July 29, 2026 | Lauren Woods
UConn Health Parkinson's disease patients like Jose Figueroa are experiencing the power of a UConn-made protein shake being tested by the UConn research team in an FDA clinical study.
Jose Figueroa, 66, of New Britain is “so grateful” for UConn and its powerful cross-campus collaboration helping improve the health and quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patients just like him.
Figueroa has been battling Parkinson’s disease for 16 years since being diagnosed in 2012 following his visit to the Emergency Department when a provider noticed his legs and arms were continuously shaking. He is a longtime patient at UConn Health and now its Brain and Spine Institute with Dr. Bernardo Rodrigues.
“Dr. Rodrigues is excellent. Anytime there is a new program or resource for Parkinson’s patients he always tells us,” says Figueroa. “It has helped so much.”
His wife also sees a big difference in the last year.
“Jose’s Parkinson’s used to be like an Earthquake,” says his wife, Emily. “But now there has been a big improvement. He no longer needs to use a cane to walk.”
His successful progress is all thanks to a UConn cross-campus collaboration to advance research between the Brain and Spine Institute’s faculty like Rodrigues at UConn School of Medicine with the researchers of UConn Storrs’ Department of Kinesiology and its dedicated Movement for Life Lab.
Just a year ago Figueroa started participating in an initial, three-week nutritional supplement study beginning to test the benefits of consuming a targeted, amino-acid protein shake developed by the Storrs research team led by Dr. Jacob Earp and Dr. C. Colon-Semenza. Their goal was to find a new way to assist PD patients like Figueroa by using a nutritional supplement designed specifically for those with Parkinson’s disease that is intended to be easier to consume than conventional supplements, reduce inflammation, and provide nutrients that support an active lifestyle.
“I felt really good while taking the shake. I definitely had more energy,” reports Figueroa. “A healthy shake can feel better than medicine. I would still take the shake if it was still available to me,” says Figueroa who also has learned the true benefits of not only the shake but adding daily exercise too.
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