John MacPhee
UK
Age diagnosed: 46
Specialist interest: Awareness and Media, Communicating Research
After diagnosis of Parkinsons Disease in my mid 40s I have looked at ways of enriching my Parkinson’s experience. This has led me to walking the length of the UK, across the UK, walking in Canada, taking part in a TV documentary, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and cycling around Iceland.
I have also experienced the lows of having PD and spent a month in hospital changing medication following a ‘disagreement’ with dopamine agonists.
I try and use these experiences to communicate in talks and presentations about what the condition means to me.
An example of recent advocacy: I worked alongside Tilo Kunath from the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine to produce a presentation for the Edinburgh Fringe.
What advice would you give to others who are keen to get involved in Parkinson’s research?
There are many ways of being involved in Parkinson’s research. Seek out what interests you and engage in the way you want to engage.
Is there a piece of reading you would recommend to someone wanting to find out more about Parkinson’s research?
Read from any accredited Parkinson’s charity website. Don’t limit yourself to one country’s ideas.