Shapiro visits Pitt to tout funding for neurodegenerative disease research
It is hard not to find someone who knows the pain of losing a loved one to a disease like Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's or another neurodegenerative disorder.
As the population ages, the risk for developing these illnesses increases. However, there is hope that new funding from the state for research at institutions like the University of Pittsburgh will make a difference in combating them.
On Friday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro got a firsthand look at a lab at Pitt, one where scientists like Dr. Chris Donnelly, a researcher and assistant professor of neurobiology, are studying ALS and dementia, why people get those diseases and how to stop them.
It's research like this on neurodegenerative diseases that's the focus of a new $5 million grant in the state budget, money which institutions like Pitt can apply for to go directly to their labs. The investment is the first-ever dedicated funding for neurodegenerative disease research.
"It's going to support not only the research, but train the next generation of scientists, clinicians and foster collaboration across the different research groups in the commonwealth," Donnelly said.
It's an investment both science and medical experts and lawmakers feel is essential given the uncertainty surrounding federal funding to research these disorders impacting the brain.
"Here in Pennsylvania, we believe in science, and we believe in investing in the extraordinary work that you are doing," Shapiro said.
The significance is much greater because they're conditions that are becoming more common across the country and the commonwealth, with no clear therapies, affecting not just the patients but family members who become caregivers.
"ALS cases alone are expected to rise by as much as 25% by 2040. Alzheimer's disease cases may double over the next 25 years," Donnelly said.
According to the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, nationally, about one-in-four Americans is expected to experience one of these disorders in their lifetime, and Pennsylvania has the fifth largest older adult population in the country.
For state Rep. Kyle Mullins on the northeast side of the commonwealth, it's very personal, having lost his dad to ALS.
"Today is about hope, hope that we're just one branch away from one clinical trial, from one breakthrough that makes these livable diseases," Mullins said.
It's a breakthrough that's desperately needed, as more families face these devastating disorders.
"We have brilliant minds and the infrastructure ready to accelerate the discovery of new treatments and ultimately, a cure," Pennsylvania Department of Health Secretary Dr. Debra Bogen said.
The application process for the new grant will begin in early 2026.