The center offers an experienced team, including physician researchers and research coordinators, who understand the needs of research sponsors and work to provide timely and accurate studies. Most recently, the Struthers Parkinson's Center has conducted pharmaceutical and device research with Novartis, Roche, Somerset, Medtronic, Pharmacia, and CroMedica. In addition to sponsored research, the center conducts investigator-initiated studies on traditional and holistic therapies in treating Parkinson's disease. Areas included are:

• Speech therapy
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• T'ai Chi Chih
• Spiritual care
• Caregiver services
• Music therapy
• Support services
• Animal-assisted therapy

Researchers also benefit from the close working relationship the center has with the Park Nicollet Institute. The Institute is one of America's leading research organizations and provides centralized clinical support in such areas as budget, contract negotiations and regulatory support.

Paul M. Silverstein, MD

• MD: University of Minnesota Medical School
• Board-certified in neurology
• Specialty: Parkinson's disease
• Fellowship: neuropathology, Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY

• MD: Aristotles University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
• PhD: neurophysiology, Aristotles University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
• Board-certified in neurology
• Specialties: Parkinson's diseases and related disorders
• Fellowships: Experimental Therapeutics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; Division of Movement Disorders, Mayo Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, MN

• MD: Medical College of Virginia
• Board-certified in neurology and medical genetics
• Specialties: Parkinson's disease, Ataxia and Huntington's disease
• Advanced training in neurology, University of Minnesota
• Advanced training in medical genetics, University of Minnesota

• MD: Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL
• Board-certified in neurology
• Specialty: Parkinson's disease
• Advanced training in internal medicine, neurology and neuropathology, Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, Cleveland, OH

• MD: University of Minnesota Medical School
• Board-certified in neurology
• Specialties: Parkinson's disease and movement disorders

• DO: University of Osteopathic Medicine and Health Sciences, Des Moines, IA
• Board-certified in neurology
• Specialties: Parkinson's disease and HIV-related neurologic disorders
• Fellowship: neurologic infectious disease, University of Minnesota

Catherine Wielinski, MPH, research director, 15 years experience with clinical and administrative claims research including clinical trials, survey, and quality of life studies; 15 years experience with regulatory and administrative oversight of research .

Susan Peterson, RN, BSN, research coordinator, 2 years experience with pharmaceutical sponsored research.

Elizabeth Krech, research assistant, 5 years experience on the genetics of Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

The center offers one of the largest Parkinson's patient populations in the Upper Midwest with a current patient base of over 1,500 patients seen in multi-disciplinary clinic visits. Of patients new to the Struthers Center approximately 90% are Hoehn-Yahr stage 1-3. The computerized database has been written to be available via the Internet to provide rapid participant selection for studies. In addition to the database, the center attracts study participants through a 70+-member support group network.

Neurology