Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics Conference
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The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s annual Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference (PDTC) is the only scientific conference around the world focused exclusively on Parkinson’s disease drug development. The 18th annual PDTC is taking place on October 14 - 15, 2026, in New York City.
Each year, PDTC brings together 300 research and business development professionals from both academia and industry and showcases the most exciting and innovative research from MJFF’s research portfolio. Novel advances in basic and translational research from both academic and industry labs are highlighted through speaker presentations and a poster session. The event is a platform for field leaders to share new and unpublished results and to foster new relationships and collaboration.
Conference Program
Venue: Quorum by Convene, 1221 Ave of Americas, New York, NY 10020
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1:00-2:00PM — ATTENDEE ARRIVALS & NETWORKING
Attendee arrivals and networking
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2:10-2:40PM — MJFF KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Mark Frasier, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
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2:55-4:45PM — BREAKOUT ROOMS
2:55-3:25PM — First Room of Your Choice
3:35-4:05PM — Second Room of Your Choice
4:15-4:45PM — Third Room of Your ChoiceROOM OPTIONS
Room A: Advancing Targets to Therapies
Allie Vaina, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Gaia Skibinski, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Fiona Ducotterd, PhD, University College London
Jonathan Behr, PhD, Advisor to the Michael J. Fox FoundationExplore how MJFF’s Targets to Therapies initiative can provide industry with the resources to evaluate emerging PD targets and inform decisions about which opportunities to advance.
Room B: PPMI: Advancing Drug Development in Parkinson’s and Rleated Disorders
Catherine Kopil, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Kenneth Marek, MD, Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders
Tanya Simuni, MD, FAAN, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineLearn how PPMI data, biomarkers and regulatory insights – alongside the Path to Prevention (P2P) platform trial – can inform more successful clinical trials.
Room C: MJFF Biomarker Toolkits & Resources
Ariana Farrand, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Christine Swanson Fischer, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Katrina Paumier, PhD, Octave BioscienceExplore MJFF’s biomarker toolkits and resources for measuring key PD biological pathways, and help shape how these drug development tools can better support clinical development.
Room D: Multimodal Data and Cohorts to Enable Precision Medicine
Samantha Hutten, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Chris Whelan, PhD, Ignition Scientific
Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, PhD, TGenLearn how rapidly expanding multimodal datasets from PPMI, GP2 and other efforts can be leveraged for target discovery, patient stratification, biomarker development and trial design.
Room E: Patient Centered Strategies for Drug Development
Maggie Kuhl, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Wes Kutler, The Michael J. Fox FoundationLearn how incorporating patient insights earlier in therapeutic development can strengthen R&D decisions, and how MJFF can help companies engage the patient community along the way.
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4:45-6:00PM — NETWORKING RECEPTION
Networking reception
Conference Program
All presentations are followed by Q&A
Venue: Quorum by Convene, 1221 Ave of Americas, New York, NY 10020
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7:45-8:30AM — ARRIVALS & BREAKFAST
Arrivals and Breakfast
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8:45-9:00AM — MJFF WELCOME & HOUSEKEEPING
Sohini Chowdhury, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
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9:05-11:15AM — Session 1: Emerging Therapeutic Strategies in Parkinson’s Disease
9:05-9:15AM — Session Introduction from Session Chair
Magdalene Moran, PhD, Topo Therapeutics9:15-10:30AM — Company Fast Fire Presentations
9:15-9:30AM — Brain Shuttle-enabled Delivery of a TrkB Agonist Antibody for Disease Modification in Parkinson’s Disease
Pawel Stocki, PhD, Ossianix9:30-9:45AM — 20S Proteasome Activation for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
Diogo Feleciano, PhD, Booster Therapeutics9:45-10:00AM — Development of Small-molecule Inhibitors of the Mictochondria Permeability Transition Pore for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and ALS
Richard Rutter, PhD, NRG Therapeutics10:00-10:15AM — Development of a TRPML1 Agonist for GD-PD and Beyond
Leon Murphy, PhD, Casma Therapeutics10:15-10:30AM — HER-096: A Subcutaneous CDNF-derived Peptide for Parkinson’s disease— (em dash) Rationale and Phase 1b Results
Henri Huttunen, PhD, Herantis Pharma Plc10:40-11:15AM — Panel Discussion
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11:15-11:45AM — NETWORKING BREAK / POSTER VIEWING
Networking break and poster viewing
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11:55-1:40PM — Session 2: Enabling Precision Medicine Approaches in Clinical Development
11:55-12:05PM — Session Introduction from Session Chair
Johannes Streffer, MD, Lundbeck12:05-12:25PM — The Latest on a-Synuclein Imaging
Jamie Eberling, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation12:25-12:45PM — Detect PD: Proteomic Testing for Development and Progression of a-Synuclein Disease
Celine Roeder, Queen Mary University of London
Julia Carrasco Zanini Sanchez, PhD, Queen Mary University of London12:45-1:05PM — Polygenic Risk Scores in Neuronal a-Synuclein Disease Stage Progression
Manuela Tan, PhD, University College London1:05-1:25PM — Multivariate Latent Disease Progression Modeling in Neuronal a-Synuclein Disease
Barbara Wendelberger, PhD, Berry Consultants1:30-1:40PM — Closing Remarks & Audience Questions
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1:45-2:45PM — LUNCH / NETWORKING BREAK / POSTER VIEWING
Lunch, networking break and poster viewing
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3:00-4:00PM — Session 3: “Hot Topics” - The Future of Durable Therapies in Parkinson’s Disease
3:00-3:15PM — Session Introduction from Session Chair
Brian Fiske, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation3:15-4:00PM — Panel Discussion
Moderator: Brian Fiske, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Panelists: Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, Roche; Richard Danzinger, Independent Advisor; Joohi Jimenez-Shahed, MD, Mt.Sinai; Maggie Kuhl, The Michael J. Fox Foundation -
4:05-4:15PM — Closing Remarks
Sohini Chowdhury, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
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4:30PM — NETWORKING RECEPTION / POSTER VIEWING
Networking reception and poster viewing
Posters
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Day 1
National Parkinson’s Project: A Federal Framework to Accelerate Progress Against Parkinson’s Disease and Related Disorders
Danielle Mutone-Smith, The Michael J. Fox FoundationAdvancing GB1 Biomarkers - The GBA1 Industry Biomarker Consortium
Fernanda Cerqueira, PhD, The Michael J. Fox FoundationAccelerating Parkinson’s Disease Research Through Shared Resources
Nicole Polinski, PhD, The Michael J. Fox Foundation -
Day 2
Cognition Endpoints for Parkinson’s Disease: A Roadmap for Developing Patient-focused Assessment Tools to Accelerate Drug Development
Chris Edgar, PhD, PCOANovel Modeling Approach for Comparing Treatment-naive and Post-treatment Neuronal Synucleinopathy Progression Using Multi-modal PPMI Data
Piet Aarden, MSc, NovartisA Dopamine Clock for Biological Staging of Parkinson’s Disease
Roger Gunn, PhD, XingImaging
Conference Sponsors
Interested in Sponsorship Opportunities?
View our sponsorship opportunities menu to support this year’s conference.
Interested in learning more? Get in touch: [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Did we answer your questions? If there is anything else you need, don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected].
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Event Information
Is there a virtual option for the Conference? Will it be recorded?
Unfortunately, we are not livestreaming or recording the Conference.
Can I present my research at the Conference?
We have already selected our speakers for the conference. Generally, our speakers are nominated and identified by members of MJFF's Research Leadership team who work to craft the programmatic themes for the event. For more information, please email [email protected].
Can I present my abstract at the Conference?
Thank you for your interest in presenting at the Conference. We do not accept abstracts for this conference. Poster presenters are by MJFF’s leadership team based on the grants that we fund. For more information, please email [email protected].
When will the Conference agenda be available?
The agenda will be made available in the Fall.
How can my organization sponsor the Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference?
Thank you for your interest in sponsoring the Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference! You can view our sponsorship opportunities menu here. If you are interested in learning more, please email [email protected].
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Venue & Accommodations
Where is the Conference taking place?
The Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference will take place at Quorum by Convene at 1221 Avenue of Americas, New York, NY 10020.
How do I get to the Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference venue?
Please review this document to find the best route for you to travel to the venue. Upon entrance at 1221 Avenue of the Americas on 49th Street between 6th Ave and 7th Ave, please take the escalator on your right up to the second floor. There you will be greeted by the Convene Welcome Desk and directed to check-in for the Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference.
How can I find out information about hotels and their rates for this Conference?
When you register, your confirmation email will include information about the hotel block associated with the Conference. If you have questions, please contact [email protected].
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Invitation Letters & Visa Support
How do I apply for a visa to travel to the United States?
Visa regulations depend on your nationality and country of origin. We suggest you contact your local Consulate for full and official instructions on the specific visa regulations and application procedure that apply to you.
Where can I get a conference invitation letter so that I can apply for a visa?
Invitation letters for visa purposes are available only to registered attendees. If you need an invitation letter, please email [email protected].
Is it possible to send an official invitation letter directly to my local Consulate?
Unfortunately, we are unable to send invitation letters directly to consulates. Invitation letters are prepared solely for individuals and are emailed directly to them.
Past Conferences
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2025 Conference
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2024 Conference
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2023 Conference
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2022 Conference
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2020-2021 Webinars
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2019 Conference
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2018 Conference
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2017 Conference
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2016 Conference
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2015 Conference
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2014 Conference
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2013 Conference
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2012 Conference
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2011 Conference
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2010 Conference
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2009 Conference