SPARK NS Selected Projects
Projects selected for the SPARK NS Translational Research Program receive milestone-based funding of up to $2,000,000, in-person and online education in drug development and academic entrepreneurship, mentoring from 75+ industry expert advisors, and scientific and business networking opportunities. SPARK NS selects projects at any stage of development between target identification and entry into clinical trials. Projects must meet an unmet clinical need, use a robust and novel approach, and have a high probability of achieving translational objectives during the two years they participate in the program.
SPARK NS Translational Research Program,
2025 Cohort
Development of a Small-Molecule Therapy for Treating Parkinson’s Disease
David S. Eisenberg, DPhil
Paul D. Boyer Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of California, Los Angeles
An Integrated Approach to Identifying Pharmacological Stabilizers for Parkinson’s Disease
Mark Henderson, PhD
Group Leader, Biology, National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS/NIH)
Targeting the Integrated Stress Response Pathway to Boost Mitophagy for Parkinson’s Disease
Miratul Muqit, MBChB, PhD
Professor of Experimental Neurology, University of Dundee
Restoring Mitochondrial Function in Parkinson’s Disease
Michael P. Rapé, PhD
Professor of Molecular Therapeutics and Investigator, HHMI, University of California, Berkeley
A Bioenergetic Activator for Parkinson’s Disease
Timothy A. Ryan, PhD
Professor of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine
Stimulating Endolysosomal Function for Parkinson’s Disease
David K. Simon, MD, PhD
Professor of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School
A Disease Modifying Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease for Multimodal Patient Benefit
Kathy Steece-Collier, PhD
Professor, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Development of a Calcium Channel Inhibitor to Slow Parkinson’s Disease Progression
D. James Surmeier, PhD
Nathan Smith Davis Professor and Chair, Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
SPARK NS Translational Research Program,
2024 Cohort
Reducing Alpha Synuclein Spread in Parkinson’s Disease
Alice S. Chen-Plotkin, MD
Parker Family Professor of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania
Design of Small Molecule Degraders of Synuclein mRNA for Parkinson’s Disease
Matthew D. Disney, PhD
Institute Professor and Chair, The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology, University of Florida
Small Molecule for Autophagy Enhancement for Parkinson’s Disease
James H. Hurley, PhD
Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology and Kirsch Springer Chair in Biological Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
Preventing Dopamine-Induced Neurotoxicity in Parkinson's Disease
Gary W. Miller, PhD
Vice Dean for Research Strategy and Innovation, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
Axonal Reinnervation Therapy in Parkinson’s Disease
David Sulzer, PhD
Professor of Neurobiology, Columbia University
