Smell loss can be among the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, signaling changes in the brain years before other symptoms are noticeable. Because of the link between smell and brain health, researchers are very interested in understanding more about how people with smell loss go on to either develop a disease or not, and why some people with PD still are able to smell. To learn more about the latest research, tune into audio from this Third Thursdays Webinar and listen to expert panelists discuss the science of smell and what scientists are learning about its connection to disease.
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In this episode, Maggie Kuhl, vice president and head of patient engagement at The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) speaks with:
- Ethan Brown, MD, a movement disorder specialist and assistant professor of neurology at the University of California San Fransico.
- Zara Patel, MD, an otolaryngologist at Stanford Medicine. She’s also director of the Stanford Initiative to Cure Smell and Taste Loss.
- Dave Harris, who has experienced more than 20 years of smell loss, was diagnosed with PD in 2022 and is a participant in MJFF's landmark study, the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI).
- Don Upson, who has experienced more than 15 years of smell loss and is a PPMI participant.
View a transcript of this podcast.
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