Michael J. Fox foundation: GBA1 Parkinson’s Disease Research Catalyst Program

The Program seeks to build a deeper, globally integrated understanding of GBA1-associated Parkinson’s disease by aligning efforts across geographies and maximizing the value of shared datasets and research assets. Funding will support hypothesis-driven projects with an emphasis on integrative, cross-cohort analyses and the systematic characterization and standardization of models to enable broad use by the research community.

The GBA1-PD Research Catalyst Program supports: 

• Hypothesis-driven studies that define the molecular mechanisms linking GBA1 dysfunction to neurodegeneration, including interrogation of lysosomal biology, lipid metabolism, and alpha-synuclein dynamics, as well as investigations into variant-specific effects and the biological basis for disease specificity in Parkinson’s disease versus Gaucher disease.
• Research aimed at identifying modifiers of penetrance, progression, and clinical heterogeneity in GBA1-PD, leveraging existing longitudinal cohorts, multi-modal datasets, and cross-cohort analyses to uncover genetic, molecular, and environmental drivers of disease variability.
• Studies that characterize cell-type–specific and systems-level effects of GBA1 dysfunction, including work in neurons, glia, and peripheral systems, alongside efforts to rigorously evaluate, benchmark, and standardize preclinical models to improve translational relevance and reproducibility.

Funding: Up to $300,000 over 2 years.

www.michaeljfox.org/funding-opportunities

https://everycat.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-Fall-EveryCat-Health-Foundation-RFP-Final.pdf