NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Imperial College London has launched a new branch of the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative, a large-scale biomarker research project sponsored by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research that will focus on two mutations linked to the disease, the foundation said today.

The PPMI will study individuals with known LRRK or SNCA genetic mutations, both of which have been linked to Parkinson's disease, and it is currently seeking volunteers of Ashkenazi Jewish background to participate in the project.