World Parkinson Coalition® Launches Research Spotlight Series

NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The World Parkinson Coalition (WPC) is launching its first ever WPC Research Spotlight series. This engaging series will include six interviews in 2021 with renowned Parkinson scientists, inviting them to further explain their research and what it could mean for the Parkinson community.

The WPC hosts the most unique international scientific conference in the Parkinson's space. Every three years at the World Parkinson Congress, the WPC brings together basic scientists, neurologists, clinical researchers, general physicians, nurses, rehab specialists, clinicians, as well as people with Parkinson's (PwP) and care partners to learn about Parkinson's, build collaborations, and expand our understanding of a disease that impacts more than 10 million people worldwide.

"The World Parkinson Congress is a scientific meeting unlike any other Parkinson's gathering," said Elizabeth Pollard, WPC Executive Director. "At the core of what the WPC offers is the chance for the community to cross-pollinate and connect in unique ways to further our understanding of Parkinson disease. The Research Spotlight series dovetails nicely with the work WPC has done over the last 16 years by bridging the divide between researchers and people with Parkinson disease, two groups that very rarely meet each other, by allowing them to interact and discuss research."

Presenters in the series were selected based on their posts on the WPC Blog. Their posts offered an exciting glimpse into their current research, which was the why WPC invited them for an interview to further explain their work and why they are so excited to be investigating this area of Parkinson science.

The series will be hosted by Professor Roger Barker, BA, MBBS, PhD, MRCP, FMedSci. Professor Barker is WPC Vice President and Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Honorary Consultant in Neurology at the University of Cambridge and at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge UK.

Research Spotlight agenda will bring researchers from Spain, France, Australia and UK in the first four interviews of 2021. The fifth and sixth presenters will be announced in the coming months.

Research Spotlight #1: The "Black Stuff" and Parkinson's Disease
Date: Tuesday, January 26 @ 11AM ET
Researcher: Miquel Vila, MD, PhD and colleagues

Research Spotlight #2: The Covid Pandemic Doesn't Smell Right
Date: Tuesday, March 23 @ 4PM ET
Researcher: David Finkelstein, PhD and colleagues

Research Spotlight #3: New Studies Support a Critical Role for Alpha Synuclein in PD
Date: Thursday, May 6 @ 11AM ET
Researcher: Erwan Bezard, PhD and colleagues

Research Spotlight #4: Can We Treat Parkinson's Disease by Suppressing the Immune System?
Date: Tuesday, June 22 @ 11AM ET
Researcher: Caroline Williams-Gray, MRCP, PhD and colleagues

Learn more about and register at https://www.worldpdcoalition.org/page/WPCResearchSpotlight

About the World Parkinson Coalition® and WPC 2022
The World Parkinson Coalition Inc. provides an international forum for learning about the latest scientific discoveries, medical practices, caregiver initiatives and advocacy work related to Parkinson's disease. The triennial World Parkinson Congresses provide a space for the global Parkinson community of researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, people with Parkinson disease and their care partners to meet in person, network, and discuss advances in Parkinson research, improve understanding and promote advocacy worldwide, while influencing future research and care options. The WPC 2022 will attract more than 4,500 delegates.

About Parkinson's Disease
Affecting nearly one million Americans and 10 million people worldwide, Parkinson disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's. There is no cure for Parkinson's and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

Media Contact

Kathleen Jordan, World Parkinson Coalition, +1 6463887688, kathleen@worldpdcoalition.org

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SOURCE World Parkinson Coalition