William Davis Parker

W. Davis Parker, Jr., MD received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and his MD from the University of South Florida (Charter Class). He completed an internship in medicine/pediatrics at the University of South Florida followed by a residency in pediatrics at the same institution. He subsequently completed a residency in neurology at the University of Virginia. He was then a fellow in clinical genetics at the same institution. He was subsequently a fellow in metabolic disease and Muscular Dystrophy Association research fellow at the B.F. Stolinkski Research Laboratories at the University of Colorado. He was also an Instructor in Neurology and Pediatrics. He remained on the faculty at the University of Colorado advancing to the rank of Associate Professor in Neurology and Pediatrics (tenure).

He subsequently returned to the University of Virginia in the 1980s where he was the Eugene P. Meyer Professor of the Neurosciences, Professor of Neurology, Professor of Pediatrics, and Chief of the section of Pediatric Neurology until 2010 when he was recruited to head up the University of Illinois Pediatric Neurology efforts. Dr. Parker has been a pioneer in the study of the role of mitochondria in the pathogenesis of the human disease.

In 1991, Dr. Parker cofounded Mitokor, a San Diego-based biotech company. Dr. Parker left a formal relationship with Mitokor approximately 12 years ago. Mitokor was subsequently acquired by a Canadian biotech firm (currently named Migenix) and no longer exists as a separate entity. It is not known whether or not Migenix is still pursuing mitochondrial research, but Gene Solutions is unable to find any publications or statements to indicate the company’s involvement in this area.

Dr. Parker is currently a Professor of Pediatrics and head of the Division of Pediatric Neurology at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria. In this capacity, Dr. Parker conducts both clinical efforts in the fields of Schizophrenia, Autism, and other disorders, while being allowed to progress his research efforts in the sequencing of mitochondrial genomics in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other CNS diseases.