The Department of Neurological Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine continues to advance innovative, patient‑centered research in Parkinson’s disease with the award of a $350,000 research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to Dr. Roberta Marongiu. Dr. Marongiu has studied Parkinson’s disease since graduate school, building a research program that spans neurogenetics, molecular neuroscience and gene therapy. This award supports her ongoing work investigating sex‑specific biological differences in Parkinson’s disease, an area that has been historically underexplored despite its relevance to treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes.
“This award is a significant step forward for my research program,” said Dr. Marongiu. “Non‑motor symptoms, including anxiety, depression and cognitive changes, can be just as debilitating as motor symptoms and are often among the earliest to appear. This funding allows us to deepen that work and ask questions that have long been overlooked.”
Dr. Roberta Marongiu
Why Sex Differences Matter in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease affects men and women differently in prevalence, symptom presentation, disease progression and response to treatment. Many therapies currently used to treat Parkinson’s were developed based on clinical trials that included predominantly male participants, shaping today’s treatment landscape and leaving important gaps in understanding how these drugs affect women.
“Women often experience different side effects or variable effectiveness with the Parkinson’s drugs we rely on today,” Dr. Marongiu explained. “In many cases, outcomes were not analyzed by sex, which limits what we know and can offer female patients. Addressing that gap is a major motivation behind this research.”
The research supported by this grant aims to identify biological mechanisms that differ between males and females and leverage those insights to inform more precise targeted therapies.
Bridging Molecular Research and Clinical Impact
One of the Department of Neurological Surgery’s priorities is translating scientific discovery into clinical impact. Dr. Marongiu’s research program exemplifies this approach by examining Parkinson’s disease across preclinical models, human data and patient‑relevant symptoms. Her lab investigates both motor and non‑motor symptoms, including anxiety, depression and cognitive changes, which are often underrecognized but significantly affect quality of life.
“It is becoming clear that there will not be a single treatment that addresses every symptom of Parkinson’s disease,” Dr. Marongiu said. “Motor and non‑motor symptoms involve different brain systems and those systems may be affected differently in men and women. Ultimately, the goal is personalized therapy tailored to each individual.”
A central focus of the current grant is understanding how specific brain circuits that regulate memory and mood are affected differently in men and women with Parkinson’s disease.
“These cognitive and psychiatric symptoms are debilitating for patients,” she noted. “If we can better understand how these circuits are affected, we can begin developing therapies that directly address them.”
An Interdisciplinary Research Environment
Dr. Marongiu trained as a geneticist before expanding her work into neuroscience and gene therapy. Within the Department of Neurological Surgery, she works closely with faculty such as Dr. Michael Kaplitt, who serves as both mentor and collaborator. This multidisciplinary environment allows her team to connect molecular findings with clinical insight and surgical decision making.
“To understand neurodegenerative disease, we need to examine the brain and body at multiple levels, from molecular processes to systems‑level function,” she said.
While Parkinson’s disease is often considered a medical neurology condition, foundational science plays a critical role in shaping future neurosurgical interventions and treatment strategies. Dr. Marongiu’s research on sex differences also includes studying the role of hormonal influences and hormonal changes during key life transitions such as menopause on Parkinson’s symptoms in women.
“Patients have described connections between hormonal changes and their symptoms that are not well understood clinically,” she said. “Understanding these mechanisms can help inform treatment decisions for clinicians.”
National Recognition for Innovative Parkinson’s Research
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is among the most competitive and impactful funders of Parkinson’s research. Dr. Marongiu’s proposal stood out for its comprehensive multi‑level approach linking molecular mechanisms to pathology and clinical symptoms while addressing understudied areas such as sex differences and non‑motor symptoms.
“Receiving this support reinforces that we are asking meaningful questions,” she said. “Research requires persistence and this funding affirms that the work is moving in the right direction.”
Building Toward Future Clinical Translation
Over the next two years, the funded research will focus on identifying molecular mechanisms that differ between males and females with Parkinson’s disease with the goal of pinpointing targets that could inform more personalized treatment strategies.
“My hope is that the work we are doing now will lay the groundwork so that, in ten years, we or researchers building on these findings will have a sex‑informed therapy in clinical trials or already reaching patients,” she said. “That is what all of this is working toward.”
Learn more about Dr. Marongiu: https://neurosurgery.weillcornell.org/faculty/roberta-marongiu-phd