Matthew Farrer
· Professor Of Neurology (Mol. Neuroscience and Neurogenetics)University of Florida · Neurology
Active 1989–2026
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About
Matthew Farrer, PhD, is a professor of neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine, with appointments in the Department of Neurology and the Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute. His work is critically acclaimed for its focus on the genetics and neuroscience of Parkinson's disease. His research aims to predict and prevent Parkinson's disease through molecular targets, tools, and models, emphasizing disease-modifying therapeutics and precision medicine. Dr. Farrer has made significant contributions to identifying genetic factors involved in neurodegenerative disorders, including the discovery of pathogenic variability in genes such as Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2, Dynactin, and RAB32, among others. His team has also developed mouse models for Parkinson's disease and investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying alpha-synucleinopathies, including Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy. With a background in biochemistry and molecular and statistical genetics from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in the UK, and further training in medical genetics and neurogenetics, Dr. Farrer has held prominent positions including Assistant Professor of Molecular Neuroscience, tenured Professor, Mayo Consultant, and Distinguished Mayo Investigator. He was awarded the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurogenetics and Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia, where his team achieved notable accomplishments such as identifying new genes and…
Research topics
- Neuroscience
- Biology
- Psychology
- Pathology
- Bioinformatics
- Medicine
- Genetics
- Immunology
Selected publications
The Gut–Brain Axis and Its Relation to Parkinson’s Disease: A Review
Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2022 · 170 citations
and other related circuitry, which contribute to the development of both motor (bradykinesia, tremors, stiffness, abnormal gait) and non-motor symptoms (gastrointestinal issues, urinogenital complications, olfaction dysfunction, cognitive impairment). Despite tremendous progress in the field, the exact pathways and mechanisms responsible for the initiation and progression of this disease remain unclear. However, recent research suggests a potential relationship between the commensal gut bacteria…
The Lancet Neurology · 2024-04-10 · 107 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingBackgroundParkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with multifactorial causes, among which genetic risk factors play a part. The RAB GTPases are regulators and substrates of LRRK2, and variants in the LRRK2 gene are important risk factors for Parkinson's disease. We aimed to explore genetic variability in RAB GTPases within cases of familial Parkinson's disease.MethodsWe did whole-exome sequencing in probands from families in Canada and Tunisia with Parkinson's disease wit…
Genome-wide determinants of mortality and motor progression in Parkinson’s disease
npj Parkinson s Disease · 2024-06-07 · 15 citations
articleOpen accessThere are 90 independent genome-wide significant genetic risk variants for Parkinson's disease (PD) but currently only five nominated loci for PD progression. The biology of PD progression is likely to be of central importance in defining mechanisms that can be used to develop new treatments. We studied 6766 PD patients, over 15,340 visits with a mean follow-up of between 4.2 and 15.7 years and carried out genome-wide survival studies for time to a motor progression endpoint, defined by reaching…
Brain · 2025-04-16 · 5 citations
articleOpen accessPartial phenotypic overlap has been suggested between multiple system atrophy and spinocerebellar ataxia 27B, the autosomal dominant ataxia caused by an intronic GAA•TTC repeat expansion in FGF14. In this study, we investigated the frequency of FGF14 GAA•TTC repeat expansion in clinically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed multiple system atrophy cases. We screened 657 multiple system atrophy cases (193 clinically diagnosed and 464 pathologically confirmed) and 1003 controls. The FGF14 repea…
medRxiv · 2024-01-18 · 3 citations
preprintOpen accessSenior authorCorrespondingBackground: Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Mendelian forms have revealed multiple genes, with a notable emphasis on membrane trafficking; RAB GTPases play an important role in PD as a subset are both regulators and substrates of LRRK2 protein kinase. To explore the role of RAB GTPases in PD, we undertook a comprehensive examination of their genetic variability in familial PD. Methods: Affected probands from 130 multi-incident PD families underwent whole-exo…
Recent grants
NIH · $1.1M · 2008
NIH · $153k · 2010
NIH · $1.2M · 2007
Frequent coauthors
- 478 shared
Zbigniew K. Wszołek
WinnMed
- 456 shared
Owen A. Ross
Jacksonville College
- 357 shared
Ryan J. Uitti
Mayo Clinic in Florida
- 330 shared
Andrew Singleton
National Institute on Aging
- 326 shared
Dennis W. Dickson
Mayo Clinic in Florida
- 300 shared
John Hardy
University College London
- 286 shared
Alexis Brice
Sorbonne Université
- 283 shared
Jan Aasly
St Olav's University Hospital
Labs
Education
M.D.
University of Florida
B.S.
University of Florida
Awards & honors
- Canada Excellence Research Laureate 2017 (Government of Cana…
- 9th Donald Calne Lectureship 2012 (Parkinson Society Canada)
- Pritzker Prize Nomination 2011 (Parkinson Society Canada)
- Michael J. Fox Foundation Health Care Hero 2009
- Jacksonville Business Journal Distinguished Investigator Awa…
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