About

Nabila Dahodwala, MD, MS, is a Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with Pennsylvania Hospital. She serves as the Director of the Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence at the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center and is the Assistant Dean for Medical Student Research and Scholarship at the Perelman School of Medicine. Additionally, she holds the position of Vice Chair for Faculty Affairs in the Department of Neurology. Her educational background includes a BS in Biology from Duke University (1997), an MD from Columbia University (2002), and an MS in Health Policy Research from the University of Pennsylvania (2008). Her research expertise encompasses health services research, neurodegenerative diseases, and health disparities. Her clinical expertise focuses on Parkinson's disease, tremor, dystonia, chorea, and movement disorders. Dr. Dahodwala has contributed to numerous publications addressing issues such as health literacy, treatment disparities, racial differences in diagnosis, and the impact of Parkinson's disease on quality of life.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Political Science
• Pathology
• Internal medicine
• Psychology
• Surgery
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Gerontology
• Family medicine
• Physical therapy
• Bioinformatics

Selected publications

• Association between Plasma P‐tau217 and Alzheimer's Copathology and Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease

  Annals of Neurology · 2026-03-18

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: Clinically relevant Alzheimer's disease co-pathology is common in Lewy body disorders. Plasma P-tau217 is a sensitive biomarker for amyloid and tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease. The objective was to determine if plasma P-tau217 associates with Alzheimer's disease co-pathology and cognition in Lewy body disorders. METHODS: Participants had (1) a clinicopathological diagnosis of Parkinson's disease or dementia with Lewy bodies in the pathology series, or (2) a clinical diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in the clinical series and were followed as part of the longitudinal, observational cohort study at the University of Pennsylvania between 2007 and 2024. Plasma concentration of P-tau217 was measured in previously collected samples. RESULTS: Neuropathology cases included 46 Parkinson's disease and 10 dementia with Lewy bodies, and clinical cases included 173 Parkinson's disease, and 64 controls. P-tau217 was greater in cases with (median, 0.3 [interquartile range (IQR), 0.2-0.4]) versus without (median, 0.1 [IQR, 0.1-0.2]) Alzheimer's disease co-pathology (p < 0.01) and discriminates Lewy body disorders participants with Alzheimer's disease co-pathology (area under curve, 0.84). Parkinson's disease participants with incident cognitive impairment had greater increases in serial P-tau217 than those who remained cognitively stable (group × time interaction β = -0.010, p = 0.0027). Higher baseline P-tau217 concentrations associated with longitudinal change in dementia rating scale (group × time interaction β = -4.947, p = 0.0166) and higher risk for cognitive progression (hazard ratio = 1.597, p = 0.003). INTERPRETATION: Plasma P-tau217 detects Alzheimer's disease co-pathology in Lewy body disorders and predicts cognitive decline. Future studies will evaluate associations between plasma P-tau217 and imaging and clinical outcomes, in consideration for use of amyloid-targeting therapies in Lewy body disorders. ANN NEUROL 2026.

  PublisherDOI

• Longitudinal Study of Treatment Variability for Parkinson's Disease across Specialized Centers

  Movement Disorders Clinical Practice · 2025-07-15 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Real-world evidence on treatment practices in Parkinson's disease (PD) has been limited due to the difficulty in collecting comprehensive and generalizable clinical data. OBJECTIVES: We sought to identify treatment patterns and test how treatment changed in response to (1) falling, (2) worsening disease, and (3) worsening quality of life across PD specialized centers. METHODS: We used the Parkinson Outcomes Project data collected from 2010 to 2023 across 31 international PD specialized centers. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected annually and included medication use, physical therapy referral, psychologist or psychiatrist care, and deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Treatment practice variation was described by center and in response to outcomes (self-reported falls, higher Hoehn and Yahr stage, worse emotional and mobility subscale scores on quality-of-life scale). RESULTS: A total of 12,664 participants were analyzed. Treatment practices varied substantially across centers with the use of levodopa in the first 5 years of disease ranging from 59.3% to 94.6% and physical therapy referral ranging from 13% to 71%. At ≥ 5 years of disease, DBS rates varied from 2% to 41%. After a fall, individuals were more likely to be referred for physical therapy (β: 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36, 0.52), and mental health services were recommended after a decline in emotional subscores (β: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.50, 1.98). However, there was no change in levodopa-equivalent daily dose after worsening mobility subscores (β: -29.97, 95% CI: -76.67, 16.73). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the large variability in PD practice across specialty centers and the importance of establishing best practice guidelines. Understanding the drivers of this variability is an essential next step.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Large-scale genetic characterization of Parkinson’s disease in the African and African admixed populations

  medRxiv · 2025-01-15 · 3 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Elucidating the genetic contributions to Parkinson’s disease (PD) etiology across diverse ancestries is a critical priority for the development of targeted therapies in a global context. We conducted the largest sequencing characterization of potentially disease-causing, protein-altering and splicing mutations in 710 cases and 11,827 controls from genetically predicted African or African admixed ancestries. We explored copy number variants (CNVs) and runs of homozygosity (ROHs) in prioritized early onset and familial cases. Our study identified rare GBA1 coding variants to be the most frequent mutations among PD patients, with a frequency of 4% in our case cohort. Out of the 18 GBA1 variants identified, ten were previously classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic, four were novel, and four were reported as of uncertain clinical significance. The most common known disease-associated GBA1 variants in the Ashkenazi Jewish and European populations, p.Asn409Ser, p.Leu483Pro, p.Thr408Met, and p.Glu365Lys, were not identified among the screened PD cases of African and African admixed ancestry. Similarly, the European and Asian LRRK2 disease-causing mutational spectrum, including LRRK2 p.Gly2019Ser and p.Gly2385Arg genetic risk factors, did not appear to play a major role in PD etiology among West African-ancestry populations. However, we found three heterozygous novel missense LRRK2 variants of uncertain significance overrepresented in cases, two of which — p.Glu268Ala and p.Arg1538Cys — had a higher prevalence in the African ancestry population reference datasets. Structural variant analyses revealed the presence of PRKN CNVs with a frequency of 0.7% in African and African admixed cases, with 66% of CNVs detected being compound heterozygous or homozygous in early-onset cases, providing further insights into the genetic underpinnings in early-onset juvenile PD in these populations. Novel genetic variation overrepresented in cases versus controls among screened genes warrants further replication and functional prioritization to unravel their pathogenic potential. Here, we created the most comprehensive genetic catalog of both known and novel coding and splicing variants potentially linked to PD etiology in an underserved population. Our study has the potential to guide the development of targeted therapies in the emerging era of precision medicine. By expanding genetics research to involve underrepresented populations, we hope that future PD treatments are not only effective but also inclusive, addressing the needs of diverse ancestral groups.

  PublisherDOI

• Author Correction: Time-to-event analysis mitigates the impact of symptomatic therapy on therapeutic benefit in Parkinson’s disease trials

  npj Parkinson s Disease · 2025-08-13

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploratory digital outcome measures of motor sign progression in Parkinson’s disease patients treated with prasinezumab

  npj Digital Medicine · 2025-06-16 · 6 citations

  articleOpen access

  Digital health technology (DHT) tools for Parkinson's disease (PD) e.g., smartphones and wearables were used for remote and frequent measurement of motor signs in the phase 2 PASADENA study of the anti-alpha-synuclein monoclonal antibody prasinezumab. 316 early-stage PD participants were randomized to placebo, 1500 mg, or 4500 mg prasinezumab for 52 weeks; placebo participants were re-randomized to prasinezumab for the ensuing 52 weeks. Patients performed daily smartphone motor "active tests", and were passively monitored by smartphone/smartwatch throughout the day over 2 y. Change from baseline analyses censored data at dopaminergic treatment start. Bilateral speeded tapping variability and hand-turning, U-turn speed, passively monitored hand movement power, and summary Simple Sum scores progressed numerically less in prasinezumab-treated vs placebo at week 52. All findings except hand-turning persisted at week 104. DHT sensor-based outcome measures may contribute to quantifying disease progression in clinical research of early-stage, dopaminergic treatment-naïve PD. Clinical Trial Registry Name: ClinicalTrials.gov; Clinical Trial Registry ID: NCT03100149; registered 2017-03-29.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Recruitment strategies for the racial disparities in Parkinson's disease study: Partnering with patients from the Black community

  Parkinsonism & Related Disorders · 2025-12-31

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Care partner needs in Parkinson's disease: A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative data

  Journal of Parkinson s Disease · 2025-05-30 · 3 citations

  reviewOpen access

  BackgroundCare for persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) is to a great extent carried out by care partners. It is important to understand their needs to ease their burden and help with their important role.ObjectiveTo present (1) what is known about needs in caregiving for someone with PD from both qualitative and quantitative papers; and (2) to identify research gaps in the existing literature to guide future research.MethodsA systematic search was conducted, searching PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and MEDLINE for both qualitative and quantitative studies examining care partner needs in Parkinson's disease published from the start of the databases up to 13 November 2024. The best-fit framework synthesis method was employed for qualitative data extraction and analysis. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) were used for quality assessment of studies.ResultsForty-eight qualitative studies, ten quantitative studies, and three mixed methods studies met the eligibility criteria. All studies were of observational, cross-sectional design. A total of nine themes (the need for information, the need to be heard, PD healthcare, emotional support, daily living, financial support, skills, care partner physical well-being, and respite care) were identified from qualitative data and all quantitative data could fit this framework. Quantitative data on the frequency of needs and when they arise over the course of PD were scarce. Only one quantitative study made use of a validated measurement instrument to measure care partner needs, the Family Needs Questionnaire.ConclusionsCare partner needs in PD are wide-ranging. A significant gap identified is the absence of quantitative data to determine the prevalence, timing, and factor contributing to the needs revealed by the qualitative research.

  PublisherDOI

• Dermal Phospho-Alpha-Synuclein Among Individuals With and Without Cerebrospinal Fluid Aggregated Alpha-Synuclein

  medRxiv · 2025-12-27

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Background Biomarkers of abnormal alpha-synuclein (asyn) that can be obtained with minimal invasiveness are needed. Promising data on dermal serine-129-phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (dermal-ps129-asyn) have emerged but accuracy for aggregated asyn in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has not been examined. Objective Determine sensitivity and specificity of dermal-ps129-asyn for neuronal asyn measured with cerebrospinal fluid asyn seed amplification assay (CSFasynSAA). Methods Cross-sectional observational study; 50 individuals with positive or negative CSFasynSAA underwent 3 skin biopsies for blinded assessment of phospho-serine-129 asyn in nerve terminals. Sensitivity and specificity versus CSFasynSAA were calculated. Results Among 50 participants, 30/38 CSFasynSAA+ were dermal-ps129-asyn+; 6/12 CSFasynSAA-were dermal-ps129-asyn-, yielding sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 50%. Conclusion Dermal-ps129-asyn has low specificity for CSF asyn SAA in this small sample. This precludes its use as a marker of CSF neuronal asyn aggregates. Future studies are needed to determine optimal methods to assess asyn aggregates in central and peripheral compartments.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Facets of Religion/Spirituality and Cognitive Health: Association Variations Across Gender and Race Among Older Adults

  Preprints.org · 2025-07-25

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Objectives. Religion and spirituality (R/S) may be associated with better cognitive health, yet most published studies have been conducted in primarily White populations without investigating association variations by gender and race. Methods. A cross-sectional analysis of 1,041 community-dwelling diverse older adults from the Philadelphia Healthy Brain Aging (PHBA) cohort study was conducted using multiple regression analysis. We examined associations between facets of R/S and total cognitive scores and performed stratification analysis separately by gender and race to explore potential gender- and race-specific variations. Results. Higher non-organizational R/S was associated with lower cognitive scores while greater religious and spiritual coping was associated with higher cognitive scores, controlling for age, education, chronic conditions, race, and financial constraints. Across gender and race variations, non-organizational R/S was associated with lower cognitive scores in women alone with no variations across race. Higher religious and spiritual coping was associated with higher cognitive scores in both Black and White women, but not men, while higher religious and spiritual healing was associated with lower cognitive scores in Black women only. Discussion. Associations between religious and spiritual facets and cognitive health differ across gender and race; longitudinal studies are needed.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Contributors to Gender Disparities in Parkinson’s Disease Caregiving

  Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology · 2025-03-21

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Background Women with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are less likely to have a caregiver. Objective To determine factors contributing to gender disparities in PD caregiving. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of people with PD and caregivers participating in the Parkinson’s Foundation Parkinson’s Outcomes Project and compared patient and caregiver characteristics by gender. Results Among PD patients, 20.7% of 1663 women and 14.2% of 3005 men had no caregiver ( P &lt; 0.001). Women without caregivers were older (69.1 vs 66.3, P &lt; 0.001), less likely to be married (30.4% vs 54.7%, P &lt; 0.001), and more likely to be taking an antidepressant (41.8% vs 30.9%, P = 0.002) than men. Using stepwise logistic regression models, gender differences in access to caregiving were explained by marital status. Among caregivers, women reported more strain ( P &lt; 0.001) and had less time for other family members ( P &lt; 0.001). Conclusion Fewer women with PD have caregivers because they are less likely to have a spouse.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K23AG034236

  NIH · $793k · 2016

Frequent coauthors

• Miriam R. Rafferty

  Northwestern University

  172 shared

• Connie Marras

  Sunnybrook Health Science Centre

  115 shared

• Allison W. Willis

  University of Pennsylvania

  107 shared

• Thomas L. Davis

  Vanderbilt University Medical Center

  105 shared

• Sheng Luo

  105 shared

• Marilyn W Neault

  Parkinson's Foundation

  104 shared

• James C. Beck

  Parkinson's Foundation

  103 shared

• Anna Naito

  University School

  102 shared

Labs

• Nabila Dahodwala LabPI