The FDA has approved Juvmo (tavapadon), a once-daily Parkinson’s pill developed from UVA Health research by Richard Mailman, PhD, and Xuemei Huang, MD, PhD. Unlike levodopa, Juvmo selectively activates D1 dopamine receptors, potentially offering longer-lasting symptom relief with fewer side effects. AbbVie will market the drug, available October.
The condition is the most common birth complication, but a UVA expert says treatments are available.
The FDA has approved Juvmo (tavapadon), a once-daily pill for Parkinson’s disease rooted in decades of UVA Health research by Richard Mailman and Xuemei Huang. Unlike levodopa, this first-in-class D1 agonist selectively activates dopamine receptors, potentially offering fewer side effects and longer-lasting symptom relief for the 11 million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s.
UVA School of Nursing Interim Dean Jeanne Alhusen has received a $2.6 million, five-year NICHD grant to study reproductive health outcomes among women with disabilities. The research will examine access to care, socioeconomic factors, and structural inequities from pre-pregnancy through postpartum, aiming to inform more accessible, responsive care and better outcomes for women with disabilities.
UVA Health researchers report focused ultrasound is nearing a breakthrough for treating brain tumors, Alzheimers and Parkinsons by delivering gene therapies across the blood-brain barrier. New non-viral nanoparticle approaches, led by Richard Price and colleagues, could enable precise, repeatable treatments targeting tumor cells while engaging the immune system, with findings published across three scientific papers.
UVA Health cardiologist Dr. Patricia Rodriguez-Lozano explains how revised definitions could guide more personalized care.
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UVA Health researchers analyzed real-world outcomes from 972 patients treated with histotripsy, a noninvasive liver tumor treatment using focused sound waves. While procedural complications and toxicity were low, 11% of patients died within 30 days, prompting questions about patient selection and timing. Researchers say identifying who truly benefits from this promising technology remains critical.
A UVA Health scientist has developed a drug, Kamuvudine K-9, that reversed paralysis and vision loss in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis, going beyond existing treatments that only prevent future attacks. Derived from HIV drugs, K-9 preserved nerve fibers and reduced nerve damage markers, offering promising evidence for future human clinical trials.
UVA researcher Dr. Melanie Rutkowski and her team discovered why ovarian cancer resists immune checkpoint therapy, finding that gut microbiome bacteria confuse the immune system’s ability to recognize tumors. Their lab findings reveal a way to block this signaling, potentially restoring treatment effectiveness and offering ovarian cancer patients more time.
Measuring pain in clinical settings is challenging, especially for patients who cannot self-report. Cori Espelien, a postdoctoral researcher at UVA’s Department of Public Health Sciences, is developing AI facial recognition software that automatically detects and classifies pain.
Kinesiology professor Jason Allen discusses his research on nitric oxide and its role in enhancing cardiovascular benefits from exercise for postmenopausal women. In this EdLab podcast episode, Allen shares current knowledge about women’s heart health after menopause and highlights why more research is needed. Available on Apple, Amazon, and Spotify.
Dr. Jianjie Ma, director of the Division of Surgical Sciences at UVA School of Medicine, discusses how translating research from the lab bench to clinical trials brings lifesaving therapies to patients. Featured in a video for the 2026 Annual Research Report, produced by the Office of the Vice President of Research.