Dr. Ted Dawson is a distinguished neuroscientist and internationally recognized authority in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. He currently serves as the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Professor in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Director of the Institute for Cell Engineering at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, with joint appointments in the Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences. Dr. Dawson earned both his medical degree and PhD in pharmacology from the University of Utah School of Medicine, followed by neurology residency training at the University of Pennsylvania and a movement disorders fellowship at Johns Hopkins. He has held leadership positions since 1998 as director of the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Disease Research Center of Excellence, establishing himself as a transformative figure in neurological research.
Dr. Dawson pioneered the groundbreaking discovery of the role of nitric oxide in neuronal injury and elucidated the molecular mechanisms by which it induces cell death, leading to his seminal identification of the parthanatos cell death pathway. His laboratory has made transformative contributions to understanding how neurons die in Parkinson's disease models, uncovering critical molecular pathways that have enabled the development of novel disease-modifying therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders. His research on alpha-synuclein toxicity and neuronal death mechanisms has fundamentally reshaped the scientific community's understanding of Parkinson's disease pathogenesis and progression. These discoveries have catalyzed a paradigm shift in neurodegeneration research, moving the field toward targeted interventions that address the root causes of neuronal loss rather than merely treating symptoms.
Beyond his research achievements, Dr. Dawson serves in influential leadership roles including the executive scientific advisory board of the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Advisory Council of Aligning Science Across Parkinson's, where he shapes global research priorities. He co-directs The BRAIN Lab, an innovative collaborative initiative bringing together seven research groups to unravel the mysteries of neurodegeneration and translate basic discoveries into clinical applications. Dr. Dawson has mentored numerous scientists who have gone on to establish independent research programs in neurodegenerative diseases, significantly expanding the field's capacity for discovery. His current research focuses on developing disease-modifying therapies targeting alpha-synuclein pathology and neuroinflammation, with several promising approaches advancing toward clinical translation to improve the lives of patients with Parkinson's and related disorders.
