University of Florida · PhysiologyParkinson's Early Detection Lab
David E Vaillancourt · Gainesville, Florida
Research Focus
Dr. David E Vaillancourt's lab is focused on advancing the early identification of Parkinson's disease and related disorders. They study a condition called REM behavior disorder (RBD), which often precedes Parkinson's, using various innovative methods to detect preclinical signs of disease. Their goal is to find biomarkers and behavioral indicators that could help diagnose and treat Parkinsonism much earlier than is currently possible.
Parkinson's diseaseREM behavior disorderneuroimagingalpha-synucleinbiomarkersmotor controldisease modificationpreclinical modelslongitudinal studies
Research Aims
5AIM 01Define a 'Mild Parkinson Impairment' using innovative imaging and physiological markers.
AIM 02Evaluate brainstem function using fMRI in patients with RBD.
AIM 03Test the skin biomarker RT-QuIC assay to detect early signs of Parkinsonism.
AIM 04Assess motor control to identify preclinical motor impairments in RBD subjects.
AIM 05Conduct longitudinal studies over 24 months to monitor progression of initial markers.
Skills the Lab Values
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)biomarker analysismotor control assessmentlongitudinal data collectionskin biopsy for biomarkersstatistical data analysisclinical trial designneuropsychological testingimage processing techniques
Output against the department
Publications301top 17% of dept.48th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations14ktop 21% of dept.61st of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.