Drew Hope, PhD, is the first Mayo Clinic Michael J. Fox Fellow. Dr Hope joins the laboratory of Dr Matt Farrer, which researches genetics in the field of Parkinson's disease. He augments the group by providing molecular and cell biology expertise to evaluate functional consequences of genetic aberrations in PD discovered at the Mayo Clinic. Gene multiplication and specific proteolytic dysfunction affect the functional levels of alpha-synuclein in inherited cases of Parkinson's. Knock-down of expression of this protein is a valid therapeutic strategy for both familial and sporadic disease. Drew graduated from Leicester University, UK, and has post graduate experience there and at Imperial College London, and as a study director at Bioproducts Laboratory. He received his doctorate in neuroscience from University College London.