Advances in genetics have opened new windows on possible ways to look at the underlying causes of Parkinson’s (and other) diseases. But what is a gene, anyway? Genes are the basic units of heredity. They contain the instructions for making proteins, which do the work within our cells and bodies. There are several genes associated with Parkinson’s. The most common are LRRK2 and GBA. For more information on Parkinson’s genetics, and genetics in general, check out Genetics Home Reference.

Another concept mentioned in the episode that might be new to you is “biomarker.” Biomarkers, short for biological markers, are characteristics of the body that you can measure. They are important to medicine in general and to drug development in particular. Biomarkers tell us how the body is doing and can help identify disease risk or disease progression.

Dr. Simon earned MD and PhD degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and completed the Harvard-Longwood Neurology Residency in Boston, followed by a Movement Disorders Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then joined the faculty at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School, where he is now a Professor of Neurology. He is the Chief of the Division of Movement Disorders at BIDMC and Director of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at BIDMC.

Dr. Simon is involved in clinical studies as well as laboratory research to study agents that may have neuroprotective effects in Parkinson’s disease. He was a recipient of the George C. Cotzias Award from the American Parkinson Disease Association and has received additional research funding from the American Federation for Aging Research, Parkinson's Foundation, Michael J. Fox Foundation, and two institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Dr. Simon completed a four-year term as a member of the NIH Molecular Neurogenetics study section and currently serves on the NINDS Biospecimen Review Access Committee (PD-BRAC). He is on the Editorial Board for Annals of Neurology. He is a member of the Cure Parkinson Trust’s Linked Clinical Trials Committee and is on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Weston Brain Institute. He also has served as Chair of the Scientific Review Committee of the Parkinson’s Study Group (PSG) and currently is an elected member of the PSG Executive Committee.

Heather Russell, RN, has 26 years of experience as a Neuro nurse. After 18 years of shift work, which included working at a children’s hospital and in an Epilepsy unit, she saw the opportunity for her current position as Movement Disorder Clinic Nurse for Dr. Mandar Jog and started her role at London Health Sciences Centre in 2015. Currently, her focus is on patient care and providing information on Advanced or Device Aided Therapies available. Heather is the Coordinator of the Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at the London Health Sciences Centre in London, Ontario, Canada and a CANN Member.

John L. Lehr leads the Parkinson's Foundation as president and chief executive officer. John guides the overall Foundation’s strategy of mission programs and resources that make life better for people with Parkinson’s. He works to expand the Foundation’s reach, research initiatives and presence, while working to improve health equity among the Parkinson’s community and the underserved. He ensures that all Foundation programs and resources aim to improve care and advance research toward a cure.

Dr. Irene H. Richard is Professor of Neurology with a secondary appointment in Psychiatry at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. After graduating from Cornell University in 1987 and receiving her MD from the Yale University School of Medicine in1991, Dr. Richard completed neurology residency at the University of Rochester in 1995, followed by NIH-funded fellowship training in Movement Disorders and Experimental Therapeutics in 1997. She joined the faculty of the University of Rochester in 1997. Dr. Richard provides neurological care for patients with Parkinson’s disease and related conditions and her clinical research program focuses on the psychiatric aspects of these illnesses. More recently, with support from a PF community grant, she has also been working with her team on efforts to optimize hospitalization for patients with PD. She is the author of numerous scientific articles, editorials and book chapters and has been the recipient of career development awards and research grants, including one from NIH to lead a multi-center clinical trial evaluating the treatment of depression in PD. Dr. Richard is Director of the University of Rochester’s Movement Disorders Fellowship Program, LBDA Research Center of Excellence, and Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence.

Elizabeth Delaney, LMSW, joined the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) Movement Disorders team as a Licensed Social Worker and Center of Excellence Coordinator in June 2017. She got her start in the field of movement disorders during her second year of social work internship at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital Neuroscience Department, working within the outpatient Parkinson’s’ center. She has particular interest in mental health, health disparities, and community education. She completed the Allied Team Training for Parkinson’s in 2017 and continues to grow as a movement disorders mental health clinician. Elizabeth completed her Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Pace University and earned her Master’s degree in Social work from Columbia University.

Dr. Mark Groves is psychiatrist specializing in the psychiatric management of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders and is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. For the last 17 years, he has been the consulting psychiatrist to the Movement Disorder Division and Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Dr. Groves’s clinical interest in Parkinson’s disease was initially sparked in his early college years when he had 2 Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Summer research fellowships and worked with clinical researchers and patients at Columbia University.

A graduate of Brown University, Dr. Groves attended medical school at the University of California, San Francisco and completed his residency in Psychiatry and a fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry at Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute. He is board certified in Psychiatry, with subspecialty certifications in Psychosomatic Medicine and Neuropsychiatry/Behavioral Neurology.

Dr. Groves has published a number of papers and book chapters on Psychological Reactions to Illness, and clinical aspects of Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, but his primary focus is in the direct clinical work with patients, caregivers and multidisciplinary colleagues treating the psychological and non-motor symptoms of patients with movement disorders with psychotherapy, medications and other treatments. He continues to learn from the privileged opportunity of immersing himself in the inner experiences of his patients and partnering in care with other disciplines.

Lance M. Wilson, MSS, LSW, C-SWHC, ASW-G is a Neuroscience Medical Social Worker who works with patients, families, and care partners impacted by the diagnoses of movement disorders, such as Parkinson's Disease.

Lance is a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in the State of Pennsylvania. Lance holds a C-SWHC (Certified Social Worker in Health Care) and ASW-G (Advanced Social Worker in Gerontology) both specialty certifications from the National Association of Social Workers.

Lance holds a bachelor’s degree in science (BS) in Human Services from Lincoln University of PA and a master’s degree in Social Service (MSS) in Clinical Social Work from Bryn Mawr College’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. Currently, Lance is pursuing his clinical supervision for his licensure in clinical social work (LCSW) and is currently a PhD student of Social Work at Widener University’s College of Health & Human Services.

Elsa Baena, PhD, es neuropsicóloga en el departamento de neuropsicología clínica y en la unidad de neurorrehabilitación intrahospitalaria del Barrow Neurological Institute.

La experiencia de la Dra. Baena incluye la evaluación neuropsicológica y rehabilitación de individuos con una variedad de diagnósticos neurológicos, incluyendo condiciones neurodegenerativas, lesiones cerebrales adquiridas, enfermedades cardiovasculares y tumores cerebrales. También realiza evaluaciones pre y postquirúrgicas para la estimulación cerebral profunda (ECP o DBS, por sus siglas en inglés) y la cirugía de epilepsia. Domina el inglés y el español y es miembro de la Hispanic Neuropsychological Society, la National Latinx Psychological Association, la American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology, la International Neuropsychological Society y la National Academy of Neuropsychology.