Goudreau, an associate professor in MSU’s departments of neurology and ophthalmology and pharmacology and toxicology and director of MSU’s Translational Neurobiology Research Unit, has been researching Parkinson’s for about 12 years. In his research, which uses mice as models, Goudreau said he has found two groups of cells affected by the disease. One group dies, but the other that contains Parkin takes a hit and bounces back.

“How does Parkin allow these cells to bounce back so quickly from an injury?” Goudreau said. “If we figure that out, we’ll be able to prevent cells from dying and slow down the disease.”

Goudreau received a $1.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in May to study the seemingly resistant protein, in addition to his ongoing clinical studies, which study mild cases of Parkinson’s in patients and also are funded by the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.

Andrea Amalfitano, professor in MSU’s departments of pediatrics and microbiology and molecular genetics, is serving as a consultant since his laboratory performs research on delivering genes into cells, which applies to treating genetic and acquired diseases, including Parkinson’s.

“It’s real exciting and it’s cutting-edge,” Amalfitano said. “(Goudreau) has got some great ideas that could offer some potential future benefits to patients that have Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases.”

Amalfitano said the research is translational, which means the laboratory research is applied directly to a patient’s problems.

“I love helping out,” he said. “Goudreau and I both graduated from the same (osteopathic graduate) program at Michigan State as well, so it’s kind of fun that we’re now collaborating at this level.”

David Kaufman, professor and chairperson of MSU’s Department of Neurology and Ophthalmology, said the prestigious grant is a tribute to Goudreau, who Kaufman said is an excellent physician.

“It is very unusual that a clinician, a doctor of his talent, also has the research capability that is shown by this NIH grant,” Kaufman said. “It is a very rare combination.”

Goudreau received his undergraduate and medical degrees from MSU, then worked at the Mayo Clinic until he was recruited back to MSU, Kaufman said.

“He is a true son of MSU,” Kaufman said. “It is one those spectacular stories where the guy that enjoyed going to football games as much as any other graduate, worked and built himself up and collected the research skills necessary to compete in this field, but he wanted to do it back home at MSU.”