In this episode of the POP Profiles Series, we sit down with Donna Parkhurst, the inspiring founder of Moved by Parkinson’s. Donna shares her deeply personal journey with Parkinson’s disease, a journey that began long before her own diagnosis. Having served as a caregiver for her mother, who also battled the disease, Donna brings a unique and profound perspective to the Parkinson's community. Tune in as Donna opens up about: The Journey to Diagnosis: How her experience as a caregiver shaped h...

In this powerful episode of our POP Profiles Interview Series, Power Over Parkinson’s President and host Margaret Preston sits down with three inspiring women living with young-onset Parkinson’s disease: Allie Signorelli, Reka Janisse, and Esther Labib-Kiyarash. Together, they share their personal journeys to diagnosis, the realities of living with Parkinson’s at a younger age, and the unique challenges women face—many of which are often overlooked or misunderstood. From navigating careers a...

In this episode of POP Profiles, part of the Power Over Parkinson’s series, we sit down with Dr. Jamie Eberling, SVP and Head of Imaging at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, to discuss one of the biggest challenges in Parkinson’s research: developing an alpha-synuclein tracer. Alpha-synuclein is the protein that accumulates in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease, but scientists still cannot reliably image it in living patients. Dr. Eberling explains why finding this tracer is so comple...

In this special Power Over Parkinson’s interview, we sit down with Gary Griffiths—a U.S. military veteran, former firefighter, and a dedicated voice in the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community. Gary shares his powerful story of a life spent in service, from protecting his country to protecting his community, and now advocating for those living with Parkinson’s. Gary opens up about, his decades of work in the military and fire service, his Parkinson’s diagnosis and the challenges that followed, ...

In our latest installment of POP Profiles, Power Over Parkinson’s President, Margaret Preston, sat down with Dr. George Ackerman, founder of Together for Sharon, a grassroots Parkinson’s awareness initiative dedicated to honoring his late mother, Sharon Riff Ackerman. The conversation explored Dr. Ackerman’s deeply personal journey—from his mother’s Parkinson’s diagnosis to his mission to educate, connect, and empower families affected by the disease. He shared insights into how Together for ...

Dr. Annie Killoran, Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry and the University of Iowa, joins us as we discuss why understanding Parkinson’s Disease stages is helpful for both clinicians and patients. We cover how staging the disease can better help in identifying and delivering targeted therapies as well as how it can aide in the acceptance of the disease and its many and varied characteristics. Dr. Killoran also takes us through general treatment options, touches on current...

Dr. Rachel Dolhun, Chief Medical Advisor of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, joins us as we breakdown an array of Parkinson’s topics including exercise, disease management and therapeutics, and current research and development. She offers simple strategies and clear takeaways that will equip viewers with an actionable plan as they work with their own neurologists in managing PD. Support the show

Dr. Sule Tinaz, Associate Professor of Neurology at the Yale School of Medicine in the Movement Disorders Division and Clinical Neurosciences Imaging Center, joins us to talk, you guessed it, exercise! We can never hear too much information and advocacy on exercise. Why? Because it’s the only known intervention that is known to alleviate the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease. Dr. Tinaz’s research is focused on developing personalized therapies that people can use to cope with t...

Allie Signorelli, Parkinson’s Advocate and person with young onset Parkinson’s (YOPD), shares her journey to diagnosis and how she’s positively impacting the Parkinson’s community at a national level. Allie is lending her voice through advocacy and harnessing her career experience, particularly in fundraising and event management, to serve our community and aid in research that’s related to both therapeutics as well as the cure that we are all hoping for! Allie is an inspiration to us all and...

Listen as Kristine Meldrum, Author and Founder & President of Parkinson’s Place Iowa, shares her expertise on all things Parkinson’s and exercise. Having paved the way for coaching Parkinson’s patients through evidence-based exercise programs, Kristine is in a league of her own when it comes to understanding precisely how those with the disease should exercise. Having recently published, Parkinson’s: How to Reduce the Symptoms through Exercise, Kristine proclaims that people with PD...