The first Parkinson's Disease Society conference dedicated to showcasing the work of up-and-coming Parkinson's researchers, 'Progress: Advancing Parkinson's Research', has been acclaimed a great success.

Nearly 200 leading scientists and researchers met in York on 3 and 4 November 2008 for keynote speeches, talks and poster presentations on a range of topics including gene therapy, stem cells and new and better drugs for non-motor symptoms.

Feedback from the research conference has been very positive:

"The best thing the PDS has done for years! It was an excellent meeting which was truly representative of the Parkinson's research community in the UK ... a great opportunity for networking ... should be essential for any PhD student in the UK working on Parkinson's disease."

"A fantastic idea to bring together researchers in the UK working on Parkinson's. Please run this conference again in future years."

Dr Kieran Breen, Director of Research at the Parkinson's Disease Society added:

"We pay special attention to highly skilled researchers who are at an early stage of their career through our PhD Studentships and Career Development Awards. 'Progress' focused on nurturing this next generation of Parkinson's researchers, and the conference provided an important national forum for researchers to network and share ideas and information. It was a lively and inspirational two days."

Download the Progress conference programme and abstracts in PDF (554KB)