Dr. Robertson writing

Harry spent decades studying dopamine in moths and rats, exploring the brain’s chemical messengers and the role they play in movement and behaviour. Near the end of his career, his research took a new direction: investigating loss of smell in humans as a potential early indicator of Parkinson’s. While conducting smell-testing studies, he eventually realized he couldn’t detect scents that his colleagues could.

Years later, after his wife, Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Townsend, noticed subtle changes in his gait and the appearance of a tremor, he learned why. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018, at age 74.

From researcher to patient

Harry’s response was characteristically practical.

“Everyone gets something as they get older, and it could be much worse than Parkinson’s.”

It’s a perspective that’s guided Harry and Liz through nearly a decade of change.

The pair met at Dalhousie University in the early 1980s and married in 1985. Both had already lived rich lives and established careers, but together they built something even larger: a partnership grounded in curiosity and a shared commitment to helping others. Their years were filled with travel, academic leadership, research, and lifelong learning.

One of the earliest threads connecting them was music. They joined a choir to sing Verdi’s Requiem, beginning a community connection that has endured for more than 40 years. Those fellow singers have become lifelong friends, and when Harry is able to visit today, he is welcomed back warmly.

Long before Parkinson’s entered his own life, Harry was working to understand it

His path into Parkinson’s research emerged from a broader interest in neurochemistry and the brain’s chemical messengers. Over time, he became particularly interested in dopamine and tyramine and in understanding the early changes that might indicate Parkinson’s before more obvious symptoms appear. His work helped establish loss of smell as a potential early warning sign, an area of research that continues to evolve today.

For Harry, scientific progress has always required patience. Parkinson’s remains a complex condition, and despite decades of research, many questions remain unanswered. The condition continues to resist simple explanations, making every discovery an important step forward.

A different kind of patience

That same patience would serve him well after diagnosis.

Over time, his symptoms progressed. Medication helped Harry maintain function and clarity, but Parkinson’s gradually altered daily life for both him and Liz. Falls became more frequent. The couple relocated permanently to Halifax to be closer to specialized health care and family.

Eventually, the challenges of managing frequent falls made long-term care necessary.

“Full-time care is as difficult as living together at home, only different,”
Liz says.

She speaks warmly about the care staff supporting Harry, while also acknowledging the realities many families face. While nursing care addresses medications and safety, preserving independence often requires ongoing advocacy.

Concerned about maintaining Harry’s mobility and independence, Liz consulted an occupational therapist and a physiotherapist to promote independent living and supplement the limited therapies available through the care system.

The losses are not always medical.

Harry knows he won’t be returning home. He misses travelling, one of his lifelong passions. Friends and colleagues visit when they can, though many struggle to know what to say. Shared family meals have become an important way of maintaining connection and normalcy.

There have been more profound losses as well.

In December 2024, Harry’s sister Sandra died. The two had spoken on the phone every night for years. Sandra carried a lifetime of shared memories, connecting Harry to the stories and experiences of his childhood. Her loss left a space that cannot be filled.

Reasons for hope

Yet even amid these changes, Harry’s outlook remains remarkably steady.

“We are a team of positivity,”
Liz says of the family, friends, and community surrounding him.

Help has come from many places, including Parkinson Canada. Harry’s research was funded in part by the organization, then known as the Parkinson Society of Canada, and he served on its Research Advisory Council for 12 years, helping shape the future of Parkinson’s research in Canada. Boxing classes have also given him valuable opportunities for exercise and connection.

Today, Harry and Liz remain passionate advocates for research and the programs that help people living with Parkinson’s. They believe strongly in the importance of accessing community programs and continued research into earlier detection, which may one day create more opportunities for intervention and improved quality of life. That’s why they participate in the Parkinson Canada SuperWalk every year, helping to raise funds and awareness for the condition.

Their advice for anyone newly diagnosed is simple: you don’t have to face Parkinson’s alone.

Find your community. Ask questions. Seek out health care professionals with expertise in Parkinson’s.

“Talking and sharing ideas makes a huge difference,”
Liz says.

And for the donors who helped make Harry’s research possible?

“Thank you to all donors. You are the backbone of research development,” Liz says.

That legacy of discovery is now preserved in a new biography by journalist Jon Tattrie, Doctor Dopamine: The Extraordinary Life and Science of Dr. Harry Robertson (HARP Publishing, 2026). The book captures the story of a scientist who devoted his career to understanding Parkinson’s, only to find himself navigating it firsthand. It’s written from Jon’s perspective as he spends time with Harry, learning not only about his research but his day-to-day life with Parkinson’s.

It was important to Jon to donate royalites from the book to Parkinson Canada to help advance the work Harry dedicated his life to: funding research and supporting people living with Parkinson’s. He was also motivated to give back to the community after his own father-in-law was diagnosed with Parkinson’s while writing this book. HARP Publishing will also donate a portion of sales to Parkinson Canada to carry on work like Harry’s.

Even now, Harry’s view of research remains unchanged.

Scientific discovery, he says, can feel “like a door that moves every time you try to open it.” For a man who has spent a lifetime pursuing answers, that’s never been a reason to stop searching.