Our 2026 Spring Research Update Meeting will once again be held at the renowned Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), Wimpole Street, London on Monday 20 April, where attendees can look forward to an engaging agenda featuring the latest updates from our funded research.
Theme: Targeting inflammation to slow Parkinson’s progression
Our next meeting will focus on inflammation and Parkinson’s, an area of growing interest as we begin to better understand the role inflammation plays in driving Parkinson’s progression. Attendees will hear presentations from two of our funded researchers. Dr Sinead O’Sullivan will discuss her preclinical project investigating carnosic acid, a naturally occurring antioxidant, in models of Parkinson’s. This project belongs to our iLCT Pipeline Acceleration programme. Dr Caroline Williams-Gray from Cambridge University will then discuss the results of the phase 2 trial of azathioprine, an immunosuppressant medication, as well as give an update on the ongoing trial of dapansutrile, a novel anti-inflammatory drug.
Agenda
2:00 pm – Welcome and opening remarks, Helen Matthews, CEO, Cure Parkinson’s
2:05 pm – Introduction: Cure Parkinson’s Spring Research Update 2026 (+ Q&A), Dr Simon Stott, Director of Research, Cure Parkinson’s
2:30 pm – Carnosic acid as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s (+ Q&A), Dr Sinead O’Sullivan, German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
3:15 pm – Tea and coffee break
3:45 pm – Targeting inflammation in Parkinson’s: phase 2 trials of azathioprine and dapansutrile (+ Q&A), Dr Caroline Williams-Gray, Cambridge University
4:30 pm – Panel Discussion
5:00 pm – Closing remarks
5:15 pm – Food and drinks reception
