The Kellar Family Division of Movement Disorders houses strong basic and translational as well as clinical research programs. The relationships between basic and clinical departments at NYU Langone and research institutions in Europe create a unique community dedicated to this important mission.

NYU Langone Health’s Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders engages basic researchers and clinician–scientists from NYU Langone’s Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Physiology, and Neurosurgery and Neuroscience Institute to investigate fundamental research questions in the following areas:

• understanding the mechanisms of neurodegeneration that underlie Parkinson’s disease
• identifying the mechanisms that control the release of dopamine in the brain
• uncovering the brain circuits that control the selection, initiation, and execution of voluntary movements
• revealing how movement-related brain circuits change in Parkinson’s disease give rise to decreased motor performance, gait dysfunction, and postural instability
• gaining a better understanding of the nonmotor complications of Parkinson’s disease such as depression, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, impulse control disorders, and autonomic dysfunction
• investigating new pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies for motor and nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease

At our core is our commitment to the future: groundbreaking science that opens additional possibilities and effective therapies to find a cure and developing innovative models of care that demonstrably improve quality of life for patients, caregivers, and their families.