NIH Awards $321,589 to Rowan University for Parkinson's Disease Research on Aerodigestive Dysfunction
Key Insights
Francois Gould of Rowan University's Neuroscience department received $321,589 from the NIH, bringing total funding to $1,030,850, to study neurodegeneration's impact on aerodigestive coordination in a pesticide-based Parkinson's disease (search) model.
The research investigates how nigral and extranigral neurodegeneration contributes to swallowing and breathing discoordination, a critical but understudied complication of Parkinson's disease (search).
This study represents the highest clinical-impact research among recent Rowan University grant awards, addressing a significant unmet need in understanding Parkinson's disease (search) pathophysiology.
The National Institutes of Health has awarded $321,589 to Francois Gould, Ph.D., of Rowan University's Neuroscience department, to support research investigating the relationship between neurodegeneration and aerodigestive dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (search). The award brings total funding for the project to $1,030,850, underscoring sustained federal investment in understanding this debilitating neurodegenerative condition.
The study, titled "Impact of nigral and extranigral neurodegeneration on aerodigestive discoordination in a pesticide model of Parkinson's disease (search)," aims to elucidate how neuronal loss both within and beyond the substantia nigra contributes to impaired coordination of swallowing and breathing — a phenomenon known as aerodigestive discoordination.
Addressing a Critical Gap in Parkinson's Research
While Parkinson's disease (search) is widely recognized for its hallmark motor symptoms — tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia — aerodigestive dysfunction represents a serious yet often underappreciated complication. Discoordination between swallowing and respiration can lead to aspiration pneumonia, which remains a leading cause of death among Parkinson's patients. By employing a pesticide-based model of the disease, Gould's research may shed light on environmental contributions to Parkinson's pathology while simultaneously mapping the neural circuits responsible for these life-threatening deficits.
The study's focus on both nigral and extranigral neurodegeneration reflects growing recognition that Parkinson's disease (search) pathology extends well beyond the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, affecting multiple brain regions that may contribute to the full spectrum of motor and non-motor symptoms.
Broader Context of Rowan University Research Funding
The Gould award was among several notable neuroscience and biomedical research grants reported by Rowan University. Elizabeth West, also of the Neuroscience department, received $25,000 from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (search) to study neural circuits mediating apathetic phenotypes in an Alzheimer's disease rat model. Additionally, Archana Kumari, Neuroscience, was awarded the New Jersey Health Foundation (search)'s George F. Heinrich, MD Excellence in Research Award for 2025-2026, accompanied by $2,500 in research support.
Other biomedical grants included Peter Schnatz of OB/GYN receiving $25,000 from the Osteopathic Heritage Foundation (search) for developing an artificial intelligence tool for automated detection and grading of breast arterial calcifications on mammography, and Patrick Hwang of Biomedical Engineering securing $561,681 from the NIH for research on combined electric field stimulation and nitric oxide therapy for diabetic foot ulcers.
The sustained NIH support for Gould's Parkinson's disease (search) research highlights the agency's commitment to understanding neurodegenerative disease mechanisms and the role environmental factors may play in disease onset and progression.