CurePSP's Biomarker Accelerator Program Tops $1.3 Million, Over Halfway to Fundraising Goal

CurePSP has raised more than $1.3 million toward the Biomarker Accelerator Program, surpassing the halfway point of a $2.5 million initiative to build the diagnostic and monitoring tools PSP has never had. Research has long held the promise of a better future for those living with PSP, and this milestone is proof that those resources are being built, deliberately and urgently, right now.

That progress begins with people. Frank Semcer, Chairman of MICRO and member of the Southwest Florida PSP Support Group, lost his wife to PSP and provided the seed funding that gave the program its foundation, committing before the full structure was even in place. Board Chair Jack Phillips pledged $200,000 through the Linda Ann Phillips Legacy Fund, in tribute to and memory of his wife.

"I have been searching for a program where a gift could make a truly meaningful and lasting difference for patients and their families," Jack said. "I am convinced that the Biomarker Accelerator Program is not only essential, but a critical missing link in advancing our work toward effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure."

The Rainwater Charitable Foundation added $250,000, a contribution that reflects a deep and longstanding commitment to PSP research. The Foundation has been a consistent force in tauopathy research since its founder, Richard Rainwater, was diagnosed with PSP in 2009.

In Chicago, Maran Nalluswami and a group of volunteers organized an End-of-Year Soirée last November under the banner of Friends for a Cause. More than 130 people came together, raising $41,000 for the Pankajam Nalluswami Legacy Fund — bringing the fund's total to nearly $60,000, all of it in memory of his mother Pankajam. For Maran, it was an easy decision to support biomarker research.

“Why not contribute to something that will look to identify PSP earlier? Allowing researchers to have more time to study it, and allowing those individuals to know sooner and take actions to slow down its progress,” Maran said.

Sharing his mother's story wasn't easy, but he felt it was worth it. “I think that's what makes it so powerful. It's authentic, it's real. And after sharing the story, it's amazing how many people reach out to say they know a loved one who had or has PSP.”

“The biomarker gives me hope," Maran added. “I think it could identify PSP early so families can focus on ways to slow this down, with other medications or focused exercises, to keep the mind and core strong.”

Behind these stories are more than 80 donors who have contributed to the program, each one moved by a personal connection to PSP and a belief that better diagnostics can change what this disease looks like for the next family.

They know better than anyone what a reliable diagnosis could mean. Families currently spend months, sometimes years, navigating misdiagnoses while the window for early intervention quietly narrows. The Biomarker Accelerator Program exists to close that gap.

Biomarkers are biological clues — found in blood, tissue or imaging — that can tell doctors whether a disease is present, how far it has progressed and whether a treatment is working. When researchers have reliable biomarkers, the science moves faster. Progress that once took decades can happen in years. In Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, biomarkers have been transformative. For PSP, that work is the goal of the Biomarker Accelerator Program.

Promising leads exist. Tau is a protein that, when it stops working correctly, clumps together in the brain. Researchers believe it may be one of the most promising markers for PSP, and new imaging technology is beginning to make those clumps visible in living people for the first time. But moving those discoveries from the lab into clinical practice takes sustained, targeted funding. CurePSP opened its first round of grant applications in fall 2025, with awards expected in fall 2026. Each grant will provide $500,000 to support promising biomarker research. A second call for applications is expected this fall.

With over $1 million still to raise, and research projects needing to be completed, the program's most important work lies ahead. The proposals are coming, the grants will follow and the scientists closest to a breakthrough will finally have the resources to see that work through. The science is ready to move, and so is the community.

For more information on the program, click here.