The University of Alabama at Birmingham has been named one of 18 official study sites for the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), a landmark observational clinical study sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

The $40 million, five-year study will use a combination of advanced imaging, tissue sampling and behavioral assessments to identify biomarkers — early signs of disease — for Parkinson's disease progression. "PPMI will help us improve the diagnosis and treatment of PD patients today, and is critically important for accelerating the development of the preventative and curative treatments of the future," said David G. Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., professor in the Department of Neurology and UAB's principal investigator.