The 7th World Parkinson Congress

Next week, thousands of people who care about Parkinson's disease — researchers, doctors, and people living with PD — are gathering in Phoenix for the World Parkinson Congress. This meeting happens every three years. I'm not going this year, but I wanted to share what's happening and why it matters.

What Makes a Great Medical Meeting?

Before I focused on Parkinson's, I was a cardiologist conducting clinical research on heart failure. There were six major cardiology conferences every year. Those meetings worked well because they happened regularly, built real relationships and trust over time, and gave everyone — from newcomers to veterans — a chance to share ideas.

Some meetings were large and formal. Others were small and lively, with real debates and room for surprising new ideas. The most creative and innovative progress happened at the smaller ones focused entirely on heart failure.

The Problem with Parkinson's Conferences

The Parkinson's world doesn't have that same setup. There is no annual, US-based Parkinson's meeting where researchers and clinicians can stay connected year after year.

The World Parkinson Congress is wonderful — it meets every three years, rotates around the world, and importantly, includes people living with Parkinson's as full participants, not just subjects. That matters. But three years between meetings is a long time. Science moves fast. Ideas need more room to breathe and grow.

My view: we need more regular Parkinson's meetings — in the US, in Europe, in Asia — so that the community can build the kind of ongoing relationships that turn good ideas into real treatments.

Why I'm Staying Home

I wanted to go to Phoenix. But right now, my most important job is launching a clinical trial for our new Parkinson's treatment (RB-190). That work must come first.

Talks Worth Knowing About

If you're attending — or if someone you know is going — here are five sessions that could be especially meaningful:

1. Monday afternoon (1:45–3:15 pm) — A session about prognosis for people with Parkinson's. Speaker: Kathrin Brockmann. This is important for anyone who wants to understand what their future with PD might look like.

2. Monday evening (6:05–6:45 pm) — A debate about alpha-synuclein, asking whether it is the main cause of PD. Speakers: Malú Gámez Tansey and Roger Barker. This is a live scientific controversy — the kind of honest disagreement that drives discovery.

3. Tuesday morning (9:00–11:00 am) — An overview of treatments that could slow or stop Parkinson's — not just manage symptoms. Speakers include Simon Stott, Tom Foltynie, and Claire Henchcliffe, plus a patient's perspective.

4. Tuesday midday (11:30 am–1:30 pm) — Un Kang discusses how Parkinson's affects brain chemistry and electrical signals. More technical, but foundational to understanding how new drugs might work.

5. Tuesday late afternoon (5:15–5:55 pm) — Glenda Halliday on how and why brain cells are lost in Parkinson's. Understanding neurodegeneration is key to stopping it.

The Parkinson's community is full of dedicated, brilliant people. The more chances we create to share ideas — and the more we include the voices of people living with the disease — the faster we'll find answers that matter.