Mission MSA is proud to announce the awardees of the newly implemented Centers Unified in Research Efforts for MSA (CURE-MSA) Grant Program, designed specifically for Mission MSA's Centers of Excellence (COEs).
CHICAGO, June 9, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The has been designed to unify the research power of the network and address persistent gaps in the understanding and treatment of multiple system atrophy (MSA). Each proposal must include participation from at least three Mission MSA COEs across three or more U.S. Census regions or international equivalents, and include rationale for how the geographic diversity strengthens the proposed research and enhances its potential generalizability and impact.
The awarded project at, led by MSA COE Director, Dr. Katherine Longardner, MD PhD, will be collaborating with three other Centers of Excellence including: ,, and .
"Individuals with MSA and health care providers agree that end-of-life care topics are important, but these crucial conversations are often postponed. By gathering perspectives on end-of-life preferences and priorities from people living with MSA and their care partners, we hope to provide guidance on how to integrate these discussions into routine clinical practice." - Dr. Katie Longardner, MD (UCSD)
A second awarded project will be led by , under the leadership of MSA COE Director Dr. Vikram Khurana, MD, PhD.
"MSA is a devastating disease for which we have no effective treatments," said Dr. Khurana. "We believe the immune system holds critical clues for new understanding and therapies. This [CURE] grant brings together outstanding centers to build the first large-scale, systematic look at how the immune system and brain inflammation change in MSA patients. Remarkably, this will include an analysis of one of the first-ever trials of an immune system drug in the Mass General Brigham MyTrial program."
The Brigham team will work alongside Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh to identify peripheral immune signatures and potential biomarkers linked to disease progression in this novel multi-modal study.
About Mission MSA
Mission MSA (formerly The MSA Coalition) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for those affected by multiple system atrophy. Through support, education, advocacy, and funding for research, Mission MSA strives to bring hope to the MSA community while working toward a future without the disease. For more information, visit.
Media Contact
Jessie Iregui, MSc, Director of Research and Medical Education, Mission MSA, 1 8667374999, [email protected],
SOURCE Mission MSA
Share this article