Inaugural community-funded seed research grant recipients announced
Aug. 13, 2025
With thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Parkinson’s community, Fight Parkinson’s announced the inaugural recipients of the Seed Research Grant Program at the Fight Parkinson’s Research Symposium in April.
The generosity of the Fight Parkinson’s community has enabled two researchers to receive grants of $30,000 to pursue promising new research towards early-stage ideas with potential for major breakthroughs. Two grants were awarded, one in clinical research and one in basic science.
Fight Parkinson’s believes these projects are on the verge of major breakthroughs and reflect our unwavering commitment to foster innovation, break boundaries, and provide support for groundbreaking ideas that have the potential to be life changing for the Parkinson’s community.
It is only through innovation that better therapies can be developed to ensure those living with Parkinson’s live positively.
It was the opinion of the judging panel, which included both local and international professionals, that these two projects could mark a turning point for the 219,000 Australians living with Parkinson’s.
Rewiring the brain: Tapping into natural regeneration
The basic science grant was awarded to Professor John Forsythe and his team at Monash University, where they are exploring the potential of the brain to regenerate stem cells affected by Parkinson’s.
Working alongside Professor Mibel Aguilar, Professor David Finkelstein, and Dr Ketav Kulkarni, Professor Forsythe – an engineer - has likened their project to building bridges in the brain.
Unlocking the brain’s regenerative potential: A novel therapy for Parkinson’s disease explores the use of a gel to connect regenerative cells to Parkinson’s affected areas of the brain.
The scientific community has recently discovered the brain retains the ability to create new stem cells up to the age of 80. Professor Forsythe and his team want to explore what this new information means for the potential for Parkinson’s affected brains to self-heal.
“With DBS technology, we know how to inject into the brain and how to do that very specifically,” Professor Forsythe said.
“We intend to build a bridge between the hippocampus, which we now know is creating new stem cells, and encourage them to get to where they can differentiate into new neurons.”
By directing these new stem cells to areas where dopaminergic neurons (dopamine-producing brain cells) have died, Professor Forsythe and his team hope the new stem cells will evolve into new dopaminergic neurons.
The team has had positive results in animal testing, observing behavioural improvement following the procedure.
If the science is successful, Professor Forsythe expects treatments using it could be done through a day procedure.
Professor Forsythe and his team will use the grant funding to continue to derisk their research with the aim to secure further investment in the program.
If successful, their findings could open the door to treatment strategies that not only manage symptoms but address the root cause of neurodegeneration.
Improving outcomes for women through tailored exercise
Professor Meg Morris and her team from La Trobe University were awarded $30,000 towards clinical research.
Their project - Improving Wellbeing in Women with Lived Experience of Parkinson’s Disease Using Community-Based Gym Exercises - will focus on the underrepresentation of women with lived experience of Parkinson’s in clinical trials on exercise therapy.
.JPG)
Excitingly, this project not only focuses on women with lived experience but features an entirely female research team. Professor Morris will be supported by Dr Melissa Tang, Professor Michele Callisaya, Associate Professor Joanne Kemp, Claire Thwaites, and Lauren Mitchell.
Existing research shows exercise can help improve Parkinson’s symptoms, but research has yet to explore which types and amounts of exercise are most effective for women.
This project seeks to increase equity of access to community fitness programs for women with Parkinson’s by establishing a gym-based strength and fitness training program specifically designed for women living with the condition.
If successful the pilot could improve women’s health through better knowledge about the benefits and challenges of gym-based strength and fitness training, and by educating exercise trainers in how to modify gym programs to suit the diverse needs of all women with Parkinson’s.
Trials will be run over eight weeks in both community gyms and rehabilitation facilities with the aim to provide clearer guidelines for exercise programs that can be used in a range of gym environments.
The exercise program will consider changes in upper and lower body strength, fluctuations in cycles, and fatigue in the women participating.
The team has committed to collect quantitative data and qualitative data to better understand what factors can improve women’s access to gym facilities.
Fight Parkinson’s looks forward to sharing the progress and outcomes of these projects with the Parkinson’s community.