Cure Parkinson’s and Van Andel Institute (VAI) are delighted to announce Dr Matt Farrer as the winner of the 2025 Tom Isaacs Award, which honours researchers who closely collaborate with the Parkinson’s community.
The two organisations were delighted to announce Dr Matt Farrer as winner of the 2025 Tom Isaacs Award. Cure Parkinson’s CEO Helen Matthews presented the award to Dr Farrer at the annual Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium and parallel Rallying to the Challenge meeting for people living with Parkinson’s, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. On receiving the award, Dr Farrer said:
I feel very humbled to receive the Tom Isaacs Award. None of this would be possible without people with Parkinson’s and their families, who are at the heart of every discovery. From identifying genes like alpha-synuclein, LRRK2, PINK1 and PARKIN to uncovering the roles of mitochondria and lysosomes, the biggest breakthroughs have come from studying families affected by Parkinson’s. Their genealogy and personal medical perspective have given us cause-and-effect insights that guide the future of research, and we need more focus and funding in this area to truly make a difference. Their knowledge of Parkinson’s is second to none, and it’s humbling to learn from them.”
Dr Farrer is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida, where he specialises in Molecular Neuroscience and Neurogenetics. Dr Farrer’s work in the genetics and neuroscience of Parkinson’s is critically acclaimed, and focuses on uniting people with Parkinson’s and researchers for their mutual benefit.
Helen Matthews, CEO of Cure Parkinson’s, said:
We are delighted to present the 2025 Tom Isaacs Award to Matt. Through his work he truly understands the importance and value of working with people with Parkinson’s and how insights from the lived experience of Parkinson’s can drive research. We hope this award will help celebrate Matt’s passion and commitment to the Parkinson’s community.”
This news item came from: https://cureparkinsons.org.uk/2025/09/professor-matthew-farrer-wins-2025-tom-isaacs-award/
