Khoo earns grant from Fox Foundation

Sok Kean Khoo, distinguished associate professor of molecular genomics, received a $110,000 grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to continue her research on molecular biomarkers for Parkinson’s disease.

Khoo joined Grand Valley’s cell and molecular biology faculty one year ago, after 13 years at the Van Andel Institute, studying cancers and Parkinson’s disease. She earned a doctoral degree in molecular genetics from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

While at Van Andel Institute, Khoo led a pilot project to identify biomarkers that could one day be used to develop a blood test for early detection of Parkinson’s disease. That project was funded by a grant from the MJFF and in collaboration with Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Hauenstein Neuroscience Center, University of Colorado Denver and Umeå University.

About 1 million Americans suffer from Parkinson’s disease, an incurable and degenerative neurological disorder, with 50,000-60,000 new patients diagnosed annually. Most patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease have already entered its advanced stages. 

With her current grant renewal from the MJFF, Khoo and her graduate research students will investigate if these biomarkers can also be used to monitor the advancement of the disease.