The UK Parkinson's Disease Clinical Studies Group

The UK Parkinson's Disease Clinical Studies Group

The UK has a successful trial scene for Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple System Atrophy and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy neuroprotective studies, but with the growing number of trials, a formal, national structure is required to ensure the successful delivery of the studies. With funding from Cure Parkinson’s, the UK-PD-CSG launched in April-2022. The UK-PD-CSG’s goal is to further develop and support Parkinson’s clinical research across the UK and ensure more people with Parkinson’s (PwP) have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials.

The group has 65+ members, including neurologists, geriatricians, specialist nurses and Allied Health Professionals, stakeholder representatives (Cure Parkinson's, Parkinson's UK, BGS Movement Disorders SIG, ABN Movement Disorders SIG, PD Nursing Specialist Association) and PwP, all with a particular interest and expertise in PD, MSA and PSP clinical research. The group is operated by chair Professor Oliver Bandmann, Coordinator Emma Davies and co-deputy chairs Professors Camille Carroll and Tom Foltynie.

The UK-PD-CSG regular, virtual meetings provide a forum to disseminate research information, opportunities, and resources to enhance the information flow throughout research studies by establishing effective communication streams. The meetings facilitate meaningful discussion and collaboration between researchers, PwP and research organisations.

A strength of the group is the geographical spread of members, with all 18 NIHR Clinical Research Network Regions represented by at least one member. In addition to experienced researchers, the group supports individuals who are new to research to grow the number of research active sites across the UK.

The UK-PD-CSG continues to grow and works to engage more individuals interested in PD, MSA and PSP clinical research. To enable the sustained growth of the clinical trial scene, the UK-PD-CSG plays an integral, strategic role in ensuring the UK maintains and develops a trial-ready workforce and infrastructure to successfully deliver clinical research and provide more research opportunities to PwP.

Website: https://sites.google.com/sheffield.ac.uk/uk-pd-csg

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