Support the KNI RUN FOR RESEARCH at the Bourbon Chase!

Support the KNI RUN FOR RESEARCH at the Bourbon Chase!

The Bourbon Chase is an annual 200-mile relay race across the Bluegrass in October. Runners spend over 24 hours traveling through some of the most scenic and historic parts of Kentucky. The Kentucky Neuroscience Institute's Neurotransmitters running team completes the chase each year, in an effort to raise awareness and funding for neuroscience research.

This year, the KNI team will be raising funds for Parkinson's Research. One key obstacle to effective treatment of Parkinson's disease is the lack of a biomarker for early and accurate diagnosis of patients. This is problematic, since by the time people start showing signs of Parkinson's disease, such as tremor or slowed walking, a significant amount of cell death has already occurred in crucial areas of the brain.

Dr. Tritia Yamasaki and her research team, in collaboration with UK's Brain Restoration Center, are evaluating blood and tissue samples from Parkinson's patients in order to discover useful biomarkers. One protein under study is alpha-synuclein, which accumulates abnormally within nerve cells, and spreads from cell to cell in Parkinson's disease. Since accumulation of alpha-synuclein could interfere with key processes in the cell, this protein may be a good candidate for an early marker of the disease process.

The funds raised from this year's Bourbon Chase will help purchase crucial lab supplies, equipment and provide support for a tissue bank which will be used to discover new markers for diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions.

You can support the Bourbon Chase Fund on this page. If you'd like to give to another fund that is not listed, please use the search box in the upper right of this page and type in the desired fund to make your gift. We are grateful for your support!