March 17, 2022
by Jere W. Morehead, President
The University of Georgia is working to improve the length and quality of life of nearly a million people in the U.S. and 10 million people worldwide who suffer from Parkinson’s disease. UGA will soon receive $5 million in federal funding to support the Johnny Isakson Center for Brain Science and Neurological Disorders, named after the late U.S. Senator from Georgia who died from Parkinson’s. The funds add to the significant investment UGA has made already in research on brain science and neurological disorders.
Dr. Anumantha Kanthasamy, who joined UGA last fall as the first John H. “Johnny” Isakson Chair and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Parkinson’s Research, is directing the new center. Dr. Kanthasamy is an internationally renowned researcher of Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, he has founded two startup companies to commercialize drug candidates and biomarkers that have emerged from his research. Dr. Kanthasamy is recruiting additional researchers in areas such as neuroscience, epigenetics, pharmacology, and bioinformatics to work with existing UGA faculty to develop treatments and cures for Parkinson’s.
We greatly appreciate the support of federal and state leaders for the University of Georgia’s research enterprise. Investments in top faculty and state-of-the-art facilities are helping UGA increase our impact on this and other grand challenges facing our world.