Objective: To promote and facilitate learning internationally with resources and expertise to serve the training needs of the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2;www.gp2.org) and its collaborators.

Background: GP2 is an international collaborative effort to drive forward research into the genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Alongside developing strong links with global partners, training the next generation of PD researchers worldwide is a priority for GP2.

Method: The Training, Networking and Communication working group has developed resources and training opportunities to achieve breadth and impact. As resources, we developed a free online web-based learning platform (https://training.gp2.org/) to establish foundational knowledge on PD genetics and bioinformatics. Tailored training opportunities for individuals, from short courses to graduate programs, have been offered to clinicians and scientists from traditionally underrepresented regions in PD research to develop skills and build local capacity.

Results: To date, 8 courses have been launched on the GP2 learning platform, including Beginner and Intermediate Bioinformatics, Using Terra for Data Analysis, PD Genetics for Non-Geneticists, Research Methods I and II, Bioinformatics Training Workshop, and Introduction to Python; currently accessed by over 600 students. A course focusing on functional biology is under development. The first in-person training workshop was held in Mexico to introduce Terra and provide major insights into GP2 data, bringing together 21 trainees from Mexico, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia. A second in-person workshop will run alongside MDS AOPMC in India. A trainee network of 168 worldwide members has been created to streamline training, provide expertise to the places where it is needed and to facilitate data analysis across GP2. Over 30 trainees have been supported to attend graduate courses in bioinformatics and data science at the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences at the NIH. 4 PhD and 7 master’s fellowships have been awarded to individuals in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and sabbatical training opportunities at GP2 centers have been offered to PhD students.

Conclusion: As GP2 gains momentum, our reach will expand to ensure local research capacity is generated and support the growing network of trainees and researchers worldwide to further the understanding of the genetic basis of PD.

« Back to 2023 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/a-strategic-training-framework-for-building-research-capacity-in-the-global-parkinsons-genetics-program-gp2/