WELCOME: GLOBAL BHP BRAINTRUST
A Message from Andrea Pfeifer, Chair of the Global BHP BrainTrust
On April 11th, World Parkinson’s Day shed light on the daunting reality: Over 8.5 million people still continue to battle the relentless disease worldwide that is projected to get worse, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). With no cure in sight, each diagnosis shatters lives, leaving patients, families and caregivers in uncertainty.
Despite this blurry outlook, there has been notable scientific progress, particularly in the months of March and April. At this year’s Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease (AD/PD) conference, scientists, advocates and industry professionals delved into new and possible research directions with a particular emphasis on blood-based biomarkers and imaging techniques. These discussions hold promise for more targeted clinical trials and deeper understanding of Parkinson’s complex relationship with other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
However, it is imperative to integrate the voices of those directly affected by Parkinson’s disease into this scientific pathway. As Michael J. Fox, renowned actor and Parkinson’s patient emphasized during the conference, the inclusion of patient perspectives is paramount. “When do we ask patients? What do they think of this and that process? Sharing experiences in journal form, what they go through, what their goals and hopes are and then involve them into clinical research”, become indispensable steps, he remarked. Ultimately, “it’s all about patients, the people after all. It’s about science, it’s not about numbers on paper, but it’s about patients getting better”, he concluded.
By taking his sincere message into account and integrating patient voices into the scientific dialogue, we can ensure that research efforts remain grounded in real-world experiences and needs of those affected by Parkinson’s and other brain and mental health diseases.