Developing a Virtual Research Environment in the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative: myPPMI
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In the 15 years since Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) launched, research conduct has advanced with broader connectivity, enabling virtual and hybrid methods for recruitment, engagement, education, and data collection. To meet evolving needs, PPMI created "myPPMI," which has grown from an informational portal to a multi-country, participant-centered, virtual research environment integrating education, screening, e-consent, longitudinal non-motor and motor assessments, and biospecimen referral. Built on a secure, cloud-native architecture with daily analytics and a multi-tier support model, myPPMI enables precision recruitment, real-time eligibility matching, and standardized low-burden data capture across studies. The platform is designed to enable focused data collection from individuals or groups based on the data they have already provided. This strategy provides the tools to establish precise subsets of high interest that could be targeted for further data acquisition. Usability testing and rapid global scaling demonstrate a generalizable, decentralized framework for biomarker-driven, Parkinson's disease research. ANN NEUROL 2026.
Source: Annals of Neurology
DOI: 10.1002/ana.78230
Authors: Craig E. Stanley, Kimberly Fabrizio, Bridget A. McMahon, Auldyn Matthews‐McGee, Cailey Fitzgerald, Zeina Singh, Nichole H. Rigby, John‐Michael Talarico, Ethan G. Brown, Monica Korell, Maggie McGuire Kuhl, Christina Destro, Nicola Pavese, Alicia Garrido, Brit Mollenhauer, Sohini Chowdhury, Kenneth Marek, Caroline M. Tanner, Thomas F. Tropea, the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative
Institutions: Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, University of California, San Francisco, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Newcastle University, Biomedical Research Networking Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Consorci Institut D'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi I Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, University of Kassel, Klinikum Kassel, University of Pennsylvania
Language: English
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7155202605