Threads of Discovery – Seeking lived experience with Parkinson’s Disease
Introduction
Research Area:
Parkinson's Disease
What is the research about?
We will be hosting an in-person introductory meeting on Wednesday 22nd April for lived experience partners and researchers. Find out more below.
My research group is looking into new treatments for Parkinson’s disease that are based on deep brain stimulation. Deep brain stimulation is a therapy involving electrical stimulation of specific regions in the brain. It requires surgery to implant a lead and a stimulator device. It is used when a person with Parkinson’s no longer responds well to their medication with dopamine replacements.
We use preclinical research techniques to improve this therapy and to find new locations, new algorithms and new non-invasive ways to deliver it.
This communication is part of a project funded by UCD STEM Challenge Fund called “Threads of Discovery: Weaving Patients into Biomedical Research” driven by the Patient Voice in Health Research network in UCD Conway Institute. As part of this initiative, we are looking for partners with a lived experience of different disease areas to collaborate with researchers within UCD Conway Institute.
We will be hosting an introductory meeting on Wednesday 22nd April for lived experience partners and researchers. This will be in person, and will be a day to get to know each other, to learn a bit about public and patient involvement (PPI), to set expectations, and to have a chat.
We hope through this initiative that long-term partnerships will be established. However, if at the end of the day you think this isn’t for you, that is absolutely fine. You won’t be locked into something you don’t want to be involved in! This is all exploratory.
Opportunity for:
Involvement Opportunity Details
Time
Time commitment:
2 x two-hour meetings a year
Contact between meetings:
Occasional informal emails
Length of involvement:
Up to 3 years
Start date for involvement:
22/04/2026
Logistics
Where?
If online, explain how:
Flexible to suit the needs of the PPI partner
If in person, explain where:
Flexible to suit the needs of the PPI partner
Other ways of communicating:
N/A
Funding available for:
If no funding available, explain why:
Not applicable
Other Information
Stage of the research study/ programme:
Research started
Is this opportunity for PPI in a PhD:
No
Closing date to contact researchers:
22/04/2026
Research Team
Contact person:
Judith Evers
University/organisation:
UCD Conway Institute
Contact email:
patientvoice@ucd.ie
Researcher background:
Parkinson's Disease Researcher
Research funder:
Research Ireland
Photo:
Interested in this PPI Opportunity?
Please complete this form and click SUBMIT