Untangling the Heat Paradox in Parkinson’s Disease – An In vivo approach

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder characterised by the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain, leading to motor symptoms such as tremors, bradykinesia (slowness of movement), and dyskinesia (involuntary movements). Recent studies have proposed that heat stress accelerates the progression of PD by promoting cognitive decline, activating glial cells, increasing neuroinflammation, and triggering neuronal apoptosis (cell death) in animal models of the disease. However, some studies suggest that controlled heat exposure, or heat therapy, could offer therapeutic benefits for PD patients. This study aims to evaluate the role of record-high heat in Malaysia on Parkinson’s disease pathogenesis. As this involves animal study, the PhD candidate must be able to handle animals, surgery and brain sample collection for downstream tissue analysis. However, training on animal handling will be provided by neuroscientist.

For enquiries, please contact Dr Kasthuri Bai Magalingam.