Stanford PD Community Blog

At the end of May 2026, Stanford Medicine hosted a webinar titled “Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders: Outreach, Access, and Education,” bringing together neurologists and other healthcare professionals to address the diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD)/corticobasal syndrome (CBS). This webinar was continuing medical education for physicians and other healthcare providers.

In May 2026, The Caring Neurologist podcast series featured an episode on swallowing difficulties in Parkinson’s disease. Sandeep Thakkar, DO, a movement disorder specialist in Southern California, talks about why swallowing problems occur, how to recognize early warning signs, and practical strategies for patients and families to maintain safety and quality of life. Swallowing difficulties are often overlooked in conversations about Parkinson’s but can have serious, even life-threatening consequences if missed.

The World Parkinson Congress (WPC) is a global, multi-day gathering of researchers, clinicians, care partners, advocates, and people living with PD that takes place every three years. This year, the 7th WPC took place from May 24–27, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. I was excited to see Stanford neurologists presenting at WPC. Stanford’s movement disorders chief, Dr. Kathleen Poston, gave a talk titled “The Future of Biologically Defining and Staging PD, DLB and Related Disorders: What Do We Still Have to Learn to Transition to Clinic?” The talk was about moving promising research tools into everyday patient care.