Stanford PD Community Blog

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.  

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 local legend Caroline Tanner, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology at the University of California San Francisco and the SF VA.  Read our notes.

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.