Life with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is shaped by myriad factors, including sexual orientation and gender identity that shape access to care, lifestyle decisions and more. In this episode of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Parkinson’s Podcast, our expert panel shares their personal stories and discusses the ongoing research into the health concerns and needs of LGBTQ+ people living with PD. To connect with others for support and community, join the Parkinson’s Buddy Network. https://parkinsonsbudd...
Jun 18, 2025•45 min
The beliefs and perceptions that friends, family, employers and even strangers hold about Parkinson’s disease (PD) shape the experience of living with the disease. Facing misperceptions and stigma can cause isolation and worsen symptoms. Tune into audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar to listen to our panel of experts have a candid and compassionate conversation about times they’ve faced stigma, how they’ve navigated it and how they’re working to change misperceptions of Parkinson’s to improve...
May 28, 2025•53 min
There are so many ways to get involved with Parkinson’s disease, from community building to advocacy, research participation to fundraising. Taking that first step toward involvement can be daunting, but many people say it’s a critical part of living well with the disease. In this episode of The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast, members of the Foundation’s Patient Council share stories of their own first steps, explore how engagement has impacted their journeys and offer advice and ...
May 20, 2025•41 min
Life with Parkinson’s comes with a vast range of emotions, wherever you are in your disease journey. Shock, grief, optimism, fear, denial, hope, humor and more can all be a part of the emotional landscape for people living with the disease and their loved ones. Tune into audio from this special edition Third Thursdays Webinar to listen to our panel of experts have a frank and deep conversation about how they’ve navigated their feelings over the years, how they’ve managed challenging emotions and...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 18 min
Smell loss can be among the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, signaling changes in the brain years before other symptoms are noticeable. Because of the link between smell and brain health, researchers are very interested in understanding more about how people with smell loss go on to either develop a disease or not, and why some people with PD still are able to smell. To learn more about the latest research, tune into audio from this Third Thursdays...
Mar 26, 2025•56 min
You could take any two humans on earth and their genetic code will be roughly 99 percent the same — it’s the small differences in code that lead to different experiences and outcomes, including the risk of developing diseases like Parkinson’s. Scientists are learning more about which genetic changes are linked to Parkinson’s disease, revealing important insights into disease biology and progression. Tune into this episode of our award-winning “Parkinson’s Science POV” series to learn how researc...
Mar 17, 2025•39 min
With three new Parkinson’s treatments approved in the last year, there are more options than ever before for people living with the disease. Tune into audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar to hear movement disorder specialists, research experts and a person living with Parkinson’s answer community questions about the new treatments available, explain how therapies make it through FDA approval and share the latest on treatments in the pipeline. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a ratin...
Feb 26, 2025•58 min
Movement disorder specialist, lifestyle medicine physician and MJFF Principal Medical Advisor Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM, shares tips on medication management for people at every stage of the disease journey. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community. https://apple.co/3p02Jw0 The Foundation’s landmark study, the Parkinson’s Progression Marker’s Initiative, also known as PPMI, is recruiting volunteers. Join the study that’s changing e...
Feb 11, 2025•13 min
If depression, anxiety or apathy occur as part of a Parkinson’s journey, it can be easy to feel alone, isolated or unsure of what might bring relief. But there are ways to manage these symptoms. Tune into audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar to hear people living with Parkinson’s share their stories of coping with mood changes as well as a movement disorder specialist and psychiatrist discuss pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments options. Like our podcasts? Please consider leavin...
Jan 22, 2025•55 min
Movement disorder specialist, lifestyle medicine physician and MJFF Principal Medical Advisor Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM, answers community questions on Parkinson’s and exercise with physical therapist and rehab scientist Cristina Colón-Semenza, PhD. Listen to the audio or watch the video. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community. https://apple.co/3p02Jw0 The Foundation’s landmark study, the Parkinson’s Progression Marker’s Initiati...
Jan 15, 2025•27 min
Being a care partner to someone with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can be a shifting and complex role, as symptoms and life circumstances change. And sometimes, this can lead to stress and even burnout for the care partner. Tune into audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar to hear expert panelists discuss how to navigate care partnership, including everyday strategies to de-stress and find supportive community. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with ...
Jan 08, 2025•54 min
It is widely known that a healthy diet can provide essential nutrients and lead to a multitude of benefits, but growing evidence has highlighted important links between diet, nutrition, and brain health, particularly related to neurodegenerative disease. In this episode, Dr. Puja Agarwal discusses her research investigating the role that diet and nutrition may play in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Evidence from her studies and the work of others suggests that certai...
Dec 31, 2024•43 min
Parkinson's disease significantly impacts various aspects of communication, and this can make it challenging for people with the disease to communicate effectively, be understood by others, and engage in social situations. Dr. Gemma Moya-Galé joins this episode to talk about her work on voice and communication in people with Parkinson’s disease. In particular, she discusses a novel app she and her team are developing, with funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, to help people with Parkinson...
Dec 17, 2024•45 min
Understanding the biology of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and turning that knowledge into better treatments is a complex undertaking. In this episode of the award-winning Parkinson’s Science POV series, scientists at The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) discuss how they are tackling this problem from every angle. Whether it’s using cutting-edge imaging to get a picture of the disease in the brain or working with the community to develop better options to treat walking difficulties, our researchers a...
Dec 11, 2024•20 min
Certain populations are disproportionately affected by neurological diseases, including Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. A lot of work remains to be done to improve brain health outcomes and promote healthy brain aging across the lifespan, particularly for minoritized, underrepresented populations. Including participants from diverse backgrounds in research helps ensure that the results from studies and clinical trials in the field are valid, generalizable, and representative of...
Dec 03, 2024•45 min
With two new drugs approved by the FDA, a National Plan signed into law and many advances in our understanding of Parkinson’s disease, 2024 has been a transformative year in Parkinson’s research. Tune into audio from this month’s Third Thursdays Webinar to hear research experts from industry and academia talk with MJFF staff about the latest research on disease biology and emerging therapies. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community...
Nov 27, 2024•58 min
Alpha-synuclein plays a key role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease, and researchers have been investigating this protein as a therapeutic target and also as a potential biomarker for the disease. The alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, developed by Dr. Claudio Soto and colleagues, leverages the self-replicating nature of the misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins that form aggregates in Parkinson's disease. Amplifying misfolded alpha-synuclein can allow researchers and clinicians t...
Nov 19, 2024•38 min
Each person living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) will have a unique journey with their treatments, including the decision to have deep brain stimulation (DBS), which is a surgical procedure to treat Parkinson’s motor symptoms. While DBS isn’t suitable for everyone, it can be helpful in the right person, and it’s a complex, lifelong choice. And although the experience goes far beyond surgery day, brain surgery often looms large in people’s minds as they are contemplating DBS. In this episode, our...
Nov 13, 2024•41 min
To help meet the growing global need for more movement disorders specialists, The Michael J. Fox Foundation created the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders in collaboration with longtime partner the Edmond J. Safra Foundation. This program supports the training of movement disorders specialists who will provide expert care and drive advances in Parkinson's research. The program is positively impacting early-career clinician-researchers, as well as the centers where they train. These...
Nov 05, 2024•59 min
Troubles with gait – slow walking, shuffling steps and foot dragging and more – can be symptoms of Parkinson’s. In audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar, our experts explore the robust research efforts underway to understand and treat gait issues, from physical rehab interventions to deep brain stimulation modifications to wearable robots designed to smooth gait. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community. https://apple.co/3p02Jw0 T...
Oct 23, 2024•48 min
Stem cell models derived from patients with Parkinson’s disease are valuable tools that are helping researchers around the world to better understand the underlying causes of neurodegeneration and to develop biomarkers and new therapies. To maximize the potential impacts of these tools, it is critical that they are developed and shared according to the principles of open science. In her interview, Dr. Birgitt Schüle discusses her work developing alpha-synuclein cell lines, challenges and opportu...
Oct 15, 2024•38 min
In this podcast, four people from different backgrounds have a candid conversation on race, stigma and Parkinson’s. They share their experiences trying to find culturally competent medical professionals, overcoming the barriers to research participation, and communicating with their communities about their diagnosis. And they offer tips and advice on finding empowerment through education and advocacy. Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your ...
Oct 09, 2024•45 min
New qualitative and quantitative tools are being developed to measure and track changes in proteins relevant for neurodegenerative disease, and these tools have the potential to accelerate drug discovery and clinical trials. In this episode, Dr. Judith Steen discusses her work creating novel qualitative and quantitative tools and workflows at the interface of proteomics and transcriptomics, including their novel FLEXI platform. This platform uses targeted, high- throughput quantitative mass spec...
Oct 01, 2024•37 min
Parkinson’s disease brings with it many potential symptoms, including hallucinations (seeing things that are not there) and delusions (believing things that are not true). Not everyone will experience these symptoms and not everyone who does will find them bothersome, but it can be a source of uncertainty and concern for people living with the disease. In audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar, our expert panel discusses navigating life with these symptoms and medication and non-medication stra...
Sep 25, 2024•54 min
Substantial research has focused on identifying biomarkers for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) as well as monitoring progression of the disease. In developing these biomarkers, it is critical for scientists to consider how the biomarkers will ultimately be used in the clinic and in clinical trials research. In this interview, Dr. Charles (Chuck) Adler shares his perspectives on how biomarkers are currently being used in clinical and research contexts, and what it would take for him to ...
Sep 17, 2024•47 min
Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, sleep fragmentation, excessive daytime sleepiness, and REM sleep behavior disorder are common in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Poor sleep quality can also impact other domains of function, including motor function. Prior research has shown that a type of photoreceptor cell in the retina, called melanopsin cells, provide the main light signals to the brain to initiate sleep, and function of these cells is impaired in PD. Dr. Beatix Feigl and her colle...
Sep 03, 2024•42 min
Finding the right Parkinson’s treatment plan can be a trial-and-error process. The kind of medication, the dosage, the timing and lifestyle factors are all important pieces of the puzzle. In audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar, our expert panel made up of people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), a movement disorder specialist and a researcher discuss different medication options, practical tips for finding what works best for you and the latest research on emerging treatments. Like our p...
Aug 21, 2024•56 min
Though existing evidence supports that dysfunction in the clearing of cellular debris plays an important role in the development of Parkinson's disease, many unanswered questions remain regarding the mechanisms of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway involved in this process. In particular, research in the field has been limited by a lack of reliable, quantitative tests for monitoring autophagy-lysosome activity. In this interview, Dr. Zhenyu Yue describes his research investigating the cellular and ...
Aug 20, 2024•33 min
Research shows mindfulness and meditation can improve some Parkinson’s (PD) symptoms and help people live a better life with the disease, but it can be tricky to put into practice. In this podcast, you’ll hear from people whose lives have been touched by PD and who use mindfulness to reduce symptoms and stress, and from a researcher who is studying how mind-body strategies can be used to treat Parkinson’s. Tune in for practical tips, advice and a guided meditation you can try at home. You can fi...
Aug 14, 2024•45 min
Evidence supports that dysfunction in the homeostasis of iron and other elements likely contributes to the pathophysiological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease, but we have yet to develop suitable elemental biomarkers for use in diagnosing and monitoring the progression of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Paul Lingor discusses his work in this area to identify patterns of bioelements in CSF that could serve as PD biomarkers. Beyond CSF, he is also examining tear fluid as a potential biomarker source tha...
Aug 06, 2024•48 min
