Advancing the fight against Parkinson’s through visionary support and cutting-edge science at the UGA Isakson Center.
When former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he started looking for broader opportunities in his personal challenge. That decision led to the creation of the Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Established with funding given by the Isakson Initiative and other donors, the center investigates the links between environment, genetics and lifestyle in the development of diseases like Parkinson’s.
Isakson formed the initiative prior to his death in 2021 to raise awareness and promote research related to neurocognitive diseases. His family continued his legacy of advancing biomedical research and development through the Isakson Initiative.
“He knew there wasn’t going to be a cure in his lifetime,” said Isakson’s daughter, Julie Mitchell, during a roundtable discussion of the center’s work. “You’re still hopeful, and you still do things like the medicines, the trials, the stem cells, and you do all that to help yourself live with Parkinson’s as long as you can, but also being realistic that if I put more into it that’s going to go beyond me, it’s going to be able to help others.”
Coach Mark Richt and granddaughter Jadyn.
That is the same sentiment that led Coach Mark Richt, former head football coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, to organize the Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl to benefit the Isakson Center. Like Isakson, Richt saw the opportunity to use his status as a public figure to help others. “It was one of those things in the middle of the night that wakes you up and says, ‘You know what? Let’s do something here.’”
The inaugural celebrity bowling event raised nearly $1 million for ongoing research into the connection between Parkinson’s and Crohn’s disease in 2023. Richt’s granddaughter, Jaydn, was diagnosed with Crohn’s as an infant, about six years before Richt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
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For more information on the UGA research funds that are helping advance innovation in Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases:
