The Parkinson's Podcast

Deep brain stimulation, or DBS, raises a lot of questions, including what it is, who it's for, when the best time for it is, and what living with it is actually like. This episode brings the best of six Davis Phinney Foundation conversations on DBS into one twenty-minute walk through the whole journey, from the basics to what life is like years after surgery.

You'll hear from two neurosurgeons, two movement disorder specialists, and three people who have lived with DBS for years.

Dr. Kara Beasley, DO, is a fellowship-trained functional and restorative neurosurgeon who has practiced in Boulder, CO since in 2012. Dr. Beasely also holds a master's degree in biomedical ethics.

Dr. Chengyuan Wu, MD, is Professor of Neurological Surgery and Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, where he is Division Chief of Epilepsy and Neuromodulation Neurosurgery and directs the fellowship programin stereotactic and functional neurosurgery.

Dr. Delaram Safarpour, MD, is Associate Professor of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University and medical director of the deep brain stimulation program at the OHSU Brain Institute.

Dr. Joohi Jimenez-Shahed, MD, is Medical Director of Movement Disorders Neuromodulation and Brain Circuit Therapeutics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and former chair of the Davis Phinney Foundation's Science Advisory Board.

Jill Ater was diagnosed with Parkinson's at 42, in 2005, and had DBS surgery in 2013 and 2015, one side at a time.

Marty Acevedo had DBS surgery in 2016 and has been active in the Parkinson's Association of San Diego.

Kevin Kwok, PharmD, is a retired biopharmaceutical executive who was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson's in his late forties and chose DBS in 2013. He has served on the Davis Phinney Foundation's Board of Directors since 2015.

For more on DBS and living well with Parkinson's, visit dpf.org.

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

Researchers are exploring a growing number of potential disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson's. But what does "disease-modifying" actually mean, and what progress is being made?

In this podcast, Chris Krueger of the Davis Phinney Foundation talks with Dr. Lorraine Kalia, a neurologist and Parkinson's researcher, about the science behind disease modification and why finding therapies that change the course of Parkinson's is so challenging.

Topics discussed include research targeting alpha-synuclein, inflammation, genetics, mitochondria, gene therapy, and stem cells, while also addressing common questions about experimental and unproven treatments. Dr. Kalia closes with a hopeful message: while researchers continue working toward tomorrow's breakthroughs, there are meaningful steps people with Parkinson's can take today to support their health, well-being, and quality of life.

This episode was produced with support from AskBio.

Speaker Bio:

Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC is a scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute and Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases. She is also a neurologist specializing in Parkinson's disease and related movement disorders at the Toronto Western Hospital. She is an assistant professor in the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

In part two of this conversation from our Live Well Today webinar series, Davis Phinney Foundation's Chris Krueger and Richelle Flanagan, a registered dietitian living with young onset Parkinson's, cover gut motility, including constipation, an under-recognized pelvic floor problem, and gastroparesis, address the dairy question, and explain why the Mediterranean diet has the strongest research support for people with Parkinson's. The conversation also covers sugar and insulin resistance, probiotics, alcohol, and how to eat well without guilt when things don't go to plan.

Richelle Flanagan is a registered dietitian with over 20 years' experience. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017, when she was 46, after noticing symptoms while 3 months pregnant with her daughter. In addition to her interest in diet and nutrition, she is passionate about the unmet needs of women with Parkinson's. She is a co-founder of the Women's Parkinson's Project and My Moves Matter, a digital health app to meet the specific needs of women living with Parkinson's.

Learn more about Richelle's work at https://www.mymovesmatter.com

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

In part one of this two-part conversation from our Live Well Today webinar series, Davis Phinney Foundation's Chris Krueger sits down with Richelle Flanagan, a registered dietitian living with young onset Parkinson's, to discuss how protein interacts with levodopa and why meal timing affects how well your medication works, which key nutrients people with Parkinson's are most commonly deficient in, and why getting your levels checked matters. The conversation also covers iron and magnesium timing, protein redistribution, intermittent fasting, and fueling for exercise and fatigue.

Richelle Flanagan is a registered dietitian with over 20 years' experience. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017, when she was 46, after noticing symptoms while 3 months pregnant with her daughter. In addition to her interest in diet and nutrition, she is passionate about the unmet needs of women with Parkinson's. She is a co-founder of the Women's Parkinson's Project and My Moves Matter, a digital health app to meet the specific needs of women living with Parkinson's.

Learn more about Richelle's work at https://www.mymovesmatter.com

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

Although a tremor is the most well-known symptom of Parkinson's, a tremor may not be the earliest symptom. Symptoms like loss of smell, constipation, acting out dreams, anxiety, and changes in handwriting can show up years before a diagnosis. Cognitive neurologist Dr. Jeffrey Maneval joins Chris Krueger to walk through the most common early signs, why Parkinson's is so often confused with conditions that mimic it, and the tests that can bring clarity, from sleep studies and DaTscans to skin biopsy and genetic testing.

You don't have to wait for a formal diagnosis to start treating symptoms. Dr. Maneval discusses how early interventions, including physical therapy, Parkinson's boxing, voice therapy, and mental health support, can help you live well today, even before you have a diagnosis.

Dr. Jeffrey Maneval is a board-certified neurologist at MaineHealth specializing in cognitive disorders, including dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. As Director of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, he is dedicated to advancing patient care, education, and research to improve the lives of people living with neurological conditions.

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

This episode is sponsored by CND Life Sciences, the developer and provider of the Syn-One skin biopsy test.

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

In this episode of the Parkinson's Podcast, we welcome Dr. Abhi Mahajan and two retired physicians living with Parkinson's, Doug Redosh and Stan Livingston, for a discussion about what's missing in current Parkinson's treatments, how the next generation of treatments may help, and how people with Parkinson's might approach emerging treatments as they become available.

This episode is sponsored by AskBio.

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

Intimacy, in all its forms, doesn't disappear with a Parkinson's diagnosis, but it does change. In this episode, Dr. Kelly Rees joins Chris Krueger for a candid conversation about staying close when Parkinson's changes your body, your self-image, and your relationship. They talk through what to do when touch becomes unpleasant, how to navigate mismatched desire without pressuring each other, impulse control changes related to dopamine agonists, and how couples stay connected when symptoms mean sleeping in separate beds. Whether you live with Parkinson's or care for someone who does, Dr. Rees's closing advice holds the whole conversation: don't give up on yourself.

Kelly Rees, PhD is a board-certified therapist who specializes in intimacy, relationships, and sexual wellbeing in the context of Parkinson's. Dr. Rees has 15 years of clinical experience working with adults and couples, and she co-developed a program offering free intimacy and relationship classes to the Parkinson's community. Her work focuses on how Parkinson's symptoms, medications, body changes, and shifting roles can affect desire, connection, and communication, and on helping individuals and care partners adapt in ways that support quality of life and emotional closeness.

This conversation comes from the Davis Phinney Foundation's June 2026 Live Well Today webinar. Watch the full webinar video here: https://youtu.be/G6c7SQnHrLs

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

For many people with Parkinson's, speech and swallowing issues are among the more difficult symptoms of Parkinson's. Having speech and swallowing challenges can be isolating and lead to complications like aspiration.

In this episode of The Parkinson's Podcast, listen in as Kevin Lockette, Neal Tomita, and Cheryl Lippman describe their experience with the Harmonica Parkinson's Project and how playing the harmonica can help people with Parkinson's improve their speech and swallowing while also connecting with their community.

For more about the Harmonica Parkinson's Project visit https://www.harmonicaparkinsonsproject.com/

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

In this episode of the Parkinson's Podcast, Chris Krueger talks with Linda English, David Dietz, and Rachel Ritter about cycling on gravel roads while living with Parkinson's.

This podcast was produced in Partnership with Dirty Free Hub, a non-profit organization that provides information about gravel cycling routes in 10 states, British Columbia, and Tasmania. Learn more about Dirty Free Hub at https://dirtyfreehub.org/.

The following is a list of equipment our guests recommended:

• Dropper post for ease of stopping and starting

• Rearview bike radar for safety when sharing roads with cars

• A rearview bicycle mirror can be placed on the handlebars or helmet

• Flat handlebars can help riders stay more upright

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

Soccer and Parkinson's may not seem like an obvious connection—but for a growing number of people around the world, the beautiful game offers far more than exercise.

In this episode of the Parkinson's Podcast, Chris Krueger talks with Keith Sides about his experience participating in a Walking Soccer for Parkinson's program. Together, they discuss balance, coordination, confidence, community, and the value of trying something new after a Parkinson's diagnosis.

Whether you're a lifelong soccer fan or have never kicked a ball before, this conversation explores how finding enjoyable ways to move can support living well with Parkinson's.

Read the blog post about the Walking Soccer for Parkinson's program and find links to other resources about walking soccer: https://dpf.org/soccer-and-parkinsons

Learn more about Parkinson's and find support: https://dpf.org

Sign up for updates on webinars, events, and resources for the Parkinson's community: https://dpf.org/newsletter-signup

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