Taking part in research is vital in determining which therapies work in treating Parkinson’s. New treatments will only become available after they have been tested in those volunteers affected by the condition.

Taking part in research also enables more accurate diagnoses, better predictions of future disease progression and more insight into the biology of the condition.

Taking part comes in many forms

  • Online Surveys where the data is made available to researchers
  • Observational studies
  • Studies looking at genetic risk factors: these can be clinical or online
  • Trials of new technology: wearables, apps, devices or even imaging techniques
  • Clinical trials of therapies
  • Clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies

Things to think about when signing up to a study

  • Who might I need around me to support me in making the decision and in taking part?
  • Where is the study based and does the schedule of visits suit me? Who is involved from the study team? How long is it? Will I get my result and when will that be?
  • Are there any assessments or procedures included where I might need more information?
  • What happens to my data?
  • Have people with Parkinson’s been involved in shaping this study?

Cure Parkinson’s funds and supports clinical trials which seek to slow, stop or reverse Parkinson’s. Many trials which are recruiting now are part of our International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) programme developed in partnership with Van Andel Institute.

Find Out More About…
Our approach The science behind Parkinson’s Curing Parkinson’s The International Linked Clinical Trials Programme (iLCT)

International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) recruiting now

Find iLCT trials recruiting now

Other studies recruiting

The ARDAT project

The Accelerating Research & Development for Advanced Therapies, or ARDAT, project is looking to recruit several individuals who might have a rare genetic condition or be a parent/carer of someone with a rare genetic condition to join their patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) advisory group. ARDAT is a consortium of international experts and industry leaders whose goal is develop tools and resources to aid in the development of cell and gene therapies. If you are interested in participating, please register your interest using the survey link below.

Register your interest
The PALOMA study

The Virtual Clinical Trials Center (VCTC) is looking to recruit 100 people with Parkinson’s to participate in their PALOMA study, which is investigating whether measuring eye movement can be better method for detecting and monitoring disease progression. The study will last one year (with recruitment closing April 2024), and participants will be asked to visit the study team five times (once every three months) to complete eye movement tests, clinical assessments for Parkinson’s and discussion of personal and medical information. If you are interested in taking part or would like to find out more please email the team.

Contact the study team
Meeting patient needs: a new study of treatment options

Were you or a loved one diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease five or more years ago? A new study funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and supported by Cure Parkinson’s, wants to hear how you think about treatments.

Find out more here
The LEARN Study

Were you invited to take part in a trial of cell or gene therapy? If so, we would like to talk to you. The LEARN study (Listening to the experiences of participants from neurosurgical trials) is funded by Cure Parkinson’s and is concerned with how taking part in clinical trials for Parkinson’s involving brain surgery affects the people who take part. We would really like to speak to people who took part or made a decision not to take part in any cell or gene therapy trial and those who wanted to but were told that they could not. Taking part in the LEARN study will involve a conversation via Zoom to discuss your experiences.

Please email the team
The Predict-PD Study – an online study

PREDICT-PD is a ground-breaking project using simple tests to identify people at high risk of Parkinson’s disease before the symptoms appear. If we can predict who is going to get Parkinson’s, we will soon have treatments for those in the early stages that could slow or prevent the condition progressing.

Find out more
EJS ACT-PD – A call for people with Parkinson’s and care partners to contribute

EJS ACT-PD are looking for people with an interest in research to form a wider patient and carer/partner network. Members of this network would agree to be contacted by the EJS ACT-PD team with requests for input when they arise. The range of input requested from members will vary but may include being asked to complete online surveys.

Find out more
PD Nexus – an online study

PD Nexus is supporting research efforts for Parkinson’s through remote participant screening, genetic testing and counselling, education in Parkinson’s disease genetics, travel coordination, digital applications, study adherence, tissue procurement and distribution, and more.

Find out more
QMAP-PD

QMAP-PD is an ongoing study using advanced brain imaging techniques based at the Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL. The aim of this work is to better understand the causes of variability between individuals with a common disorder called Parkinson’s disease

Find Out More
Mobilise-D

Mobility – how well we walk – is an important marker of health; a slow walking speed is associated with greater mortality, morbidity, cognitive decline, dementia, and fall risk. Mobilise-D will develop a comprehensive system to monitor and evaluate people’s gait based on digital technologies, including sensors worn on the body. The Mobilise-D results will help to improve the accurate assessment of daily life mobility in clinical trials and patient treatment, thereby contributing to improved and more personalised care.

Find out more about taking part
Understanding depression in Parkinson’s

Dr Harry Costello, a Neuropsychiatrist and Clinical Research Fellow at University College London, is interested in identifying the role of the brain chemical dopamine in depression in Parkinson’s and understanding how depression in Parkinson’s differs from that of the general population. This research could help pave the way for new approaches to treat depression in Parkinson’s.

Find out more
The Biogen Reason study

Open to people with Parkinson’s who carry the LRRK2 gene and also those without any verified Parkinson’s-related genetic variant; testing the drug BIIB094

Find out more here

Other research study websites which might be of interest:

The Hope List

The Hope List is compiled by Dr Kevin McFarthing about projects to develop new therapies for Parkinson’s. Originally a PhD biochemist, Kevin’s career included R&D leadership positions in life sciences research products, diagnostics and consumer healthcare. He is joint editor of the Clinical Trial Highlights section of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease and a member of the Research Committee of Cure Parkinson’s. Kevin was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2012 at the age of 55.
There are two groups within The Hope List: research and clinical.
The research projects are broken down by phase (discovery and pre-clinical); whether the potential therapy is aimed at modifying the course of Parkinson’s (DMT) or to relieve Parkinson’s symptoms (ST); and the type of therapy being developed.

Read more here.

Fox Trial Finder

Fox Trial Finder is a user-friendly online matching tool from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) which helps you find observational studies and clinical trials in your area.

Find out more.

Fox Insight

Fox Insight is an online clinical study building a large, diverse cohort of people with Parkinson’s and age-matched control volunteers to provide the research community with critical insight into the lived experience, genetics and variability of Parkinson’s.

Find out more.

ClinicalTrials.gov

ClinicalTrials.gov is a database of privately and publicly funded clinical studies conducted around the world.

Find out more.

PDTrialTracker.Info

The goal of PDTrialTracker.info is to provide Parkinson’s patients, families, researchers, health care providers, and other interested members of the PD community with analysis of ongoing PD clinical trials and observational studies throughout the world in order to:

  • understand the types of trials underway and where they are in the pipeline,
  • highlight the most promising avenues of research (e.g., particular disease modifying therapies, symptomatic treatments)
  • uncover roadblocks in the trial process and ways to address them (e.g., improving recruitment methods, enhancing clinical trial best practices),
  • promote accurate and timely sharing of trial information for ongoing and completed trials (e.g., within ClinicalTrials.gov),
  • facilitate greater collaboration between Parkinson’s patients, families, researchers, and physicians to accelerate progress towards a cure.

Find out more.

Parkinson’s UK

If you are in the UK you can visit the Parkinson’s UK website for help with finding research studies recruiting.

Find out more.

The NIHR – Be Part of Research Campaign

If you are in the UK, ‘Be Part of Research’ can help you find out about health and social care research that is taking place across the UK.

Find out more.

Clinical Trials Charter

If you are thinking of volunteering for a clinical trial, the Clinical Trials Charter aims to set a standard of practice for those involved in clinical trials for Parkinson’s.

Find out more

Clinical trial highlights section: Journal of Parkinson’s Disease

To raise awareness of the clinical trial landscape in Parkinson’s

Find out more