D.

, Department of Computer Science, William & Mary; Dean J. Krusienski, Ph. D.

, Department of Biomedical Engineering There is no effective treatment for freezing of gait (FoG), a devastating symptom affecting 60% of Parkinson’s disease patients. Researchers will analyze brain cell electrical signals recorded by deep brain stimulation electrodes in people experiencing FoG to determine if there is a detectable change in the brain’s electrical activity with the onset and resolution of a freeze.

This study aims to advance development of novel treatments for FoG. The next step in essential tremor treatment: Local field potential optimization of deep brain stimulation Josephine Wallner, M. D.

-Ph. D. student, Department of Biomedical Engineering Co-investigator: Kathryn Holloway, M.

D. , Department of Neurosurgery Mentor: Dean Krusienski, Ph. D.

, Department of Biomedical Engineering Deep brain stimulation can greatly benefit people with essential tremor, but some people undergoing DBS don’t see many benefits or they experience adverse effects. Researchers will examine the relationship between local field potentials and tremor severity to find ways to improve tremor treatment effectiveness while reducing any adverse impacts.

Epigenetic histone acetylation in the expression and treatment of environmentally-induced Parkinson’s disease using the rat rotenone Model Laxmikant Deshpande, Ph. D. , Associate Professor, Department of Neurology Co-investigator Joseph McClay, Ph.

D. , Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Deshpande is leading a project exploring potential links between Parkinson’s disease and prolonged exposure to certain pesticides. “Scientists have only recently begun to address environmental pesticide exposures and their interactions with genetic factors for Parkinson’s risk,” he says.

To explore the impact of pesticide exposures, researchers have used the pilot grant to create an experimental model that injects a neurotoxin used in pesticides into rats to induce Parkinson’s-like motor symptoms. The animals exposed to the toxin showed progressively worse muscle rigidity and balance problems, the researcher said. The VCU team detailed those findings at a VCU Medical Science Internship Program symposium.

Investigators are now studying the brains of these rats as part of their study. “This rat model would allow basic research into the mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease and provide a drug screening tool for finding effective therapies for the disease,” Deshpande says.

The research is continuing with the help of competitive funding from the Virginia Institute of Aging that the team was awarded based on their research conducted through this 2021 PMDC grant. Long-term effects of stimulation-induced neurogenesis in dementia rats Megan Rajagopal, M. D.

, Resident, Department of Neurosurgery Co-investigators: Dong Sun, M. D. , Ph.

D. , Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology; Laxmikant Deshpande, Ph. D.

, Department of Neurology; Deepak Kumbhare, Ph. D. , Department of Neurosurgery Mentor: Kathryn Holloway, M.

D. , Department of Neurosurgery One project funded by the PMDC is expanding on research into the impact that deep brain stimulation (DBS) has on dementia. A number of studies have examined the brain stimulation technique, including a 2017 paper that found the method was beneficial for two primates even after stimulation ended, the VCU researchers said in a synopsis of their work.

The VCU study looked at the long-term impact of DBS for 6 weeks after that method was performed on the rats using an electrode implanted in their brain. The VCU study focused on rats divided into three groups: healthy rats, rats with dementia that didn’t undergo DBS, and rats with dementia that underwent deep brain stimulation for two weeks.

The rats’ capacity to learn was then tested by tracking their responses to audio cues. The team found the rats with dementia that underwent DBS showed a learning improvement that greatly exceeded that seen in rats with dementia that didn’t go through the procedure.

Even after the stimulation, the rats with dementia that underwent the procedure returned to a learning improvement rate that matched healthy rats and a learning rate greater than the rats that didn’t undergo DBS. Researchers submitted an abstract summarizing their results to the American Association of Neurosurgeons for a meeting coming up in April, says Megan Rajagopal, M. D.

, the lead investigator who has been working in the lab full-time on the project. “We have completed all the implantations and behavioral testing, and we are now proceeding with histological analysis. ” Quantifying trunk rigidity in Parkinson’s disease: A potential market for disease progression and intervention efficacy Originally awarded to Alexander Stamenkovic,Ph.

D. , formerly with Department of Physical Therapy Led by James Thomas, Ph. D.

, Department of Physical Therapy, and Leslie Cloud, M. D. , Department of Neurology Co-investigator: Peter Pidcoe, D.

P. T. , Ph.

D. , Department of Physical Therapy For people with Parkinson’s disease, poor control over their torso and a lack of balance can signal the onset of worsening symptoms of the disease, according to a team of VCU researchers that’s developed a way to measure just how rigid a patient’s torso has become.

With the support of their 2021 PMDC pilot grant, the team created a prototype device that quickly shifts a patient’s body while measuring their torso stiffness. Patients are partially seated in a harness in the device as cables pull their body forward very briefly, explains James Thomas, Ph. D, who runs the VCU Motor Control Lab.

“It moves you two inches in a 10th of a second,” says Thomas, a VCU physical therapy professor. “It pulls you very quickly, and then it releases you. ” The device could give clues on how far the disease has progressed in a patient while also providing a way to gauge how the person’s body responds to Parkinson’s treatments.

Thomas is overseeing the project after the lead investigator, Alexander Stamenkovic, Ph. D. , took a job at Meta.

Thomas says the research is being done in connection with other work VCU researchers have pursued that uses virtual reality to create immersive experiences to improve trunk control in Parkinson’s disease patients. Thomas says COVID-19 surge from the Omicron variant disrupted the testing of the new pulling device. But he said work is continuing again, and several patients have been taking part in trials on the device.

“We will continue to recruit and enroll participants in this study. We are also developing a collaborative grant application on trunk compliance in PD with colleagues at University of Minnesota based on these data,” Thomas says.