--- title: Identify genes influencing Parkinson progression nct_id: NCT06719583 status: RECRUITING sponsor: "Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research" study_type: OBSERVATIONAL canonical_url: "https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06719583" clinicaltrials_gov: "https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06719583" last_fetched: "2026-05-10T14:07:33.416Z" source: "Parkinson's Pathways (curated)" --- # Identify genes influencing Parkinson progression **Goal (in five words):** Identify genes influencing Parkinson progression **Official Title:** Black and African Americans Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) A Project of the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2) **Trial ID:** [NCT06719583](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06719583) ## Key Facts - **Status:** RECRUITING - **Study Type:** OBSERVATIONAL - **Sponsor:** Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research - **Target Enrollment:** 2000 participants - **Start Date:** 2020-11-16 - **Completion Date:** 2027-12-31 - **Conditions:** Parkinson Disease ## Summary For Families The project aims to find genetic factors that affect Parkinson's risk, symptoms, and progression in Black and African American people, a group that has been underrepresented in Parkinson's research. Participants share clinical information and provide DNA, commonly via a saliva sample, so researchers can look for genetic variants linked to disease features or treatment response; there are no drugs or devices given, and if you give saliva you should avoid food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking for 30 minutes beforehand. The study plans to enroll about 2,000 people who self-identify as Black or African American, with Parkinson's participants aged 18 or older who meet Movement Disorder Society diagnostic criteria, and control participants aged 50 or older with no personal or family history of Parkinson's or other neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions, and all must be able to give informed consent. ## Eligibility - **Minimum age:** 18 Years - **Sex:** ALL ### Full Criteria ``` Inclusion Criteria for Control Participants: * Ability to provide informed consent * Age 50 years or older * Self-identify as Black or African American Exclusion Criteria for Control Participants: * Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease and/or neurological condition * Familial history of PD and/or neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions * Unknown family history of PD and/or neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions * Any conditions that, in the investigator's opinion, preclude the individual's ability to carry out study activities * If submitting a saliva sample, nothing by mouth (food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking) for 30 minutes prior to sample collection Inclusion Criteria for Participants with a Diagnosis of PD: * Ability to provide informed consent * Age 18 years or older * Self-identify as Black or African American * Meet the Movement Disorder Society's clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease Exclusion Criteria for Participants with a Diagnosis of PD: \- If submitting a saliva sample, nothing by mouth (food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking) for 30 minutes prior to sample collection ``` ## Locations (12) - University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States _(33.5207, -86.8025)_ - Joseph Richardson — (CONTACT) — 205-934-0074 — jhrichardson@uabmc.edu - Lauren Ruffrage — (CONTACT) — 205-934-5954 — lruffrage@uabmc.edu - Marissa Dean, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - David Standaert, MD, PhD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States _(29.6516, -82.3248)_ - Randy Foli — (CONTACT) — 352-733-2433 — randy.foli@neurology.ufl.edu - Emily Reynolds — (CONTACT) — 352-733-2338 — Emily.Reynolds@neurology.ufl.edu - Ashley Rawls, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Lauren Fanty, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, United States _(41.8500, -87.6500)_ - Jacqueline Vanegas — (CONTACT) — 312-563-0679 — jacqueline_vanegas@rush.edu - Deborah Hall, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States _(41.8500, -87.6500)_ - Hanna Gilluly — (CONTACT) — 773-633-8412 — hlancerio@bsd.uchicago.edu - Tao Xie, MD, PhD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Mahesh Padmananban, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States _(29.9547, -90.0751)_ - Dominique Thomas — (CONTACT) — 504-842-3980 — dominique.thomas3@ochsner.org - Julia Staisch, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Sarah Breaux, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, United States _(32.5251, -93.7502)_ - April Strickland — (CONTACT) — 318-813-3610 — april.strickland@lsuhs.edu - Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, United States _(39.2904, -76.6122)_ - Christina Cooper — (CONTACT) — 410-328-7817 — ChristinaCooper@som.umaryland.edu - Rebecca Weimer — (CONTACT) — 410 328-1883 — rweimer@som.umaryland.edu - Lisa Shulman, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Rainer von Coelln, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - Kaiser Permanente Midatlantic States, Rockville, Maryland, United States _(39.0840, -77.1528)_ - Washington University in St. Louis, St Louis, Missouri, United States _(38.6273, -90.1979)_ - Coordinator — (CONTACT) — 314-273-5262 — NIL-BLAACPD@email.wustl.edu - Scott Norris, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Erin Foster, PhD, OTD-L — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, United States _(41.4995, -81.6954)_ - Ashley Hawkins — (CONTACT) — 216-844-2327 — ashley.hawkins2@uhhospitals.org - Camilla Kilbane, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Mohamed Elkasaby, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States _(32.7763, -79.9327)_ - Lisa Heidelberg — (CONTACT) — 843-792-6463 — heidelbe@musc.edu - Vanessa Hinson, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Andrew Ameri, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, Houston, Texas, United States _(29.7633, -95.3633)_ - Natalia Pessoa Rocha — (CONTACT) — 713 500 7496 — natalia.pessoarocha@uth.tmc.edu - Erin Furr Stimming, MD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) - Shivika Chandra, MD — (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR) - Natalia Pessoa Rocha, PhD — (SUB_INVESTIGATOR) ## Central Contacts - Naomi Louie, MPH RDN — (CONTACT) — 212-509-0995 — nlouie@michaeljfox.org --- *Canonical: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06719583* *HTML version: https://parkinsonspathways.com/trial/NCT06719583* *Source data: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06719583*