GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (April 20, 2026) — Van Andel Institute has named internationally recognized scientist Glenda Halliday, Ph.D., as the recipient of its 2026 Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research .
The award will be presented during Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease , VAI’s flagship annual Parkinson’s disease symposium, Sept. 23–24.
Halliday’s pioneering research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative disorders by linking clinical symptoms to underlying changes in the brain. She developed rigorous methods for evaluating disease-associated changes in the brain, enabling precise correlations that link neuron loss and pathology with symptom onset and progression. This critical work has been instrumental in shaping international diagnostic and staging criteria for Parkinson’s and related diseases. Halliday also made key contributions to the understanding of selective vulnerability, demonstrating how distinct neurodegenerative diseases target specific brain regions and cell types.
“Dr. Halliday is an exceptional scientist whose breakthrough work has propelled advances in both Parkinson’s research and clinical care,” said Darren Moore, Ph.D. , the Jay Van Andel Endowed Chair in Parkinson’s Disease Research, chair of VAI’s Department of Neurodegenerative Science and co-chair of the 2026 symposium. “We are delighted to celebrate and honor her vast contributions with the 2026 Jay Van Andel Award.”
Halliday is a professor and National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Leadership Fellow at Macquarie University and the University of Sydney. She has served on several large-scale collaborative projects, including the International Parkinson’s Disease Consortia, the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program, the International Dementia with Lewy Bodies Consortia, and the International Frontotemporal Dementiaopathology section of the Genomics Consortia.
Halliday has received many accolades for her scientific and clinical contributions. She was elected to the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences in 2015 and the Australian Academy of Science in 2021. In 2023, she was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia for “eminent service to medical research in the field of neurodegenerative disorders, including the development of revised diagnostic criteria for Parkinson’s disease, and as a mentor.” She was awarded the 2020 NHMRC Elizabeth Blackburn Investigator Grant Award for Leadership in Clinical Medicine and Science, the 2021 Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson’s Research and, in 2022, was named the New South Wales Scientist of the Year.
The Jay Van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research was established in 2012 in memory of VAI Founder Jay Van Andel, who battled Parkinson’s disease for a decade before his death in 2004. The annual award is given to scientists who have made exceptional contributions to Parkinson’s disease research and who have positively impacted human health.
As part of the award, Halliday will deliver a keynote lecture on Sept. 23, the first day of Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease .
For 15 years, the Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium has brought together scientists, medical professionals, people with Parkinson’s and advocates to explore the latest advances and most pressing questions in Parkinson’s research and treatment. The 2026 symposium will highlight how recent breakthroughs in understanding disease mechanisms may offer new opportunities to develop more effective therapies.
In addition to Halliday’s keynote lecture, the symposium will feature scientific talks by more than 15 speakers, a research poster session and advocacy discussions.
VAI and Cure Parkinson’s also will host Rallying to the Challenge , a community-focused meeting designed for and by people with Parkinson’s, care partners and advocates. Held in tandem with Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease , the Rallying to the Challenge meeting will feature presentations on the latest research, discussions about important issues in Parkinson’s and opportunities to connect with other participants and speakers.
Registration for the 2026 Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease symposium and Rallying to the Challenge meeting is open and may be completed at grandchallengesinpd.org and vai.org/rallyingpd2026 , respectively.
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ABOUT VAN ANDEL INSTITUTE
Van Andel Institute (VAI) is committed to improving the health and enhancing the lives of current and future generations through cutting-edge biomedical research and innovative educational offerings. Established in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1996 by the Van Andel family, VAI is now home to more than 500 scientists, educators and support staff, who work with a growing number of national and international collaborators to foster discovery. The Institute’s scientists study the origins of cancer, Parkinson’s and other diseases and translate their findings into breakthrough prevention and treatment strategies. Our educators develop inquiry-based approaches for K–12 education to help students and teachers prepare the next generation of problem-solvers, while our Graduate School offers a rigorous, research-intensive Ph.D. program in molecular and cellular biology. Learn more at vai.org .