Rallying to the Challenge is a meeting designed for and by people with Parkinson’s, advocates and care partners that explores how the Parkinson’s community can impact and accelerate research. The meeting is hosted annually by Cure Parkinson’s and Van Andel Institute (VAI) and runs in parallel with VAI’s flagship annual Parkinson’s disease symposium Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease.

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2020 Rallying to the Challenge

Recordings of the presentations from Rallying to the Challenge 2020 are available to view.

View Rallying 2020 Presentations

Each year the meeting takes an aspect of Parkinson’s research and explores how people living with the condition can support and influence work in this area. The meeting continues to spark engaging and inspiring discussion and is attended by over 100 delegates. It offers an important opportunity for the Parkinson’s community to help shape research.

Due to the pandemic, in 2020 Rallying to the Challenge was held virtually for the first time. The theme for 2020 was ‘When and How Does Parkinson’s Begin?’ and included stimulating discussions on topics such as ‘What are the genetic risk factors for Parkinson’s?’ and ‘What role might the gut play in Parkinson’s?’

Discussions were led by various members of the Parkinson’s community, including leading researchers in the field.

The meeting culminated in presenting the 2020 Tom Isaacs Award to the deserving Professor Caroline Tanner.

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Prof Caroline Tanner