The Parkinson’s Research Podcast: New Discoveries in Neuroscience

In this short episode, host Dr. Marie McNeely shares updates about the podcast and provides listeners with more information on how they can stay connected with MJFF for future podcast episodes as The Parkinson’s Research Podcast merges with The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Visit https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts for more great podcast episodes, and you can also find the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and other podcast platforms. Be sure to subscribe to our Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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’s improve how well their speech is understood. The app uses evidence-based principles from speech therapy and noise-augmented automatic speech recognition to provide speech training and feedback. She also shares her recent research on linguistically and culturally responsive methods for addressing communication challenges in both English- and Spanish-speaking individuals with Parkinson's disease, and how this approach has the potential to improve clinical care. Gemma is an Assistant Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, as well as the Director of the Communication, Technology, and Language Diversity Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast at michaeljfox.org/podcasts. We’re excited to announce that we will be merging our two podcasts in 2025, and we invite you to subscribe to our Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts for future episodes featuring scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's talking about different aspects of life with the disease as well as new research toward treatment breakthroughs.

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 to detect the presence of the pathological form of the protein in biospecimens, even when the amount of misfolded alpha-synuclein in a sample is very low. In this episode, Claudio discusses his work in this area and how it has opened the doors for a variety of potential uses of the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay, including applications in diagnosis, clinical trials, and drug development for Parkinson's disease.This year, Claudio received the 2024 Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson’s Research for his substantial contributions to research and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists in the field. Claudio is the Huffington’s Distinguished University Chair, Professor of Neurology, and Director of the George and Cynthia Mitchell Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Brain Disorders at The University of Texas Medical School in Houston. He is also the Founder, Vice-President, and Chief Scientific Officer at AMPRION Inc.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

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 opportunities in the field, and important considerations surrounding open science. She goes in-depth on how the cell lines were developed, characterized, and deposited with the American Tissue and Cell Collection (ATCC) with funding support from The Michael J. Fox Foundation, as well as how these cells can be used to fuel future discoveries. Birgitt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford University School of Medicine and Co-Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Neuropathology, and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) Core. This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

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 use them more often in clinical practice. He also discusses how groundbreaking collaborative research studies, including the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders and the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), are having major impacts on the field. Chuck is Consultant and Professor of Neurology in the Department of Neurology and The Wayne and Kathryn Preisel Professor of Neuroscience Research at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

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 molecular mechanisms for Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on their work examining the regulation of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, potential therapeutic targets, and MJFF-funded research that aims to develop sensitive, robust autophagy-lysosome assays to facilitate the discovery of biomarkers for PD using stem cell-derived neurons and biofluids. Zhenyu is the Aidekman Research Professor in the Department of Neurology and Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also the Director of the Center of Parkinson’s Disease Neurobiology and Director of Basic Research of Movement Disorders at Mount Sinai.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Identifying reliable biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of Parkinson's disease and atypical parkinsonism would have substantial impacts on clinical trials and clinical practice. A particularly active area of research is the development of novel molecular imaging biomarkers that can be used in combination with common neuroimaging approaches. Dr. Antonio Strafella discusses current practices for using molecular imaging biomarkers in research and in the clinic, the process of developing new biomarkers, as well as promising biomarkers that are in development. He also discusses limitations, implementation challenges, and the potential use of AI to enhance diagnostics in the future. Antonio is the Krembil-Rossy Chair in Molecular Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Professor in the Department of Medicine within the Division of Neurology at the Toronto Western Hospital (University Health Network, University of Toronto). He also serves as Director of Clinical Research and Translation with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University Toronto, and he is a movement disorder neurologist in the Edmond J. Safra Program in Parkinson’s Disease and Morton & Gloria Shulman Movement Disorders Clinic at the Toronto Western Hospital.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Gait impairments such as slow speed, small steps, and high variability from step to step are common in people with Parkinson's disease, and these changes begin to occur early in the course of disease. Freezing of gait may develop later for some individuals, and it has been linked to falls and other adverse outcomes. When the quality of walking declines, it can lead to a reduction in the quantity of walking and overall physical activity, which is also related to poorer health outcomes. To prevent this cascade of events, Dr. Gammon Earhart is developing and evaluating interventions to improve gait and increase physical activity in People with Parkinson's disease. In this episode, she discusses how she and collaborators are conducting studies on different approaches, including a mobile health application, self-generated rhythmic cues in the form of singing, and mindfulness training, to improve aspects of walking and physical activity in people with Parkinson's disease. Gammon is Professor of Physical Therapy, Neurology, and Neuroscience, Associate Dean for Physical Therapy, and Director of the Program in Physical Therapy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Demand for movement disorder specialists continues to grow, but not enough neurologists are receiving focused training in Parkinson’s and related conditions in order to meet the current and projected needs in the U.S. and around the world. In collaboration with longtime partner the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, The Michael J. Fox Foundation created the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders with the goal of growing the global base of movement disorders specialists. In this episode Dr. Rachel Dolhun shares more about this fellowship program, the application process, and how the program supports the training of movement disorders clinician-researchers who will become leaders in Parkinson's care and advance science in the field. Rachel is Senior Vice President of Medical Communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Visit michaeljfox.org/funding to learn more about the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders. This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

For over a century, different surgical interventions have been explored to address symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and researchers are continuing to innovate and improve surgical treatments today. With new technology and an ever-expanding understanding of the function of the nervous system and the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease, neurosurgical interventions are becoming more effective and more personalized. Dr. Doris Wang joins us in this episode to discuss her work using focused ultrasound and deep brain stimulation (DBS) as treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. She discusses some of the benefits and limitations of focused ultrasound treatment, comparisons of traditional versus asleep interventional MRI-guided deep brain stimulation surgery, advances in adaptive deep brain stimulation, and the development of gait-related biomarkers that could drive adaptive DBS. Doris is a neurosurgeon and Associate Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Increasing evidence supports the presence of sex and gender differences in neurodegenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. There is a critical need to more closely examine sex and gender differences in all stages of research, therapeutic development, and clinical treatment to enable better outcomes through precision medicine approaches. This episode focuses on the relevance of sex and gender factors in Parkinson's disease and efforts to transform scientific research, policy, and healthcare to identify and address needs based on sex and gender. Our guest Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha discusses her work with the Women’s Brain Project, their recent roundtable on enhancing care in Parkinson’s disease, and the organization's goals for the future. Antonella is a medical doctor with experience spanning positions in clinical care, academic research, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (regulatory), and industry leadership and consultation for large pharmaceutical companies and smaller start-up companies. She is currently Co-Founder and Pro Bono Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Brain Project, an international non-profit organization studying sex and gender determinants to brain and mental health.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

For many years, Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies have been defined using clinical features. With recent advances in biomarkers, particularly the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay that allows us to detect misfolded and aggregated alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid, it is now possible to identify the presence of pathological neuronal alpha-synuclein in living patients. With input from diverse stakeholders, a new biological definition of neuronal alpha-synuclein disease (NSD) has been proposed, along with an integrated staging system (NSD-ISS). In this interview, we discuss the development of this biologic definition for Parkinson’s disease and the staging system with Dr. Lana Chanine, one of the lead authors of the recently published manuscript in The Lancet Neurology that describes this work. It is important to note that the NSD and NSD-ISS are for research purposes only right now, and they are not ready to be implemented in the clinic. Lana is a Movement Disorders Neurologist and Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

In neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease (PD), patients often do not receive a diagnosis until the hallmark motor symptoms begin to manifest. This can be a decade or more after substantial changes start occurring in the brain. A major goal of the PD research field has been to develop methods for earlier detection and intervention. Over the years, there have been substantial advances in neuroimaging techniques and biological biomarkers that have allowed us to more accurately identify patients with Parkinson's disease, including the recent development of the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay. In this episode, Dr. John Seibyl discusses his early work on neuroimaging in Parkinson's disease through to the groundbreaking, large-scale clinical trials he is involved with for assessing the impacts of neuroprotective drugs for Parkinson's disease as well as Alzheimer's disease. He also shares his perspectives as a researcher and a patient with Parkinson's disease. John is Chairman of the Board, Co-Founder, and Senior Scientist of the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders in New Haven, Connecticut. He is also a board-certified physician in both Psychiatry and Nuclear Medicine, and he is an Adjunct faculty member in Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine.This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.