Dag Nyholm, Professor and Senior Consultant in Neurology at Uppsala University Hospital and contributor to alltomparkinson.se, was today awarded SEK 400,000 from the Arvid Carlsson Foundation at a ceremony in Gothenburg. He received the award for his “versatile clinical research with a focus on Parkinson’s disease, and not least for his valuable contributions to the important task of optimising the treatment of this condition”.
Congratulations, Dag! The classic question: how does it feel to have received this award?
Thank you! It feels wonderful and honouring. It is quite special to receive an award in the name of a Nobel Prize laureate — it adds a little extra shine to the prize. And we all have Arvid Carlsson to thank for his important discoveries about dopamine in the 1950s.
How does your research work in practice?
In many different ways. Just today, I submitted an application to the Parkinson Foundation for further research funding, and within a few days an EU application is due. Applying for funding is a rather dull but absolutely necessary part of research, in order to make it possible for younger colleagues to conduct research. I supervise a number of doctoral students who are addressing different aspects of the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. In practical terms, a great deal of time is spent reading and writing emails related to research, but of course I also meet patients in the various projects, and that is the most enjoyable part. When a project is completed and all the data has been analysed, scientific articles need to be written, which involves collaboration with my doctoral students and other researchers.
What is the main challenge in optimising treatment for Parkinson’s disease?
It is probably that Parkinson’s disease can look so different in different people. There is no optimal standard treatment that suits everyone. In one sense, that is frustrating because it is so complex and because we do not always find a good treatment for everyone. At the same time, it is fascinating that we humans are so different despite all our similarities. It is a challenge to try to tailor treatment to each individual. In the near future, we will probably be able to personalise treatments even better than we can today.
What does the SEK 400,000 you have been awarded mean?
It means that I dare to employ a postdoctoral researcher — that is, a researcher with a doctoral degree — who will be able to help with data analysis and writing articles over a two-year period. Incidentally, the application deadline is tomorrow… Of course, it costs more than that, but the prize money is an important and very welcome contribution.