Author: fx

We are pleased to announce the recipients of the G-Can Initiative Grant 2025:

Prakrit Jena.

Proposal: Lysosomal Lipid Flux in PBMCs as Quantitative Biomarker to Stratify GBA1-PD Risk and Therapeutic Response

Dr. Prakrit Jena is the co-founder and CTO of Lime Therapeutics, where he invented the LipidSense platform. Previously a Senior Research Scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he authored 20+ publications and holds two patents in applied nanotechnology.
He earned a PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois.



Dimitri Krainc.

Proposal: Investigating fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2) as potential modifier of GBA1 activity

Dimitri Krainc, MD, PhD, FANA is the Ward Professor and Chair of Neurology and Director of the Feinberg Neuroscience Institute at Northwestern. Krainc is a member of the Association of American Physicians, National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors and serves as President of the American Neurological Association.



Maria S Ioannou.

Proposal: The effects of GBA1 on sphingolipid metabolism and ectosome biogenesis in PD

Dr. Maria Ioannou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiology at the University of Alberta and a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Brain Lipid Cell Biology. Her research investigates how lipid trafficking influences neuronal function in Parkinson’s disease using biochemistry and advanced microscopy.

The inaugural GBA1 meeting, exclusively tailored for health professionals and stakeholders from both academia and industry engaging/specializing in GBA1 research, promises to be an exciting event. Topics of discussion will include all aspects of GBA1 research, from basic science to clinical trials (visit the registration link below). The meeting will serve as a unique platform to collectively advance the understanding and treatment of GBA1-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

https://give.michaeljfox.org/event/2024-gba1-meeting/e565581

A great success!

Here is the meeting summary…

GBA1 Meeting 2024 served as a unique platform to collectively advance the understanding and treatment of GBA1-associated neurodegenerative diseases. G-Can, the GBA1 Canada initiative, hosted the inaugural GBA1 meeting in 2024, held at The Neuro (The Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) in Montreal, Canada, from June 27-29.

The event’s success was made possible by the efforts and sponsorship from our partners: the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Cure Parkinson’s, Parkinson Canada, the Silverstein Foundation, and over 15 pharmaceutical companies.

The meeting was attended by more than 200 participants, from 135 institutions both in-person and virtually, including representatives from academic institutions, clinical researchers, early career researchers, patients, and trainees. Scientifically, the meeting featured prominent clinicians and researchers in the GBA1 research field, presenting talks on topics ranging from basic science to clinical trials and translational research. There was a total of 42 talks, panel discussions, and 38 posters.

The presentations and discussions highlighted current advancements in GBA1 research, including new technologies, therapeutic approaches, and ongoing clinical trials. Additionally, the meeting emphasized understudied areas of GBA1 research, such as the effects on the immune system, mitochondria, and Lipidomics.

Overall, the meeting provided networking opportunities that fostered future collaborations and sparked a desire for similar gatherings in the future. As a result, the GBA1 meeting will now become an annual event to promote collaboration and open-science approach among all stakeholders to advance GBA1 research and treatments.

See some photos below:

~Photos by Owen Egan and Joni Dufour