Hi everyone, below is the content of the December 2025 Data Community Newsletter we sent out via email on December 5th. Let us know if you didn’t receive it, or if you have topics you’d like to see in future newsletters!
December 2025 Data Community Newsletter
Training Grants - Deadline Extended!
The Mentorship and Training Task Force is soliciting proposals to support training and integrated learning initiatives. Two proposals for $3,750 each (direct costs) will be awarded. This funding mechanism is intended to support early career stage investigators conducting multidisciplinary research on Parkinson’s disease using MJFF data sets including but not limited to those found here. To learn more or submit your application, check out the thread here. Please note: the application deadline has been extended to February 2nd, 2026.
Community Programming
Have you ever wondered about the link between sports, head trauma, and Parkinson’s? Do you (or are you interested in) working with Fox Insight data in your Parkinson’s disease research? If so, join us for a community webinar on Monday, December 8th, 12:30-1:30pm (ET), as we hear from PhD candidate @AnnaliseMiner and Dr. Michael Alosco (@malosco) on their current research at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. If you’d like to attend, indicate your interest in this Discourse thread!
In case you missed our November webinar, we heard an inspiring talk from Dr. Ana Jimena Hernández-Medrano (@anajimenahdz; International Laboratory for Human Genome Research, National Autonomous University of Mexico) on how to conduct patient-centered research in the age of big data. You can join the discussion and access the recording here.
Task Force Updates
Our task forces are continuing their work to produce resources for PD researchers. These efforts rely on member contribution and we hope you’ll join one (or more) detailed below:
- Mentorship and Training - Led by: @psaffie & @malosco
- Call for proposals (LIVE): MJFF Training and Integrated Learning Support Grants (described in more detail above and in this Discourse thread). Deadline for applications: February 2nd, 2026.
- Stay tuned in early 2026 for opportunities to get involved in our upcoming mentor-mentee program!
- Data Modality and Methodology - Led by: @ehutchins & @hirotaka
- Continuing this task force’s work on the Parkinson’s Insight Engine (PIE), @vcatterson helped reformat the pipeline in an effort to make PIE clearer and easier to use for those interested in exploring PPMI data, while @cameronreidhamilton is currently developing PIE’s GUI.
- @AmgadDroby, @hirotaka, and @apinstein took the next step in the validation of their regional DAT-SPECT SBR Analysis tool, aiming to make the pipeline as interoperable as possible for future adoption.
- Networking and Outreach - Led by: @Vidash & @ecebayram
- Working to create a robust support system for researchers and practitioners working with Parkinson’s disease, this task force has launched a Knowing Me, Knowing You program to connect researchers both personally and professionally. Join the discussion and get involved here!
Resources and Ongoing Conversations
- @tiago.azevedo asked a question about the SomeLogics proteomics dataset.
- @blin inquired about SAA statuses for prodromal cohorts in PPMI.
- @ecebayram started a discussion on the frustrations that may come with writing grants.
- @psaffie floated the idea of a shared visual training space - what do you think?
Welcome New Members!
We encourage you to reach out to our new members and extend a warm welcome to the community! Some of our new members include:
- @nicdzam (Macquarie University)
- @Mayly007 (Griffith University)
- @prabeshk (University of Michigan)
- @MubasherQ (King’s College London)
That’s it for now – thanks for being members of our growing community. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, we look forward to hearing from you! If you know of colleagues or other researchers who would be interested in joining, feel free to direct them to https://rcop.michaeljfox.org/ where they can set up an account.
Me & Mubs took over that committee as the new chair-vice chair duo and you guessed it, we aim to push some more training programs out with potential updates to the good ole’ MDS UPDRS. so if you have complaints, requests, please let us know!!!