Dr. Quik focuses her research on the relationship between the nicotinic cholinergic system and the dopaminergic system in Parkinson's disease and nicotine addiction. Most recently, she was a professor and senior research scientist at the Parkinson's Institute. Prior to that, she was a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Cambridge University in England and received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from McGill University. Dr. Quik has published more than 120 research articles and reviews.

Dr. Di Monte, senior research physician in the Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Program, has extensive experience and expertise in models and mechanisms of neuronal degeneration. Most recently, he was a professor and director of the Basic Research Program at the Parkinson's Institute. He completed postdoctoral training in biochemistry and toxicology first at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and then at the School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley. He received his doctorate of medicine with honors from the University of Bari, Italy, where he specialized in internal medicine. He has published more than 140 research articles and reviews.

Dr. Manning-Bog, program manager of the Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Program, focuses on Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Gaucher's disease, and the role of genetic and environmental factors in their pathology. She was most recently an assistant professor at the Parkinson's Institute. Prior to that, she was a scientist/manager at Renovis, Inc., where she investigated novel therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disorders. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in neuropharmacology at Wayne State University and a second fellowship at the Parkinson's Institute to investigate neurodegenerative mechanisms in Parkinson's disease. She earned her doctorate in molecular and cell biology and biochemistry from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She has written more than 15 research publications.