Movement Disorders Foundation

Small in scope, large in impact, Movement Disorders Foundation is the only grantmaker in Colorado that exclusively funds cross-disease research in the spectrum of clinical disorders that includes Parkinson's disease and parkinsonism, dystonia, essential tremor, Huntington's disease and more. 

Our Young Investigator Pilot Grant program represents our greatest commitment to translational and clinical research that advances the prevention, treatment and/or ultimate cure for movement disorders with “high risk/high reward” research that establishes cross-disease analysis and investigation aimed at developing new insights into the pathophysiology, etiology and/or treatment of multiple movement disorders.

In 2024, we awarded $50,000  Young Investigator Pilot Grants for three research projects with specific applicability to Huntington’s disease, as well as one other movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, or dystonia. To be eligible for consideration, applicants were required to demonstrate the potential of their research to facilitate rapid translation to clinically useful therapies. If substantial productivity is demonstrated in the first year, these grants may be renewed for an additional year if awardees can demonstrate how the funding will facilitate competition for a NIH R01 grant or equivalent.

Young Investigator Pilot Grants are funded by individual donors like you, and we offer supporters at all levels of giving the opportunity to fund specific disease categories, as well as individual research projects such as the ones featured on this page. Please take a few moments to view the presentations prepared by our grant recipients and learn more about their unique projects. 

Your tax-deductible contribution to any of these projects automatically makes you a fractional underwriter, and you'll receive routine communications on your funded research, including breakthroughs and progress reports, videos from researchers and virtual lab tours, impact metrics, Q&A sessions with researchers and more.

Testimonials

"Thanks to [the Movement Disorders Foundation], we're uncovering molecular pathways and mechanisms at the core of the Parkinson's disease pathology itself.... By setting the ground to test drugs that are already FDA approved, we're ahead of the curve to prove that these drugs [can] work to slow down the progression of Parkinson's disease." Daniel Paredes, Ph. D. is a Research Assistant Professor at the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging at the University of Denver and Movement Disorders Foundation grant recipient.

"Keep these [eNewsletters] coming! They are very informative and cover the news that does not seem to hit print elsewhere within the Parkinson’s bubble of blogs and emails." Diane Cook, MDF eNewsletter subscriber

"The Movement Disorders Foundation Huntington's Disease Clinic designation as an HDSA Center of Excellence has provided us recognition as a leader in treating HD patients and families. It has driven referrals from patients and other practitioners and opened doors for us to connect with research sponsors. Serving as an HDSA Center of Excellence is an affirmation of the mission alignment we have with the Huntington's Disease Society of America in moving toward a cure for this most challenging and devastating disease." Luci Draayer, LCSW, CMC, Denver Counseling and Care Consultation