The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research recently awarded grants totaling $2 million to five research teams studying postural instability and gait disturbances (PIGD) in Parkinson’s disease.

PIGD encompasses a number of Parkinson’s symptoms, including difficulty initiating movement, shuffling, falling and other problems with balance—symptoms that are not alleviated by existing Parkinson’s treatments. Patients suffering from PIGD often suffer from a more difficult and quickly progressing disease course.

The funding, made possible by a gift from The Edmond J. Safra Foundation, was awarded to researchers at Northwestern University; the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research; Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center in Israel; the University of Sydney, Australia; and the University of Alberta, Canada.