Verily Wins Michael J. Fox Foundation Grant to Build Major Parkinson’s Molecular Dataset
In a significant development for neurodegenerative disease research, Verily, the Alphabet-owned precision health technology company, announced today that it has received a $14.7 million research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). The funding will support Verily’s ambitious effort to create one of the most detailed molecular datasets to date for Parkinson’s disease (PD), using samples and data collected through the long-standing Personalized Parkinson’s Project (PPP).
This initiative marks a major step forward in the scientific community’s drive to unravel the complex biology of Parkinson’s disease, which affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and leads to approximately 90,000 new diagnoses every year. Despite years of dedicated research, the underlying mechanisms of Parkinson’s remain poorly understood, posing a substantial barrier to the development of effective treatments or disease-modifying therapies.
With this new funding, Verily aims to change that by generating a rich and multi-dimensional dataset that brings together molecular, clinical, imaging, and behavioral data—all linked to biospecimens such as blood and cerebrospinal fluid—from one of the most comprehensive PD cohorts available.
Building on the Personalized Parkinson’s Project
The foundation of this effort is the Personalized Parkinson’s Project, a landmark two-year longitudinal study conducted in collaboration with Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. The study enrolled 520 individuals living with Parkinson’s disease, collecting a treasure trove of detailed clinical histories, behavioral data from Verily’s Study Watch, medical imaging data, and matched biological samples.
The Verily Study Watch, designed specifically for clinical research, captures continuous physiological and behavioral signals such as movement, heart rate, and sleep patterns. When this data is contextualized with clinical and molecular findings, it provides a powerful, real-world window into how Parkinson’s disease develops and progresses over time.
Until now, the PPP data has already offered invaluable insights into Parkinson’s, but with the help of the new MJFF grant, Verily will dramatically expand the project’s scope by adding cutting-edge molecular profiling techniques. This will include high-resolution genomic, immunological, and metabolomic analysis, resulting in a uniquely comprehensive dataset that will be made available to researchers worldwide through Verily’s Workbench platform.
A Next-Generation Molecular Resource for Parkinson’s
The new phase of Verily’s work will apply advanced laboratory methods to biospecimens collected from PPP participants. These techniques are designed to dig deeper into the molecular underpinnings of Parkinson’s by creating what Verily describes as one of the most nuanced and layered molecular data resources in the field.
According to Verily, the grant will fund the generation of the following types of molecular data:
- Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS): For participants who provided consent, Verily will perform WGS to uncover genetic variants that may be linked to specific forms or features of Parkinson’s disease. This can help identify heritable risk factors, molecular subtypes of the disease, and genetic pathways that might be targeted with new therapies.
- Immunogenomic Profiling: This component of the dataset will provide a high-resolution look at the immune system, shedding light on how immune responses and inflammation might contribute to the development or progression of Parkinson’s. Given growing evidence that neuroinflammation plays a role in neurodegenerative diseases, this data could be a game-changer in identifying new immune-related targets.
- Metabolomic and Protein Biomarker Data: Verily will also generate data on metabolites and proteins such as alpha-synuclein, a hallmark protein implicated in Parkinson’s pathology. Changes in these biomarkers can help researchers better understand disease stages, predict disease activity, and potentially find new diagnostic indicators.
The synthesis of this rich molecular data with already existing clinical and behavioral datasets will allow researchers to perform multi-omic analyses, paving the way for systems biology approaches to Parkinson’s. These insights are essential for driving innovation in areas such as precision diagnostics, personalized therapies, and disease monitoring tools.
Public Access via Verily Workbench
Verily’s platform, Workbench, will play a critical role in this initiative. Workbench is a secure, cloud-based research environment designed to support large-scale, collaborative studies by giving scientists access to harmonized, de-identified datasets.
The molecular and multimodal data collected under this new grant will be publicly accessible to qualified researchers, helping democratize access to vital information that could fuel a wave of discoveries. This move aligns with Verily’s broader mission of fostering transparency, collaboration, and innovation across the life sciences.
In fact, Workbench already houses several Parkinson’s-related datasets, and this newest addition is expected to significantly enhance its value. By integrating molecular data into this environment, researchers will be able to perform sophisticated analyses—such as exploring genotype-phenotype correlations, developing predictive models of disease progression, or identifying new biomarkers for therapeutic response.
A Legacy of Collaboration in Parkinson’s Research
This latest grant builds on years of collaborative efforts between Verily and The Michael J. Fox Foundation, both of which have a strong track record in driving forward Parkinson’s disease research. MJFF has long been a leader in funding and coordinating research initiatives, while Verily brings technological innovation and scalable data infrastructure to the table.
“Scientific understanding of Parkinson’s disease has advanced significantly over the past decade, and we continue to seek new answers on its genetic, immunological, and molecular determinants,” said Dr. Mark Frasier, Chief Scientist at MJFF. “The Michael J. Fox Foundation supports a broad portfolio exploring biological forms of Parkinson’s disease through molecular phenotyping. As part of those efforts, Verily’s new data resource aims to enable researchers to achieve breakthroughs on the underlying mechanisms of the disease and develop novel therapies that can improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers.”
Dr. Andrew Trister, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Verily, echoed this sentiment. “We are dedicated to using data and technology to accelerate cutting-edge research,” he said. “This grant expands upon our previous research efforts, enabling us to generate one of the most extensive molecular data assets of its kind. Global researchers will access it through Verily’s platform to advance new discoveries in Parkinson’s disease.”
Charting a New Future for Parkinson’s Patients
The burden of Parkinson’s disease continues to grow worldwide, not just in terms of prevalence but in the impact it has on patients, families, and healthcare systems. Yet, efforts to develop new treatments have been hampered by a limited understanding of the disease’s biology.
Verily’s initiative, backed by MJFF’s strategic investment, represents a pivotal moment in addressing that gap. By combining real-world patient data, molecular science, and scalable digital infrastructure, this partnership exemplifies a model for modern biomedical research.
Through the availability of such data on open platforms, Verily and MJFF are making it possible for researchers worldwide to participate in a shared mission: identifying better biomarkers, pinpointing disease-modifying targets, and ultimately delivering interventions that slow or halt the course of Parkinson’s disease.
As researchers tap into this expanded dataset in the months and years to come, the ripple effects could transform not only how Parkinson’s is studied, but how it’s understood, diagnosed, treated—and hopefully, one day, prevented altogether.
