IRP Scientists Win Breakthrough Prize for Parkinson’s Discoveries
Andrew Singleton and Ellen Sidransky Lauded for Genetics Research
Throughout history, some of the most important insights about devastating illnesses have come from identifying genes that contribute to them. Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition that robs patients of the ability to move, is just one example of this pattern — and one that IRP researchers have made critical advances on in recent years.
Reflecting the IRP’s groundbreaking research on Parkinson’s disease, in September, IRP senior investigators Ellen Sidransky, M.D., and Andrew Singleton, Ph.D., were awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize for their research on the genetic causes of the illness. The world’s largest scientific award, the Breakthrough Prize honors “transformative advances toward understanding living systems and extending human life.” Each year, one award in the Life Sciences category is reserved for research on Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Sidransky and Dr. Singleton, along with a third Parkinson’s researcher, Thomas Gasser, M.D., Ph.D., at the University of Tübingen in Germany, will share the $3 million prize.
