How genes and aerobic exercise might slow Parkinson's
Official title: The Interplay between Genetics and Aerobic Exercise to Slow Parkinson's disease (GEARS) Trial
Funded at Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru · NIH-11258046 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project sees whether high-intensity aerobic exercise in community programs can slow Parkinson's disease and whether people’s genes affect those benefits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project start | January 18, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $613,860 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS132437-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11258046 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with Parkinson's disease who can attend supervised Pedaling for Parkinson’s sessions at participating sites and are willing to provide genetic samples are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot do high-intensity aerobic exercise, have severe medical limitations, or cannot travel to the study sites are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
I would join a local Pedaling for Parkinson’s community exercise program that uses high-intensity aerobic workouts supervised across multiple sites. The trial plans to enroll 250 people with Parkinson’s at six locations in Northeast Ohio and Salt Lake City and will collect genetic information from participants. Researchers will follow participants over time, tracking symptoms and measures of disease progression to see who gains the most from the exercise. The goal is to learn how genetic risk interacts with exercise benefits so exercise programs can be better matched to patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could show that accessible community exercise programs slow Parkinson's progression and help tailor exercise recommendations based on genetic risk.
How similar studies have gone: Controlled laboratory studies have shown symptom improvement with high-intensity aerobic exercise, but applying those results in community programs and linking outcomes to genetics is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
Cleveland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alberts, Jay L. — Cleveland Clinic Lerner Com-Cwru
- Study coordinator: Alberts, Jay L.
Related research
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.