Man looking at the camera with a smile on his face

My name is Dr. Martin McKeown and I am a professor, head of the Division of Neurology, and hold the John Nichol Chair in Parkinson’s Research at UBC (University of British Columbia). So much of what we do relies on the incredible contributions from people like you. So today I want to thank every person who has helped facilitate our work. 

My team and I have been working to answer two questions I believe are central to changing the future of Parkinson’s: can we develop non-invasive alternatives to traditional surgical treatments for some symptoms, and how can we monitor Parkinson’s more effectively?

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a surgical treatment that uses a small, implanted device to send electrical signals to specific areas of the brain, works, but it requires brain surgery and isn’t appropriate for everyone. So, we’re exploring whether there are other approaches that could non-invasively provide similar results. 

We recently published findings showing that low-intensity focused ultrasound, a technology that uses sound waves to target specific areas of the brain without making an incision in the skull, can reduce Parkinson’s tremor. Read more about low-intensity and high-intensity focused ultrasound here:  Focused ultrasound and Parkinson’s: treatment and research in Canada . While these findings are promising, low-intensity focused ultrasound remains experimental and is not currently an established treatment for Parkinson’s. 

We’re also building AI-powered tools such as video analysis, digital symptom tracking, and virtual assistants to help people manage their Parkinson’s from home and flag issues earlier. 

None of this happens without you. I’m deeply grateful to the community that makes this work possible. Your support turns ideas into experiments, experiments into evidence, and evidence into better care. 

All your generosity and support gives us the chance to accelerate this research even further.