Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurological disease in Australia. It is a disorder of the brain that affects movement, causing tremors and stiffness, as well as other symptoms like sleep disruption, loss of smell, speech and swallowing problems, cognitive impairment, and depression.


While a small percentage of cases appear to be caused by a single genetic variant, and environmental factors like exposure to chemicals seem to play a role, the exact cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown. This means there is currently no evidence-based ways to prevent development of this disease.


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Garvan’s research into Parkinson’s disease is multidisciplinary, focusing on translating basic scientific discoveries into the clinic to help patients. We use advanced human genome sequencing technologies, giving an unparalleled ability to undertake whole-genome sequencing of patient DNA and animal models. This vastly increases our understanding of disease and leads to improved, safer and more effective personalised medicine.


The Australian Parkinson’s Mission (APM) is a Garvan-led collaboration of researchers working to find effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease. By harnessing the power of genomics and running transformative clinical trials, the APM aims to develop effective and tailored treatments for patients with Parkinson’s disease, based on their individual genomes.

A degenerative condition of the central nervous system affecting around 10 million individuals globally