Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders

Biography

Dr. Adler's research can be divided into three main categories. He is first involved in leading the effort to clinically characterize a cohort of subjects enrolled in a brain donation program. This program involves annual clinical evaluation for movement disorders and cognitive function. It is performed at multiple institutions in the Phoenix area, including Mayo Clinic and Sun Health Research Institute. All subjects then donate their brains at the time of death. The research led by Dr. Adler includes investigating early signs (clinical biomarkers) for the development of Parkinson's disease and dementia in Parkinson's disease. Additionally, Dr. Adler collaborates with Dr. Thomas Beach, the neuropathologist at Sun Health Research Institute, as well as multiple laboratory-based scientists investigating the potential etiology for Parkinson's disease, dementia in Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and restless legs syndrome. A second main feature of Dr. Adler's research program is the investigation of normal and abnormal movement in various disorders. This includes studying handwriting and other movements in patients with Parkinson's disease, as well as muscle movement in golfers with and without golfer's cramp (yips). The third area of research is Dr. Adler's investigations of new treatments for multiple movement disorders. This includes pharmaceutical trials as well as new treatments being studied by the NIH and single-site studies performed only at Mayo Clinic.

Research Interest

Parkinson's disease, Dementia