Kevin McFarthing
UK
Age diagnosed: 55
Specialist interest: Communicating research, Clinical trials & therapies in research stage
I’m originally a biochemist, so I use that background to try to understand more about PD and communicate what I’ve learnt.
One thing to change in the world – more tolerance.
One thing to change in the Parkinson’s world – when living with Parkinson’s is no longer a problem.
Why the World Parkinson Congress (WPC) is important to me :
Learning and engagement are important parts of my approach to Parkinson’s, so a gathering of the world’s Parkinson’s community is the best place to be.
What I hope to get out of WPC:
More knowledge, more opportunities, more contacts.
I produce the Hope List, a database of Parkinson’s therapies in development.
I’m the joint editor of the Clinical Trial Highlights section of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
Research officer of the Oxford branch of Parkinson’s UK.
Expert Patient Tutor for final year medical students at Oxford University.
Taken part in 18 observational trials.
What advice would you give to others who are keen to get involved in Parkinson’s research?
Just do it – you’ll get a lot out of it and learn a lot.
Is there a piece of reading you would recommend to someone wanting to find out more about Parkinson’s research?
The “go to” source for everything about Parkinson’s research – www.scienceofparkinsons.com.