Dr. Vanessa Milanese is an internationally recognized functional neurosurgeon specializing in movement disorders, deep brain stimulation (DBS), epilepsy surgery, and advanced pain interventions. Her work explores how the brain’s interconnected networks influence movement, cognition, emotion, and behavior — and how neuromodulation can be used to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s disease. 

In this episode, she joins Gaia to break down deep brain stimulation — what it actually does, who may benefit, when someone with Parkinson’s should begin considering it, and what patients can realistically expect.

Dr. Milanese explains how DBS can improve symptoms including tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, why timing matters, and how specialists determine whether someone may be a good candidate. She also discusses the importance of looking beyond a single area of the brain and understanding the networks and connections responsible for different symptoms. 

They also explore where DBS is heading next — from adaptive stimulation and advanced neuroimaging to increasingly precise, personalized approaches to targeting the brain.

But the conversation goes beyond surgery. Dr. Milanese shares why she asks every patient about their goals, why listening matters just as much as technology, and why the ultimate goal of treatment is helping people get back to the lives they want to live. 

WHAT WE COVER:

• What deep brain stimulation (DBS) is and how it works

• Where DBS fits alongside medication, physical therapy, and exercise

• When someone with Parkinson’s should start considering DBS

• Why education about DBS should begin before someone actually needs surgery

• Which symptoms DBS can improve, including tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia

• How doctors evaluate whether someone may be a good candidate

• Why timing matters and why waiting too long can limit treatment options

• How surgeons decide which areas and networks of the brain to target

• Why DBS can sometimes be performed on only one side of the brain

• Standard DBS vs. adaptive DBS and where the technology is heading

• How advanced imaging can help make stimulation more precise

• Potential side effects and how DBS programming can be adjusted

• Why communication between surgeons, neurologists, patients, and caregivers matters

• The importance of listening to the person behind the diagnosis

• How DBS may help some people regain independence and return to meaningful activities

• What scientists still have to discover about the brain and neuromodulation

• Dr. Milanese’s mission to help patients pursue the goals that matter most to them

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.https://parkinsonperformancecentre.com/newsletter

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre, and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes, was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program HERE:https://parkinsonperformancecentre.com/startprotocol

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Jimmy Choi is an athlete, Parkinson’s advocate, marathon runner, world-record holder, and seven-time American Ninja Warrior competitor who has spent more than two decades living with Parkinson’s disease.

Diagnosed at just 27, Jimmy spent eight years largely ignoring his diagnosis until a frightening fall down the stairs while carrying his 10-month-old son became the moment he knew something had to change. 

In this episode, he joins Gaia to talk about the mindset shift that took him from simply exercising because it was “good for Parkinson’s” to training with a purpose. He shares how running helped him work on his gait, why falling led him to start training burpees, how his approach has evolved as Parkinson’s has progressed, and why high-intensity training, strength, balance, recovery, and mental health all play a role. 

Jimmy also speaks openly about the harder parts of his journey: denial, depression, vulnerability, OFF periods, asking for help, and the family that ultimately became his reason to keep going.

His message throughout the episode is clear: “I’m not striving to be an athlete. I’m striving to be the best person I can be for my family.”

WHAT WE COVER:

• Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s at just 27 years old

• Eight years of anger and denial, and the moment that finally forced Jimmy to make a change

• Why he stopped simply exercising and started training with a purpose

• How training his gait helped him move better in everyday life

• The athlete mindset and why Jimmy believes in training beyond “just enough”

• How to start moving when you’ve never considered yourself an athlete

• Finding balance with training, nutrition, and recovery

• Jimmy’s journey from marathons to American Ninja Warrior

• How he handles OFF periods, difficult days, and accepting help

• Mental health, masculinity, vulnerability, and asking for help

• The changes Jimmy noticed with high-intensity training

• Why falling led him to start doing burpees and eventually break a world record

• How his training continues to evolve as Parkinson’s progresses

• Building strength, balance, stability, and power based on what his body needs

• How Jimmy built a care team around professionals who understood his goals

• Why recovery is just as important as training

• How Jimmy structures his training and adapts it to his needs

• Why his family remains the purpose behind everything he does

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre, and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes, was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program HERE.

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc

Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode changed the way you think about Parkinson’s rehabilitation and the role you can play in your own care, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, caregivers, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

Melba and Tristan are both living with Parkinson’s, but their journeys look very different.

Melba was diagnosed five years ago after a lifetime of being incredibly active. Tristan was diagnosed just one year ago at 40, with three young children and a baby at home. In this episode, they join Gaia for an honest conversation about what happens after the diagnosis, from the fear and uncertainty to rebuilding confidence, setting big goals, and learning how to move forward.

At the center of their conversation is an idea Melba calls “active hope.”

Hope isn’t simply wishing things will get better. It’s training, nutrition, mindset, mindfulness, discipline, building the right support system, and continuing to show up even on the days when motivation isn’t there.

As Melba puts it: “We can all hope. But you have to put legs on that hope.”

Together, they challenge the idea that a Parkinson’s diagnosis should automatically mean doing less. They explore the difference between simply being active and truly training, why exercise needs to be individualized, and what it means to train like an athlete, not a patient.

They also discuss family, vulnerability, discipline, building a multidisciplinary care team, the potential role of AI, and why the person living with Parkinson’s should remain at the center of their own care.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Melba and Tristan’s very different experiences of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s

• The fear, grief, and uncertainty that can follow a diagnosis

• Why Parkinson’s should not automatically mean lowering expectations for what someone is capable of

• The difference between being active and intentionally training

• What it means to “Train Like An Athlete, Not A Patient”

• Why Parkinson’s training should consider intensity, load, volume, duration, variety, and the individual

• Building resilience and continuing to show up when motivation disappears

• Melba’s concept of “active hope”

• How Parkinson’s affects spouses, children, and the wider family

• Protecting the relationship between partners instead of allowing it to become only patient and caregiver

• Building a care team beyond the neurologist

• Why the person living with Parkinson’s is the real expert on their own experience

• How AI may support, rather than replace, clinicians, trainers, and care partners

• Discipline, consistency, and focusing on what remains within your control

• Setting big goals and refusing to let Parkinson’s automatically make life smaller

• Why real hope requires action, effort, and putting in the reps

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre, and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes, was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program HERE.

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc

Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode changed the way you think about Parkinson’s rehabilitation and the role you can play in your own care, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, caregivers, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

Dr. Ray Dorsey is a neurologist, researcher, author, and public health advocate who has become one of the leading voices challenging how we think about the origins and future of Parkinson’s disease.

His central argument is provocative: the dramatic rise in Parkinson’s cannot be explained by aging and genetics alone. Instead, Dr. Dorsey believes environmental factors, including pesticides, industrial chemicals, contaminated water, and air pollution, are playing a major role in fueling the disease.

In this episode, he joins Gaia for a wide-ranging conversation about why Parkinson’s prevention deserves far more attention, what we already know about environmental risk factors, and what individuals, communities, researchers, and policymakers can do to change the trajectory of the disease.

Dr. Dorsey also brings the conversation down to the individual level. He shares practical ways people can potentially reduce exposure through their food, water, and air, discusses the growing importance of exercise, and explains why every person with Parkinson’s should work toward building their own “Parkinson’s Dream Team.”

His message throughout the episode is clear: “Parkinson’s is fundamentally a preventable disease.”

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why Parkinson’s has become one of the world’s fastest-growing brain diseases

• Why Dr. Dorsey argues Parkinson’s is an “unnatural consequence of aging”

• The role environmental factors may play in Parkinson’s, including pesticides, industrial chemicals, air pollution, and contaminated water

• Paraquat, trichloroethylene, and other chemicals Dr. Dorsey believes deserve greater attention

• Why so little Parkinson’s research funding is focused on prevention

• The connection between industrialization and rising rates of Parkinson’s around the world

• Practical steps from Dr. Dorsey’s “Parkinson’s 25” to potentially reduce exposure through food, water, and air

• Why exercise may be one of the most important developments in Parkinson’s care

• How to build your own “Parkinson’s Dream Team” when specialized care is difficult to access

• How telemedicine and technology could expand access to neurological care

• Why understanding what causes Parkinson’s may be essential to eventually slowing, preventing, or curing it

• Why people with Parkinson’s, caregivers, and families need to “turn up the volume” and make their voices heard

• Dr. Dorsey’s vision for creating a future where Parkinson’s becomes less common rather than more common

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre, and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes, was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program HERE.

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc

Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode changed the way you think about Parkinson’s rehabilitation and the role you can play in your own care, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, caregivers, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

Haseel Bhatt has spent more than 16 years working at the intersection of neurological rehabilitation, research, and education. Early in his career, he began noticing a frustrating gap: research was showing what exercise and specialized rehabilitation could do for people with Parkinson’s, but those findings weren’t always making their way into everyday clinical care.

That gap shaped Haseel’s work as a neurological physiotherapist and ultimately led him to found Neurology Rehab. In this episode, he joins Gaia to explore what Parkinson’s rehabilitation should actually look like, from understanding freezing of gait and finding alternative pathways to movement to asking better questions of the professionals responsible for your care.

Haseel also challenges people with Parkinson’s to take a more active role in rehabilitation. Why are you doing this exercise? Why are you on the treadmill? How will this translate into your everyday life? His advice is simple: interview your healthcare team.

Along the way, Gaia and Haseel explore caregivers, mental health, stigma, individualized rehabilitation, and why living with a neurodegenerative condition does not mean improvement is impossible.

WHAT WE COVER:

• What actually happens when someone with Parkinson’s experiences freezing of gait
• Haseel’s “blocked highway” analogy and how visual, auditory, and movement cues can help create another route to movement
• Why Parkinson’s rehabilitation needs to be individualized rather than built around a one-size-fits-all approach
• Why Haseel encourages people with Parkinson’s to interview their healthcare team and understand the purpose behind their rehabilitation
• How exercise has evolved from an optional recommendation to a core part of Parkinson’s management
• Why confidence, mental health, and the right support system matter alongside physical rehabilitation
• The often overlooked experience of spouses, family members, and caregivers, and why simply asking “How are you doing?” matters
• How education can help address misinformation and stigma surrounding neurological conditions, including FND
• Why Haseel questions whether Parkinson’s is best understood as one “disease” when every person can experience such a different combination of symptoms
• Why things can improve with Parkinson’s, even in the presence of a neurodegenerative condition

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre, and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes, was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program HERE.

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc
Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode changed the way you think about Parkinson’s rehabilitation and the role you can play in your own care, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, caregivers, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

Dr. Sara Davies spent years working on the frontlines of neurological rehabilitation when she began noticing something: people with Parkinson’s were often treated differently. Care centered heavily on symptoms and impairments, while the bigger question of how do we help people keep doing the things that actually matter to them was getting lost.

That question led Sara into research on metacognition, functional cognition, and cognitive strategy training for people with Parkinson’s. In this episode, she joins Gaia to explore what happens when Parkinson’s care shifts from simply managing symptoms to helping people see themselves as capable problem-solvers who can adapt, build new strategies, and stay engaged in their lives.

From the practical Goal-Plan-Do-Check framework to the hidden impact of fatigue, anxiety, apathy, and sleep, Sara challenges the idea that a Parkinson’s diagnosis automatically means giving up the activities, roles, and goals that make you who you are.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why Sara believes Parkinson’s care needs to move beyond symptom management

• How metacognition can help people with Parkinson’s become better problem-solvers in daily life

• The Goal-Plan-Do-Check strategy and how it works in real-world situations

• Why the environment, routines, reminders, and everyday strategies matter for cognition

• The gap between knowing exercise is important and actually being able to follow through consistently

• How fatigue, sleep, anxiety, apathy, and other non-motor symptoms can affect everyday life

• Why meaningful goals, from exercise to getting dressed the way you want, belong in Parkinson’s rehabilitation

• How caregivers and families can support independence without taking away autonomy

• Why neuroplasticity means the brain can continue to adapt throughout life

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre—and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes—was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program HERE.

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc
Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode changed the way you think about what’s possible while living with Parkinson’s, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

What if treating Parkinson’s isn’t simply about targeting one area of the brain, but understanding the complex network of connections behind each person’s symptoms?

In this episode, Gaia Forlani sits down with Dr. Harith Akram, consultant neurosurgeon at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, to explore the rapidly evolving world of functional neurosurgery. From connectomics and brain mapping to AI, advanced imaging, and precision medicine, Dr. Akram explains how researchers are working to better understand the circuits driving Parkinson’s and translate that science into better care for the person sitting in front of them.

WHAT WE COVER:

• How scientists are mapping the brain’s connections
• Why Parkinson’s treatment is moving toward precision medicine
• The challenge of treating non-motor symptoms
• How AI could change neuroscience and neurosurgery
• Mapping dysfunctional brain circuits and “traffic jams”
• What brain connectivity can teach us about Parkinson’s
• The story behind Dr. Akram’s custom supercomputer, “Gilgamesh”
• New imaging technology designed to improve surgical precision
• Why challenging surgical dogma can lead to better patient care
• The importance of honest expectations and collaborative care

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.
Join our newsletter

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre (and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes) was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program here:
Learn more about the program

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc
Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode gave you a new perspective on how the brain is mapped and where precision Parkinson’s treatment could be headed, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

For decades, Parkinson’s research has been built largely around men, leaving major questions about women unanswered. Dr. Roberta Marongiu is working to change that. Her research focuses on biological sex, ovarian hormones, menopause, and what these differences could mean for how women experience and are treated for Parkinson’s. 

In this episode, Roberta joins Gaia to explore what women with Parkinson’s need to know about hormonal changes, medication response, perimenopause, menopause, and HRT. They also discuss why listening to people with Parkinson’s transformed Roberta’s work and inspired her to take science beyond the lab through exercise, arts, and other programs designed to improve life with Parkinson’s today. 

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why Parkinson’s research has historically left women behind
• How hormones can influence symptoms and medication response
• What happens to the brain during perimenopause and menopause
• Estrogen, neuroplasticity, and Parkinson’s
• What we know and still don’t know about HRT
• Why menopause symptoms can sometimes overlap with Parkinson’s
• The unanswered questions around levodopa dosing for women
• Why women should speak up when something in their body changes
• How exercise and complementary therapies can support quality of life

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.
Join our newsletter

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre (and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes) was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program here:
Learn more about the program

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc
Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode gave you a new perspective on women, hormones, and Parkinson’s or helped you realize how many important questions still need answers, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

Parkinson’s is often described as simply “low dopamine”—but the reality is far more complex. In this episode, Gaia Forlani sits down with Professor Francesca Morgante, Professor of Neurology and Edmond J. Safra Chair for the Study of Ageing at St George’s University of London, honorary consultant neurologist, and a leading voice in movement disorders and neuromodulation.

Together, they unpack what’s actually happening in the Parkinson’s brain, why no two people experience the condition in exactly the same way, and how better understanding your symptoms can change the way you approach treatment. From medication and exercise to Deep Brain Stimulation and the patient-neurologist relationship, this conversation brings complex science back to the person living with Parkinson’s.

WHAT WE COVER:

• Why Parkinson’s may actually be several different diseases
• What’s happening in the brain beyond dopamine loss
• Dyskinesia vs. dystonia—and why they happen
• Exercise, mood, symptoms, and medication management
• Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) and who it may help
• The latest advances in adaptive and sensing DBS
• How to build a better relationship with your neurologist
• The biggest gaps in Parkinson’s care today
• Where current Parkinson’s research is giving hope

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 Join our newsletter: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre—and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes—was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program here:
Learn more about the program

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: @gaia.forlani.ppc
Facebook: Gaia Forlani

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode helped you better understand Parkinson’s—or gave you more confidence to ask questions and take an active role in your care—subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.

Richelle Flanagan spent more than 20 years working in nutrition and dietetics before Parkinson’s became personal. She first noticed symptoms of young-onset Parkinson’s while pregnant with her daughter—and kept her diagnosis private for two years because of the stigma, fear, and embarrassment surrounding the disease. Today, she has turned that experience into advocacy, particularly around nutrition and the unmet needs of women with Parkinson’s. 

In this episode, Richelle joins Gaia to unpack what nutrition for Parkinson’s actually looks like—from protein and levodopa to fiber, gut health, constipation, and supplements. They also dive into an often-overlooked conversation: how Parkinson’s can affect women differently, including the role of hormones, menstrual cycles, menopause, medication response, and why women-specific research matters. 

WHAT WE COVER:

• What Richelle learned when Parkinson’s made nutrition personal
• Why the basics may matter more than trendy diets and supplements
• Protein, levodopa, and why timing can get complicated
• Fiber, constipation, and the gut-brain connection
• Why supplements can’t replace the foundation of a healthy diet
• How to make eating well with Parkinson’s realistic and sustainable
• Why women can experience Parkinson’s differently
• Hormones, menstrual cycles, menopause, and Parkinson’s symptoms
• Why nutrition deserves a bigger role on the Parkinson’s care team

WHAT’S NEXT:

📧 ⁠Join our newsletter⁠: Get Parkinson’s research, practical strategies, expert insights, and updates from Parkinson’s Performance Centre delivered straight to your inbox.

🏋️ Train Like An Athlete: Gaia’s work at Parkinson’s Performance Centre (and her belief that people with Parkinson’s can train like athletes) was the inspiration behind the Like An Athlete, Not A Patient podcast. If you’re interested in learning more about Gaia’s program and how PPC helps people with Parkinson’s train with purpose, explore the program ⁠HERE⁠.

STAY CONNECTED WITH US:

Instagram: ⁠@gaia.forlani.ppc⁠ 

Facebook: ⁠Gaia Forlani⁠

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If this episode changed the way you think about what’s possible while living with Parkinson’s, subscribe to Like An Athlete, Not A Patient and leave a review. It helps more people with Parkinson’s, their families, and the professionals supporting them discover these conversations.