Making Parkinson's research a priority

Members of the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) make research a real priority, especially those who are members of the Special Parkinson’s Research Interest Group (SPRING). The group holds an annual conference to bring together leading international researchers to maintain the focus on finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

On Thursday SPRING hosted their 6th biennial conference in London for researchers. The one day event, based on the theme ‘Parkinson’s disease: the Pieces of the Puzzle,’ attracted over 100 international researchers. Some of the topics included: genes; Lewy bodies in nerve cells; why certain nerve cells are vulnerable in Parkinson’s, and what might stop or slow the progression of Parkinson's.

The conference has been a great success. This type of meeting complements others organised by the PDS, as it brings together researchers from different backgrounds to provide valuable discussions into Parkinson’s and where the gaps in knowledge reside.

PDS is determined that we find a cure for Parkinson's - and by that we mean that people with Parkinson's are able to live a life free of the symptoms. You can read about the type of research PDS funds in our research pages.

Steve Ford is Chief Executive of the Parkinson's Disease Society