Current Projects
Funding Dystonia Investigators
The ultimate goal of the Science Program is to support the discovery of improved therapies and a cure.
The DMRF is dedicated to stimulating the field of dystonia research and supporting the collaborations and projects necessary to accelerate progress. Each funded project addresses one or more of the core directions necessary to advance the dystonia field. These core directions include furthering our fundamental understanding of what dystonia is, uncovering the mechanisms in the nervous system that lead to symptoms, creating models of dystonia to use in experiments, and discovering targets for new and improved therapeutics designed specifically to treat dystonia.
Congratulations to our current award recipients, and infinite thanks to our supporters for making this research funding possible.
Research Grants & Contracts
Research grants are available in support of hypothesis-driven research at the genetic, molecular, cellular, systems, or behavioral levels that may lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology or to new therapies for any or all forms of dystonia. Contracts provide the opportunity to direct research through the identification of specific, milestone-driven projects to be conducted by identified investigators and closely monitored by the DMRF’s Chief Scientific Officer.
New in 2025
Martin Piazza, MD
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Dr. Piazza will research how families make informed decisions about deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for children with dystonia by addressing two key gaps: understanding how families weigh the benefits and risks of DBS and comparing its long-term effectiveness and costs to standard medical care. Ultimately, the research will provide better support for families, guiding them through complex decisions about their child’s care.
Dr. Martin Piazza explains his latest research:
Mariangela Scarduzio, PhD
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Dr. Scarduzio seeks to further explain why somatostatin-expressing interneurons (SOMs) found in certain brain circuits in the striatum become highly active when dystonia-like symptoms are induced. By testing ways to control these cells, she hopes to better understand how to treat movement disorders like dystonia.
Dr. Mariangela Scarduzio explains her latest research:
Joaquim Alves da Silva, MD, PhD
Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
Dr. Silva aims to introduce a new mouse model where repetitive training of a skilled task triggers dystonia, hoping to better understand the brain circuits involved and test deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment. By studying brain activity during dystonia development in the new mouse model, this project hopes will shed insights into the condition’s mechanisms and uncover new pathways for therapeutic development.
Dr. Joaquim Alves da Silva explains his latest research:
Continuing Projects
Daniel Corp, PhD
Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
The goal of this study is to reveal the anatomy of dystonia by analyzing causal links between symptoms and brain structures affected by lesions. This will ultimately identify targets for new brain stimulation methods.
Noreen Bukhari-Parlakturk, MD, PhD
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Supported by the Cure Dystonia Now Fund of the DMRF
Dr. Bukhari-Parlakturk will explore the effectiveness of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a non-invasive treatment for dystonia. She will test the clinical effectiveness of this treatment on patients with focal hand dystonia and hopes to leverage her findings into a phase III clinical trial.
Dr. Noreen Bukhari-Parlakturk explains her latest research:
Katja Lohmann, PhD & Laura Scorr, MD
University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany
The goal of this study is to reveal the anatomy of dystonia by analyzing causal links between symptoms and brain structures affected by lesions. This will ultimately identify targets for new brain stimulation methods.
Dr. Katja Lohmann explains her latest research:
Meike van der Heijden, PhD
Virginia Tech University, Roanoke, Virginia
Dr. van der Heijden seeks to further explore the neural mechanisms in the cerebellum that cause dystonia. By using mouse models to examine two different cell types found in the cerebellum, she hopes to uncover how changes in brain signals can cause dystonia.
Dr. Meike van der Heijden explains her latest research:
Leighton Hinkley, PhD
University of California, San Francisco
Supported by the Cure Dystonia Now Fund of the DMRF
Non-invasive neuromodulation—where brain stimulation is delivered without surgery—is an exciting new method for treating movement disorders including focal dystonia. One particular technique, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), has provided clinical benefit for the treatment of many neurological and psychiatric conditions and has been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to treat conditions such as major depressive disorder. While great effort has been made over the past two decades trying to develop rTMS as a treatment option for focal dystonia, studies have failed to deliver a consistent, effective protocol to reduce the dystonia symptoms.
Although there are different ways to deliver rTMS dosage, most of the studies that have been done using rTMS for dystonia stimulate the exact same region of the brain across all patients, assuming that this one location is the focus of the disorder. Focal dystonia is a very heterogeneous condition, impacting different structures of the body, for example, the vocal cords in laryngeal dystonia or the hand in task-specific focal hand dystonia. One reason why previous rTMS trials for dystonia have not had great success may be because the optimal rTMS stimulation target for dystonia treatment may not be in the exact same location for each and every patient.
In this study, investigators adopt a personalized approach for identifying the correct place to stimulate using rTMS for focal dystonia. They hypothesize that the specific regions of the brain that act as dystonia “hotspots” for stimulation will vary across the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain in each patient, true to the nature of dystonia being different in every individual. To identify these specific hotspots, they take a next-generation approach using non-invasive neuroimaging including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to identify abnormally connected or abnormally active regions of the brain in patients. Resting-state fMRI maps are a powerful way to look at functional connections in the brain and differences in those connections. Guided by this brain imaging data, the investigators will generate personalized maps of optimal sites to stimulate with rTMS. Using these personalized maps as a guide, they will deliver a single session of rTMS to see if stimulating that patient-specific region changes some of the clinical characteristics of laryngeal dystonia and task-specific focal hand dystonia as well as some of the cognitive and behavioral features identifiable in those movement disorders.
The goal of the project is to provide a framework and option for delivering neuromodulation in a better way than what is currently available. The investigators need to understand the best way to deliver neuromodulation for each patient before the next steps to large scale treatment trials and ultimately the clinic. A more informed approach guided by neuroscience for the treatment of dystonia will ultimately help patients get the greatest benefit from neuromodulation.
Christian Schlieker, PhD
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Dr. Schlieker intends to identify the genetic networks involved in DYT-TOR1A dystonia. The study will explore disease-causing gene networks that could become novel drug targets.
Dr. Christian Schlieker explains his latest research:
Research Fellowships
Over the years, DMRF has created funding awards to support young investigators at different stages in their scientific training. Postdoctoral fellowship awards recognize and support outstanding young scientists who have earned a doctoral degree and have embarked on a period of mentored research.
DMRF is supporting postdoctoral fellows who are working to fundamentally improve our understanding of brain dysfunction and molecular mechanisms underlying dystonia.
New in 2025
Alexander Hodge, PhD
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Dr. Hodge intends to explore how changes in the neurotransmitters dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain’s striatum contribute to the development and severity of dystonia. By tracking real-time interactions between these neurotransmitters in mice with different dystonia-related mutations, the research will provide insights into how these chemical changes affect motor behaviors and may lead to dystonic symptoms. The findings could help identify specific targets for improving clinical manifestations of dystonia.
Dr. Hodge explains his latest research:
Continuing Projects
Abigail Wilson, PhD
University College London, London, United Kingdom
Supported by the David M. Rudolph Fund
Dr. Wilson aims to find new drug treatments for patients with DYT-TOR1A dystonia. Using fly models with the same genetic mutation, she will test medications used for other disorders to see if they positively impact the dystonia symptoms. She hopes this will facilitate further therapeutic options for dystonia patients.
Dr. Abigail Wilson explains her latest dystonia research:
Dr. Lucia Feldmann explains her latest research:
English