Parkinson's Disease: Understanding the Environment and Gene Connection

November 3-4, 2014
Research Triangle Park, NC

Parkinson's Conference Program Meeting and Recommendations Report (137KB)

Meeting Description

The overall goal of this two-day event was to develop prioritized recommendations for advancing basic, epidemiological and clinical research on environmental contributors to the development and expression of Parkinson's disease (PD). To accomplish this aim, the conference brought together experts to evaluate the most recent research on the environmental impact on PD etiology and discuss the challenges of translating research findings to impact public health. The format of the meeting agenda consisted of three inter-related parts:

1. Basic, epidemiological and clinical scientists presented emerging themes and discussed prioritized research recommendations involving environmental contributors to PD.
2. Panelists discussed the challenges and opportunities for interdisciplinary research approaches in advancing research on PD and environment.
3. PD patients, patient advocates, physician scientists and research funders shared their perspectives on communicating and acting on science linking environmental exposures and PD.

This meeting offered numerous opportunities for participants (via webcast or in-person) to share ideas and help further stimulate research on the interaction between environmental exposures and genetic susceptibility in the development of PD.

• Program Book (648KB)

Meeting Sponsors

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Agenda

Monday, November 3, 2014
8:30 a.m.	Registration
9:00 a.m.	Welcome Linda Birnbaum, Director, NIEHS Walter Koroshetz, NINDS
9:25 a.m.	Review of NINDS Workshop Recommendations Beth-Anne Sieber, NINDS
9:35 a.m.	Goals for Meeting Jonathan Hollander, NIEHS
Session 1: Clinical and Epidemiology Workgroup: Themes and Recommendations
9:45 a.m.	Overview of Themes Caroline Tanner, University of California, San Francisco
10:00 a.m.	THEME 1: Opportunities to Identify Environmental Factors Affecting Prodromal PD Presenter: Honglei Chen, NIEHS Discussants: Honglei Chen, NIEHS Brad Racette, Washington University Xuemei Huang, Penn State University Freya Kamel, NIEHS
10:25 a.m.	Break
10:40 a.m.	THEME 2: Opportunities to Identify Environmental Factors Influencing Disease Progression After Diagnosis Presenter: Brad Racette, Washington University Discussants: Brad Racette, Washington University Xuemei Huang, Penn State University Alberto Ascherio, Harvard University Freya Kamel, NIEHS
11:05 a.m.	THEME 3: Opportunities to Identify Biomarkers (Exposure, Diagnosis, Progression) Presenter: Jeffery Vance, University of Miami Discussants: Jeffery Vance, University of Miami George Mellick, Griffith University Freya Kamel, NIEHS Alberto Ascherio, Harvard University
11:30 a.m.	THEME 4: Opportunities to Identify Risk Factors Presenter: George Mellick, Griffith University Discussants: George Mellick, Griffith University Jeffery Vance, University of Miami Alberto Ascherio, Harvard University Honglei Chen, NIEHS
11:55 a.m.	Summary and Recommendations Marc Weisskopf, Harvard University
12:05 p.m.	Open Discussion of Priority and Content Caroline Tanner, University of California, San Francisco Marc Weisskopf, Harvard University
12:30 p.m.	Lunch, NIEHS Cafeteria
1:30 p.m.	Public Comment
Session 2: Basic and Mechanistic Workgroup: Themes and Recommendations
2:00 p.m.	Overview of Themes Importance of systematic and unbiased analysis of environmental chemicals Gary Miller, Emory University
2:20 p.m.	THEME 1: Impact of environmental chemicals on known genetic abnormalities in Parkinson's disease (alpha-synuclein, LRRK2, DJ-1, PINK1). Appropriate in vitro and in vivo models. David Standaert, University of Alabama-Birmingham Matthew Farrer, University of British Columbia
2:45 p.m.	THEME 2: Impact of environmental chemicals on known Parkinson's disease pathways (mitochondria, protein processing, synaptic biology). Appropriate in vitro and in vivo models. John Elsworth, Yale University Richard Myers, Boston University Jau-Shyong Hong, NIEHS
3:15 p.m.	Break
3:25 p.m.	THEME 3: Measuring environmental chemicals in human and animal samples. Sampling, archiving, testing, and data analysis. Jeff Johnson, University of Wisconsin Anumantha Kanthasamy, Iowa State University
3:50 p.m.	Summary and Presentation of Initial Prioritization of Recommendations Identifying and using the most appropriate model systems to study Parkinson's disease pathways and targets with broad sharing of experimental data Michael Lee, University of Minnesota
4:05 p.m.	Open Discussion of Priority and Content Gary Miller, Emory University Michael Lee, University of Minnesota
4:45 p.m.	Day 1 Summary and Closing Comments Cindy Lawler, NIEHS
5:00 p.m.	Adjourn for the day; buses back to hotel
6:30 p.m.	Dinner (Page Road Grill)
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
8:00 a.m.	Registration
Session 3: Panel Discussion: Integrating Parkinson's Disease Environmental Research Across Disciplines
8:45 a.m.	Moderator: Cindy Lawler, NIEHS Panelists: Caroline Tanner, University of California, San Francisco Marc Weisskopf, Harvard University Gary Miller, Emory University Michael Lee, University of Minnesota Beate Ritz, University of California, Los Angeles Anumantha Kanthasamy, Iowa State University Objective: This session will include basic and clinical researchers to discuss challenges and opportunities for advancing research on PD and environment through interdisciplinary research approaches. Questions to be addressed include: 1. How do the research recommendations address the need for a coordinated, interdisciplinary approach? 2. What are the best examples of improved understanding of PD environmental risks that were made possible through interdisciplinary approaches? 3. What are the key ingredients needed to develop and maintain interdisciplinary collaborations? 4. What new strategies could be considered to support interdisciplinary collaborations in the current fiscal climate?
10:00 a.m.	Break
Session 4: Panel Discussion: Translation of Basic and Clinical Findings to Practice and Policy
10:15 a.m.	Moderator: Kimberly Gray, NIEHS Panelists: Allison Willis, University of Pennsylvania Jeff Bronstein, University of California, Los Angeles Jamie Tucker, Parkinson's Action Network Julie Sacks, American Parkinson Disease Association Susan Gerbeth-Jones, Parkinson's Disease Foundation Peter Schmidt, National Parkinson Foundation Objective: This panel will bring together PD patients, patient advocates, physician scientists and research funders to share their perspective on communicating and acting on science linking environmental exposures and PD. Questions to be addressed include: 1. What is/are the role(s) of PD environmental health researchers in translating and communicating their research findings to affected individuals and families, advocates, policy makers and the general public? 2. How do we know when evidence is sufficient to recommend action at an individual and/or public health level? 3. How do we communicate uncertainty (e.g., when the link between an exposure and risk of PD is inconsistent among studies or the evidence is incomplete)?
11:45 a.m.	Concluding Remarks Gwen Collman, NIEHS
12:00 p.m.	Adjourn