SPARK NS, an independent nonprofit dedicated to advancing discoveries in neuroscience, has announced that Kathy Steece-Collier, PhD, has been named a recipient of up to $2M to further her project titled “A Disease Modifying Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease for Multimodal Patient Benefit.”

Steece-Collier, a professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience, is one of eight recipients named in the $16M award announced by SPARK NS Thursday morning. All the projects selected for the SPARK NS Translational Research Program, 2025 Cohort focus on Parkinson’s disease.

For decades, Steece-Collier has led an effort to reduce or eliminate dyskinesia, the involuntary and uncontrolled movement of hands, the head, and other body parts, which results as a side effect of commonly prescribed Parkinson’s drug. She and her all-woman team have a goal to render Parkinson’s a treatable disease where symptoms can be minimized and effectively managed, thereby improving the quality of life for patients.

SPARK NS aims to advance promising academic discoveries in neuroscience from the lab to the clinic, eliminating barriers between revelations and treatments. The SPARK NS program offers academic researchers funding, education in drug development, mentorship by industry experts, and networking opportunities.

This story was originally featured by the College of Human Medicine.

Is your company interested in partnering with any of MSU’s field-advancing neuroscience researchers? Click Here.

The MSU Innovation Center combines research partnerships, technology transfer, and startup support for MSU faculty who aim to see their research applied to make the world a better place.

Composed of Business Connect, MSU Technologies, and Spartan Innovations, the MSU Innovation Center aims to amplify the impact of faculty research and drive economic growth while positively impacting society to solve real-world challenges with cutting-edge ideas.

Through mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships with the private sector, we connect MSU faculty with companies for corporate-sponsored research collaborations. We also play a key role in facilitating the commercialization and public use of technologies and copyrightable materials, moving MSU’s innovations from the lab to the marketplace. Importantly, we provide significant support for faculty entrepreneurs in establishing startup companies based on technologies developed at MSU.