A new UK-wide research collaboration acclerating development of promising new treatments and precision diagnostics for Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders affecting movement has been launched today (23 April 2026).
The Parkinson's disease Translational Research Collaboration (PD-TRC), funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and supported by four major charities, is the first of eight UK TRCs to focus on Parkinson's disease.
Its key purpose will be to bring together UK expertise and infrastructure, delivered through 17 centres of excellence across academia and the NHS, to strengthen collaboration in groundbreaking translational Parkinson's disease research.
Translational research focuses on testing the safety and impact of innovations. It also involves examination of how new procedures lead to patient benefit.
Parkinson's focus
The new Translational Research Centre (TRC) will be led by Professor Oliver Bandmann, Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Movement Disorders at the University of Sheffield. He is supported by Professor Camille Carroll, from NIHR Newcastle BRC, and Professor Alistair Noyce at Queen Mary University of London.
It is the eighth TRC to be established by the NIHR - two of which have launched this past year - and the first to be hosted by the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).
Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder which affects over 166,000 people in the UK. There are major gaps in UK Parkinson's disease research, especially in experimental medicine and early clinical trials. Progress is also slowed by fragmented, siloed work across basic science, experimental medicine and clinical research.
Improving access to research
Professor Oliver Bandmann, Chair of the NIHR Parkinson's Disease Translational Research Collaboration, said:
"Parkinson's Disease can be devastating for those that live with it, and despite progress in treatment and detection we still haven't found treatment to slow down the disease and address every patient's needs.
"This is why this new NIHR-funded Translational Research Collaboration with specific focus on Parkinson's and related disorders is so important. When experts collaborate, barriers can be overcome, and great things can happen. We also have strong support from all relevant patient charities. Furthermore, people with Parkinson's will be closely involved to ensure that their voice will be heard. I am excited for what we can achieve.
"The NIHR-PD-TRC represents a unique opportunity to transform early-phase clinical research in Parkinson's disease and related disorders in the UK. It aims to bridge the gap between promising preclinical discoveries and clinical trials."
Professor Christopher McDermott, Director NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and Professor of Translational Neurology at the University of Sheffield, said:
"We are delighted to be hosting this UK-wide research collaboration. This is a fantastic opportunity to bring together expertise in Parkinson's disease and associated neurological conditions from across the NHS, academia, patients, industry and charity organisations to maximise the benefits of groundbreaking research taking place in Biomedical Research Centres across the country and ensure potentially life-changing scientific discoveries in Parkinson's treatment and care can be quickly translated for patient benefit."
Expert hub
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The UK-wide network will bring together expertise from 17 centres of excellence to accelerate scientific discoveries for patient benefit
The new collaboration will also drive collaborations with industries and charities in Parkinson's disease, acting as a hub to bring together research communities and combine expertise to tackle shared challenges. This will widen access to research and help reduce inequalities across the UK.
Karen Walker, Chief Executive, Multiple System Atrophy Trust, said:
"The MSA Trust is proud to support the NIHR-PD-TRC and looks forward to collaborating with the teams around the country engaged in this unique partnership. We appreciate only too well the anguish felt by our MSA community when a preclinical discovery that has held lots of promise, fails to reach the clinical trial stage and we hope to contribute positively to the efforts to move the early phase research forward."
Megan Hodgson, Research Coordinator, PSPA said:
"PSPA is delighted to be supporting the PD-TRC and its inclusion of both PSP & CBD. We hope this TRC will raise both awareness of these poorly understood conditions and bridge the gaps in research that are desperately needed in both diagnosis and treatments for PSP & CBD. We look forward to seeing the progress of the PD-TRC and how it shapes the future of healthcare."
Dr Simon Stott, Director of Research, Cure Parkinson's, said:
"As a charity solely focused on slowing, stopping or reversing the condition, Cure Parkinson's is very excited to be supporting this new Translational Research Collaboration for Parkinson's. We look forward to future developments coming from this new UK-wide endeavour."
Professor David Dexter, Research Director, Parkinson's UK said:
"Parkinson's UK is honoured to support the NIHR-PD-TRC which will coordinate patient-centred research, improve access to expertise and infrastructure and foster translation of new medicines to patients. Importantly patients will be at the heart of the TRC, which will also break down silos and foster collaborations across the whole research ecosystem. Ultimately this will result in people with Parkinson's getting new treatments faster."
