Three Additional Projects Join the SPARK NS Program, 2026 Cohort
The SPARK NS Translational Research Program, 2026 Cohort, now supports 12 projects that collectively are eligible for $24,000,000 in milestone-based funding and other support.
SPARK NS has added three additional projects and principal investigators to our SPARK NS Translational Research Program, 2026 Cohort, bringing the total in the cohort to 12. The 12 projects are based at academic and other non-profit research institutions in the US, UK, and Europe.
The additional projects in the 2026 Cohort bring the total number of projects now participating in the program to 25. Collectively, the projects are eligible for up to $50,000,000 in milestone-based funding. In February of 2026, SPARK NS announced the first nine projects selected for the program. Participation in the program lasts two years during which each project is eligible to receive up to $2,000,0001.
“SPARK NS is honored to be forming a close drug development partnership with Drs. Carr, Salvatella, and Shamloo as we work together to advance their discoveries,” said Opher Kornfeld, PhD, Managing Director, Translational Research and Development of SPARK NS. “All three represent novel and creative ideas at the forefront of research with the promise to transform patient care. We are excited to leverage our robust drug development infrastructure, resources, and expertise at SPARK NS to efficiently develop these compelling discoveries into impactful therapeutics that address critical unmet clinical needs in the Parkinson’s disease and autism spaces.”
The three additional projects and principal investigators selected for the 2026 Cohort are:
- A Treatment for Tactile Defensiveness in Autism
Gregory V. Carr, PhD
Lead Investigator, Lieber Institute for Brain Development
About Gregory Carr - Bio
- Protein Aggregation Inhibition as a Therapeutic Strategy for Autism
Xavier Salvatella, PhD
ICREA Research Professor and Group Leader at IRB Barcelona
About Xavier Salvatella - Bio
- Selective Receptor Agonists for Parkinson’s Disease
Mehrdad Shamloo, PhD
Professor (Research) of Neurosurgery and, by courtesy, of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford Medicine, Stanford University
About Mehrdad Shamloo - Bio
About the SPARK NS Program
The SPARK NS Translational Research Program is based on an unconventional and proven model of translational research with an exceptional 50%2 success rate at guiding discoveries from the lab to the clinic. In addition to funding, research teams get ongoing advice from 90+ industry expert advisors; in-person and online education in drug development and translational research; participation in a collaborative community where they can share ideas and resources and learn from experts; and post-program support to help them bridge to later stages of the drug development process.
SPARK NS released an Open Call for Proposals for the 2027 Cohort of the program in March 2026. For the 2027 Cohort, SPARK NS will accept applications from principal investigators in the US, Canada, UK, and Europe with projects focused on autism and Parkinson’s disease. The deadline to apply is June 3, 2026 at 5:00 pm PT. The cohort will launch in January 2027.
References
- Not all funds awarded go directly to PIs’ laboratories. For example, work done by vetted research organizations or academic research facilities is paid for by SPARK NS directly to the organizations from awarded funds.
Learn more
- Explore the projects and principal investigators currently in the SPARK NS Program
- Learn more about the SPARK NS Translational Research Program and how to apply for the 2027 Cohort on the Call for Proposals page of the SPARK NS website
- Sign up for updates on the 2027 Cohort of the program and other developments at SPARK NS