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Center unites Parkinson’s researchers

VCU celebrated the opening of its Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center, one of the very few of its kind in the U.S.

Under the leadership of James P. Bennett Jr., M.D., Ph.D., the Bemiss Endowed Chair in the Department of Neurology, the highly integrated, multidisciplinary center moves groundbreaking research from novel approaches in the laboratory to clinical trials, translating discoveries into treatments for patients.

“There is a demand for comprehensive evaluation for people with this complex disease,” Bennett said. “Patients with Parkinson’s have many needs; each person has different deficits. The center will look at the complete person and provide a total, comprehensive evaluation.”

The center also combines research, education and outreach to provide a coordinated approach for developing strategies that combat neurodegenerative diseases and movement disorders. A major goal of the center is to advance the understanding of Parkinson’s and related conditions in terms of defining biological causes and developing new treatments.