Recruiting

Observational StudyBlack and African Americans Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD)

Sponsor:

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Code:

NCT06719583

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Study Details

Brief summary:

BLAAC PD is a research study to understand what Parkinson's disease looks like for Black and African American communities.

BLAAC PD is happening at research centers around the United States. The study is part of the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2). GP2 is a research project working to transform understanding of the genetics of Parkinson's disease and make that knowledge globally relevant.

Conditions

Parkinson Disease

Study ID

NCT06719583

Start date

Nov 16, 2020

Status verified date

Feb, 2026

Completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria for Control Participants:

Ability to provide informed consent
Age 50 years or older
Self-identify as Black or African American

Exclusion Criteria for Control Participants:

Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease and/or neurological condition
Familial history of PD and/or neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions
Unknown family history of PD and/or neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions
Any conditions that, in the investigator's opinion, preclude the individual's ability to carry out study activities
If submitting a saliva sample, nothing by mouth (food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking) for 30 minutes prior to sample collection

Inclusion Criteria for Participants with a Diagnosis of PD:

Ability to provide informed consent
Age 18 years or older
Self-identify as Black or African American
Meet the Movement Disorder Society's clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease

Exclusion Criteria for Participants with a Diagnosis of PD:

\- If submitting a saliva sample, nothing by mouth (food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking) for 30 minutes prior to sample collection

Study Design

Enrollment

2000 participants

Anticipated

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

Participants with Parkinson's Disease

Data collected from these participants include demographic information and family health history. Participants may also complete a physical exam. Participants also complete a smell test and contribute a blood or saliva sample for genetic analyses.

Control Participants

Data collected from these participants include demographic information and family health history. Participants also complete a smell test and contribute a blood or saliva sample for genetic analyses.

Primary outcome measure

Explore novel risk factors and characterization [ Time Frame: 5 years ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Naomi Louie, MPH RDN

212-509-0995 nlouie@michaeljfox.org

Locations

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Recruiting

Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233

Contacts

Joseph Richardson

205-934-0074 jhrichardson@uabmc.edu

Lauren Ruffrage

205-934-5954 lruffrage@uabmc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Marissa Dean, MD

University of Florida

Recruiting

Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32608

Contacts

Randy Foli

352-733-2433 randy.foli@neurology.ufl.edu

Emily Reynolds

352-733-2338 Emily.Reynolds@neurology.ufl.edu

Principal Investigator:

Ashley Rawls, MD

Rush University

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612

Contacts

Jacqueline Vanegas

312-563-0679 jacqueline_vanegas@rush.edu

Principal Investigator:

Deborah Hall, MD

University of Chicago

Recruiting

Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637

Contacts

Hanna Gilluly

773-633-8412 hlancerio@bsd.uchicago.edu

Principal Investigator:

Tao Xie, MD, PhD

Ochsner Clinic Foundation

Recruiting

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70121

Contacts

Dominique Thomas

504-842-3980 dominique.thomas3@ochsner.org

Principal Investigator:

Julia Staisch, MD

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport

Recruiting

Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, 71103

Contacts

April Strickland

318-813-3610 april.strickland@lsuhs.edu

Principal Investigator:

Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD

University of Maryland

Recruiting

Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201

Contacts

Christina Cooper

410-328-7817 ChristinaCooper@som.umaryland.edu

Rebecca Weimer

410 328-1883 rweimer@som.umaryland.edu

Principal Investigator:

Lisa Shulman, MD

Washington University in St. Louis

Recruiting

St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63119

Contacts

Coordinator

314-273-5262 NIL-BLAACPD@email.wustl.edu

Principal Investigator:

Scott Norris, MD

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

Recruiting

Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106

Contacts

Ashley Hawkins

216-844-2327 ashley.hawkins2@uhhospitals.org

Principal Investigator:

Camilla Kilbane, MD

Medical University of South Carolina

Recruiting

Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425

Contacts

Lisa Heidelberg

843-792-6463 heidelbe@musc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Vanessa Hinson, MD

University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Recruiting

Houston, Texas, United States, 77030

Contacts

Natalia Pessoa Rocha

713 500 7496 natalia.pessoarocha@uth.tmc.edu

Principal Investigator:

Shivika Chandra, MD

More Information

Sponsor

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Last update posted

Feb 27, 2026

Last verified

Feb, 2026

Keywords

genetics
underrepresented

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-09. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research on 2026-02-27.