Our 2026 Spring Research Update Meeting was once again held at the renowned Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), Wimpole Street, London on Monday 20 April, where attendees listened to the latest updates from our funded research.
Theme: Targeting inflammation to slow Parkinson’s progression
The meeting focused 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 heard presentations from two of our funded researchers. Dr Sinead O’Sullivan discussed 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 discussed the results of the phase 2 trial of azathioprine, an immunosuppressant medication, and provided an update on the ongoing trial of dapansutrile, a novel anti-inflammatory drug.
Research Update Meeting Attendee Booklet
Learn more about the event, presentations, and speakers.
Agenda
Cure Parkinson’s Spring Research Update 2026 (+ Q&A) – Dr Simon Stott, Director of Research, Cure Parkinson’s
Carnosic acid as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s (+ Q&A) – Dr Sinead O’Sullivan, German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)
Targeting inflammation in Parkinson’s: phase 2 trials of azathioprine and dapansutrile (+ Q&A) – Dr Caroline Williams-Gray, Cambridge University
Panel discussion: Research Bias in Clinical Trials – why diversity and inclusion matter
Photographs by Photographer London
