Stanford PD Community Blog

In mid-April 2026, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) hosted a webinar titled “What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?”, bringing together a panel of expert researchers to explore what science currently understands about the causes of Parkinson’s — including the roles of genetics, environmental exposures, and aging. The panel featured Todd Sherer, PhD, Chief Mission Officer at MJFF; Caroline Tanner, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology at the University of California San Francisco; and Andrew Singleton, PhD, Co-lead of the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2). The webinar was hosted and moderated by Jimmy Choi, Parkinson’s advocate, 7-time American Ninja Warrior, and MJFF Patient Council member, who was himself diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2003 at the age of 27.

At the Minnesota Spring Parkinson’s Symposium on April 10, 2026, social worker Joan Hlas, MSW, LISW, of Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota presented “Caregiving as a Gift and How to Thrive Without a Gift Receipt.” The event was co-hosted by the APDA Minnesota Chapter, the Parkinson’s Foundation Minnesota and Dakotas Chapter, and the University of Minnesota Medical School.

At the Minnesota Spring Parkinson’s Symposium on April 10, 2026, movement disorder specialist Dr. Paul Tuite and pharmacist Natalie Heinrich, PharmD from M Health Fairview in Minneapolis, Minnesota — walked through common myths and misconceptions about Parkinson’s disease. The event was co-hosted by the APDA Minnesota Chapter, the Parkinson’s Foundation Minnesota and Dakotas Chapter, and the University of Minnesota Medical School. 

In April 2026, the Parkinson’s Foundation hosted an expert briefing titled “Inside the Science: Parkinson’s Research Today.” Laurie Sanders, PhD, associate professor of neurology at Duke University, shared why she and many of her colleagues are increasingly optimistic about the direction of Parkinson’s disease research. Dr. Sanders focused on three key research areas — alpha-synuclein, mitochondrial function, and neuroinflammation — and explained how these pathways are now understood to be interconnected, opening new doors for disease-modifying therapies. This was a technical webinar. If this talk taught me anything, it’s that Parkinson’s disease is far more complex than most of us realize. I found myself looking up terms throughout — so consider this my best attempt at summarizing the science.