By Tammie Smith

Published: July 1, 2009

Virginia Commonwealth University's new Parkinson's initiative will be led by a
veteran researcher who believes no single thing triggers the disease that causes
debilitating, gradually worsening tremors.

While much of Dr. James P. Bennett Jr.'s research focuses on the role of the
energy-producing components of cells called mitochondria, those working with him
are pursuing a range of theories and possible treatments -- even a type of
low-level light therapy studied so far in cells in laboratory dishes.

"Biologically, there is not going to be one thing wrong," Bennett said. "It's
going to be very complicated and multifactoral that could be quite different
across individuals. There is no reason to assume there will be a single cause"
of Parkinson's, a condition associated with aging.

Bennett, 60, starts today as chairman of the neurology department at VCU and as
director of VCU's new $10 million Parkinson's disease research and treatment
initiative.

The ambitious effort aims to raise VCU's profile in research and patient care
for such neurological conditions as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's
diseases.

Bennett has spent the past 29 years at the University of Virginia, where he
brought in millions of dollars in research grants.

Lest anyone think VCU "stole" him from U.Va., Bennett sent the first e-mail,
contacting the medical school dean after reading about the initiative on the VCU
Web site and saying to himself, "Hey, I can do that."

"I responded to that e-mail within five minutes of getting it," said Dr. Jerome
Strauss III, dean of the VCU School of Medicine.

"I knew he was one of the leading figures in the field. I was just thrilled he
was interested in exploring the opportunity," Strauss said.

. . .

Bennett cites multiple reasons for coming to VCU.

He said he liked Strauss' vision of VCU becoming a "translational powerhouse"
where researchers work toward discoveries that can be moved to the market sooner
as therapies for patients.

He also liked the university's overall "very positive, forward-thinking vision
for the future," he said.

The thing that helped seal the deal, however, was the interactions with a group
of Richmond-area men who humorously call themselves the Movers and Shakers.

"They are a highly passionate, devoted, astute group of individuals who have
been working together for years to make something happen without a director,
without a designated space," Bennett said.

"It was all an idea. They kept to that idea. I met with them a couple of times.
Each time, I was more impressed with their commitment."

The Movers and Shakers, including group member Charles F. Bryan Jr., were
featured in a 2006 story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

"My attitude is, Parkinson's is the enemy. I am fighting it tooth and nail,"
said Bryan, diagnosed five years ago. "I try to reach out to those who have it
and help them in every possible way. I like to say when I am gone, Parkinson's
is going to be so glad I am gone."

News stories about the Movers and Shakers caught the eye of Strauss at VCU, who
met with them to talk about a possible research initiative.

In the 2006 story, Bryan had described how as a veteran he was able to get
comprehensive, multidisciplinary care for his Parkinson's at McGuire Veterans
Affairs Medical Center, but there was nothing similar in the community for
nonveterans.

"Since [Strauss] announced he would create such a center, my colleagues and I
have been very active in raising money," Bryan said. "It's a $10 million
effort." Strauss committed $5 million from the VCU School of Medicine, and the
Movers and Shakers are matching that through fundraising.

"We are about $8.4 million toward the full $10 million. . . . It's not the best
time to be raising money. I think despite that, we have done well. We have
picked up two $1 million gifts and a goodly number of six-figure gifts," Bryan
said.

The funds raised so far include $1 million for an endowed chair in
neurodegenerative diseases made possible through a gift from FitzGerald and
Margaret Bemiss. Bennett will occupy that chair. Interest on the endowment will
support his salary.

. . .

At U.Va., Bennett is director of the Morris K. Udall Center of Excellence for
Parkinson's Disease Research. The center is one of 14 such facilities named for
the congressman who died from the disease in 1998 and funded by the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of
Health.

An exclusive list of universities have such centers, including Harvard, UCLA,
Northwestern and Johns Hopkins, where Bennett earned his medical degree, a Ph.D.
in pharmacology, and also did postdoctoral study in neuropharmacology. Funding
for the centers comes in five-year allotments, averaging about $1 million a year
for each institution.

Bennett said he will submit an application this fall for continued Udall Center
funding for 2010 and beyond. Initially, Bennett said he will travel between VCU
and U.Va., where his lab will remain until spring when the current Udall grant
ends, and then the program relocates to VCU with him.

At VCU, Bennett will do research, teach and see patients. VCU's research
initiative will work closely with the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education
and Clinical Center at the McGuire VA Medical Center, where some VCU researchers
also have appointments and are looking for clues to what causes the disease.

An estimated 500,000 people in the U.S. have Parkinson's disease. With the aging
of baby boomers, the number diagnosed is expected to increase. Medications can
control symptoms, but there is no cure, and over time drugs may stop working.