Latest Parkinson’s research in the UK: Sheffield Support Group hosts information day. Here’s how to sign up
A free open day in Sheffield has been organised for people with an interest in Parkinson’s, regardless whether they have Parkinson’s themselves or are interested in the condition for other reasons.
The event promises to not only be an informal social and networking event, but also has some top speakers offering a fascinating insight into research being carried out here in the city which may transform people’s lives.
The event has been organised by the Sheffield Support Group of Parkinson’s UK, in conjunction with The University of Sheffield and Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre and has been made possible thanks to legacies from families.
One of the event organisers and chairperson of the local group, Pamela Goff, said: “We ran a similar event in 2022 and people got so much out of the day. Nobody leaves without having learnt something new, either from the guest speakers or simply from talking to people like me who have had the condition for many years, and hearing how they manage the condition.
“For many of us the main drug we are on hasn’t changed since the 1960s. We are all fascinated to hear about new research and what new developments there might be.”
There are 145,000 people in the UK with Parkinson’s, and although 80 individuals are diagnosed each day, many people don’t know much about it.
Professor Oliver Bandmann, who will be speaking at the event, said: “Parkinson’s is much more than ‘just’ a movement disorder. It can also cause cognitive impairment, depression, dementia and autonomic problems
“At The University of Sheffield we have been carrying out research into the specific individual reasons why people develop Parkinson’s and how we can best develop medication to tackle the different ways the condition affects people, to slow down or even stop the worsening of the condition. Unlike some other conditions, where so-called disease-modifying treatments have progressed over the years, there has not been as much development for Parkinson’s, but we are seeing some extremely interesting results in our latest research.”
Professor Bandmann’s group has recently completed a clinical trial which successfully tested a mitochondrial rescue drug discovered in a drug screen which was carried out at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN). Professor Bandmann will give an update on the trial results at this meeting. “The results are very promising,” he said.
Open day plans
As well as giving a more detailed research overview on the day, Professor Bandmann will be joined by speakers Dr Lynne Barker talking about diet and the gut, and Dr Bhanu Ramaswamy OBE who will be speaking about research around exercise.
Guests will also have plenty of time to chat with one another, enjoy refreshments and take part in some simple and fun exercise sessions, all aimed to make living with Parkinson’s easier.
The free event for anyone with or interested in Parkinson’s takes place on Saturday, June 3, at The INOX Dine, 5th Floor, University of Sheffield Student Union Building, Sheffield S10 2TG.
People need to register for free for either a morning session – 10am to 1pm, or afternoon session, 2-5pm.
If you have any questions you can contact the Sheffield Support group via email – [email protected] – or phone Val on 0114 262 0468.
To sign up for free to the event sign up here – all are welcome, but you need to reserve your space in advance.