What if Parkinson’s disease could be detected years before a tremor ever appears, perhaps with a simple genetic test?

The PINK1 gene can cause people as young as their teens to develop Parkinson’s disease. Join neurologist and Neurological Foundation VJ Chapman Fellow Dr Joseph Donnelly for a fascinating look into the emerging science of early Parkinson’s detection in our Pacific community, and what it could mean for the future.

Fresh from his recent research trip to Samoa, Joe will share what he observed and learned from local communities and doctors as he worked to recruit patients for a groundbreaking PINK1 Parkinson’s research project.

You’ll hear about the challenges of working in a nation that has no neurologist to serve its population of 220,000 people. Joe will also share the story of the difference he was able to make in one young man’s life.

Joseph’s project aims to answer important questions:

• What does this early‑onset Parkinson’s look like?

• How does it respond to treatment?

• And what might it teach us about Parkinson’s disease in older adults?

This session will be hosted by the Neurological Foundation’s Head of Research, Dr Sarah Schonberger.

Register now and discover how insights from Joe’s work in Samoa could reshape the future of Parkinson’s disease in our Pacific communities.