Research events
Browse our upcoming events and recordings to find out about the latest Parkinson's research.
In-person events
Join University College London researchers for a unique performance showcasing how individuals with young-onset Parkinson's have transformed their experiences into music through research.
Entry is free, and refreshments will be provided.
Where: St George the Martyr Church, 44 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AH
When: Friday 18 July, 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-graphic-truth-music-art-and-the-young-onset-parkinsons-community-tickets-1401410288899?aff=oddtdtcreator
This event is not managed by Parkinson's UK
Catch up on a selection of research talks
Catch up with our webinar on hallucinations and delusions from 14 May 2025. You can hear more about what hallucinations and delusions are and how and why they may affect you, plus tips to help you manage them. We also cover two of our funded research trials, TOP HAT and CAN-PDP, which are testing new treatments for hallucinations and delusions, and how you can take part.
Speakers:
- Professor Suzanne Reeves - Principal Investigator of the TOP HAT study
- Dr Latha Velayudhan - Principal Investigator of the South London & Maudsley Site of the CAN-PDP study
- Winston Marshall - Person with Parkinson’s who experiences hallucinations and delusions, and took part in the CAN-PDP study
On World Parkinson’s Day, we hosted our very first online Research ‘taster session.' We spotlight some exciting research projects, showed how research is helping people to live well with Parkinson’s, and shared how and why people are getting involved in research. You can also find out how to stay up to date with the latest research news and opportunities.
On 11 and 12 October, the Parkinson's community came together for Par-Con 2024, our free, 2-day in-person and online event, planned in collaboration with a team of people living with and affected by the condition.
Over the two days, attendees heard directly from experts, connected with others and learnt more about living well with Parkinson's. We had sessions on the latest research, cutting-edge technology and more.
On Wednesday 20 September, the Edinburgh branch of Parkinson’s UK and the Edinburgh Research Interest Group held the 2023 annual Edinburgh Parkinson’s lecture.
This year’s lecture, ‘Learning to listen - a patient-centred approach to Parkinson’s care’, was delivered by Professor Camille Carroll, Professor of Clinical Neuroscience and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Newcastle University. Prof. Carroll’s research focuses on disease-modifying treatments and how we can use digital health technologies for monitoring and personalised care for Parkinson’s.
Prof. Carroll was introduced by James Jopling, Scotland Director for Parkinson’s UK. Members of both the live and online audiences asked questions after the Lecture (chaired by Prof Tilo Kunath). The Concluding Remarks were made by Dr Alison Williams, a person with Parkinson’s and Honorary Professor of Creativity, the Centre for Person-Centred Practice Research, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh.
The PenPRIG team met with Claire Bale, Associate Director of Research; Shona Clegg, Clinical Studies Portfolio Manager; and Jan Kulagowski, Drug Discovery Manager; to learn more about the Parkinson’s UK Virtual Biotech and its drug discovery projects, aiming to bring us new and better treatments, faster.
Watch the talks in the series to learn more.
‘What is the Parkinson's UK Virtual Biotech About? Introduction in plain English’ with speaker Claire Bale
‘A Potential Dyskinesia Drug Gets The Virtual Biotech Treatment’ with Shona Clegg
‘Parkinson's Drug Discovery Gets The Virtual Biotech Treatment’ with Jan Kulagowski
'A Q&A session: News of progress in drug discovery and clinical trials' with the Virtual Biotech Team
These and other research talks are available on PenPRIG’s YouTube channel.
We invite you to listen to the North of Scotland Research Interest Group’s podcast, featuring interviews with Parkinson’s researchers active across Scotland - including Professor Tilo Kunath, Julie Jones, Dr Carl Counsell, and Dr Angus MacLeod.
Each episode lasts approximately 30 minutes, and new interviews are added monthly.
You can listen to each episode by following the links on the group’s PodBean webpage.
Research indicates around 50% of people with Parkinson's will experience pain. The causes can be multiple, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Dr. Kirsty Bannister, from King's College London, is investigating pain, and working on individual experiences of pain and how to help.
The Peninsula Parkinson's Research Interest Group (PenPRIG) hosted Dr Simon Stott, Director of Research at Cure Parkinson's, talking about the latest research into diet and nutrition for people with Parkinson's.
This event, held in May 2022, featured evidence-based talks from people with expertise in Parkinson's, Dementia, Psychology and Mental Health and included practical advice on improving wellbeing.
Speakers included:
- Professor Jane Simpson, Lancaster University, 'Psychological Therapies for people affected by Parkinson’s'
- Dr Becky Dowson, University of Nottingham, 'Music and singing for people living with dementia, Parkinson’s and their carers'
- Vanessa King, Action for Happiness, 'Practical Science-based Ideas to Sustain and Boost Wellbeing for People with Parkinson’s and their families'
The Dundee Research Interest Group hosted an online research event on 31 March 2022 with keynote speaker Dr Tom Gilbertson, Consultant Neurologist at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School and Senior Lecturer in the Medical School at the University of Dundee.
The University of Dundee is the second site in the UK to host a Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) system. This technology will be at the forefront of clinical trials aimed at accurately treating individuals with disabling tremor and may also benefit people with Parkinson’s in the future. Dr Tom Gilbertson discusses how MRgFUS works, how it can be used to treat tremor, and a planned upcoming clinical trial of the technology.
Peninsula Parkinson's Research Interest Group (PenPRIG) recently hosted Dr Camille Carroll, Plymouth University. She talked about the future of digital support of Home Based Care Pathways for Parkinson's and shared the success of digital tools trialled at the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
Par-Con 2021 was our online research event for the Parkinson's community. There were 12 sessions, including discussions about diet and nutrition to thoughts on what future treatments might look like.
You can now browse the wide range of talks on our YouTube channel.
Watch the Gretschen Amphlet Memorial Lecture, recorded on 24 March 2021, to hear from a range of speakers. The lecture focuses on research that aims to investigate cannabidiol (CBD) for Parkinson's associated psychosis.
Organising your own event?
Individual groups can request a member of our research team to join them in person or online. Our research talks give an update on Parkinson’s research, how we are driving forward new and better treatments and share how the Parkinson's community can get involved. To request a talk, please complete a request form.