We kick off this season of ATCC’s podcast with insights from Dr. Birgitt Schuele on Parkinson’s disease. In this episode, she discusses the physical and cognitive changes brought on by the disease, and zeros in on some of the genetic components. Dr. Schuele then talks about her current focus of research, the role of alpha synuclein in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s. She touches on some of the daunting challenges that researchers face when looking for biomarkers and druggable targets to treat the disease. Finally, Dr. Schuele goes back to her roots to share with us how she ended up studying this devastating neurodegenerative disease.