The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson's Podcast

Latest Episodes:

An Inside Look at the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders with Marcelo Merello and Sergio Castillo-Torres Nov 05, 2024

Show notes

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 impacts will continue to grow over the years as more fellows are trained. In this episode, Dr. Marcelo Merello and Dr. Sergio Castillo-Torres share their insights and perspectives as a Fellowship Director and a Fellow in the program, respectively.

Marcelo is Director of the Department of Neurosciences and Chief of the Movement Disorders Clinic at the Institute for Neurological Research or Fleni Hospital. He is fellowship Director at Fleni and the University of Buenos Aires. In addition, Marcelo is Principal Investigator with the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research and Professor of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina. Sergio is an Associate Professor in Neurology and Internal Medicine at the Dr. Jose E. Gonzales University Hospital of the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon. He was an Edmond J. Safra Fellow in Movement Disorders at Fleni Hospital. Visit michaeljfox.org/fellowship to learn more about the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders.

Mentioned in this episode:

All Grit. No Quit. is our bold Campaign to raise $2.5 billion by 2028. This is our biggest push yet toward a world without Parkinson's and we need to bring the full force of our community to meet this moment. Whatever brings you here, you can be a part of accelerating what comes next. michaeljfox.org/campaign/all-grit-no-quit

This podcast episode was part of a limited series created by The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2023 and 2024 for clinicians and researchers in our audience. These episodes provide a deeper dive into exciting new scientific research in Parkinson’s disease, as well as innovative tools and valuable resources, through conversations with a variety of experts in the field. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Hitting Stride: Research Advances on Walking with Parkinson’s (Webinar Audio) Oct 23, 2024

Show notes

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

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 everything at michaeljfox.org/podcast-ppmi.

Mentioned in this episode:

Creating Alpha-Synuclein Cell Lines and Supporting Open Science with Birgitt Schüle Oct 15, 2024

Show notes

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

Perspectives on Navigating Racial Bias and Stigma in Parkinson's Disease Oct 09, 2024

Show notes

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 community: https://apple.co/3p02Jw0

The Foundation’s landmark study, the Parkinson’s Progression Marker’s Initiative, also known as PPMI, is recruiting volunteers. People from all backgrounds with and without Parkinson's can help move research forward. Join the study that’s changing everything at michaeljfox.org/podcast-ppmi.

Mentioned in this episode:

Developing FLEXISyn to Identify and Measure Changes in Alpha-Synuclein in Parkinson's Disease with Judith Steen Oct 01, 2024

Show notes

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 spectrometry to isolate, quantify, and identify molecular changes in proteins. She describes her ongoing project, funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation, to develop FLEXISyn, which aims to track post-translational changes in alpha-synuclein to better understand how the protein becomes dysfunctional and begins misfolding and forming toxic aggregations in Parkinson's disease. Judith is Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, a member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, and Director of the Neuroproteomics Laboratory in the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Boston Children's Hospital.

Mentioned in this episode:

A Conversation on Parkinson’s-Related Hallucinations and Delusions (Webinar Audio) Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

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 strategies to manage them.

Like our podcasts? Please consider leaving a rating or review and sharing the series with your community. https://apple.co/3p02Jw0

Mentioned in this episode:

Clinical Applications of Biomarkers and Large-Scale Collaborative Research with Charles Adler Sep 17, 2024

Show notes

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.

Mentioned in this episode:

Investigating Light Therapy For Sleep and Motor Function in People with PD with Beatrix Feigl Sep 03, 2024

Show notes

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 colleagues developed a novel light therapy intervention that selectively activates the melanopsin photoreceptor cells, and in this episode, she discusses the results of a recent randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of this melanopsin photoreceptor-directed light therapy on sleep and circadian rhythm, as well as motor behaviors. She also discusses her earlier work on melanopsin cells that led to the development of standard measures to assess their function. Beatrix is an Ophthalmologist and an Associate Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Vision and Eye Research, as well as the Faculty of Health, at the Queensland University of Technology.

Mentioned in this episode:

Your Daily Dose: Managing Parkinson’s Medications (Webinar Audio) Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

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 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 Markers Initiative, also known as PPMI, is recruiting volunteers. Join the study that’s changing everything at michaeljfox.org/podcast-ppmi.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Autophagy-Lysosomal Pathway and Development of Relevant PD Biomarkers with Zhenyu Yue Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

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.

Mentioned in this episode: