An update on the Research Agenda, from the new Research andDevelopment Director at the PDS

Research has always been a major focus of the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) and more than £30 million has been invested in this area since the Society was established. Building upon this, the Society has generated a Research Agenda following extensive consultation with a large number of stakeholders. This sets out the research priorities for the coming years and will be regularly updated with specific input from the Society's members.

I was appointed as Director of Research and Development at the PDS in March 2005 with one of my key responsibilities being to oversee the implementation of the Research Agenda. I have had extensive experience in the areas of neuroscience research, grant making and driving multi-disciplinary research programmes. Prior to taking up my present position, I was Director of the Dundee Alzheimer Research Centre and a Senior Lecturer in Biochemical Psychiatry at the University of Dundee.

Prior to taking up my position in the PDS, my research specifically dealt with investigating the changes that occur in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. I have had much useful collaboration with brain banks throughout the UK and abroad and am extremely aware of their important role in research.

Within the Research Agenda, the Society is seeking to broaden the scope of its research base, placing an increased emphasis on aspects of social research that will have a direct impact on the lives of people with Parkinson’s, their families and carers. A balance between the complementary research strands will ensure that the Society serves both people with Parkinson’s now, and those who may potentially develop the condition.