Email from University of Minnesota
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Annual Spring Parkinson's Symposium
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month, AND it’s the month during which we co-host our Spring Patient Symposium with APDA and Parkinson’s Foundation! With three organizations working together, there is always a lineup of great speakers on the agenda – I promise you, you will learn some new things. It’s also a good opportunity to meet some fellow Parkinson’s fighters and caregivers. AND the whole thing is free, including coffee, snacks, and lunch!! Located just off 35W, with free and easy parking, the venue is also very nice. (Or join online, if you prefer.) Don’t miss out! The UMN team always has a great time at this every year. We’ll have a table set up, come say hi!
When: Friday April 10
Where: North Heights Church - 1700 Hwy 96 W, Arden Hills, MN 55112
Find more information here.
Agenda
9:00 - Doors open! Head to the registration table, enjoy coffee, and check out vendor and community group booths
10:00 - Welcome
10:15 - Myths & Misconceptions of Parkinson's (Drs. Paul Tuite and Natalie Heinrich )
11:05 - Non-Motor Symptoms: How PD affects all body systems (Dr. Allyson Connor)
12:00 - Lunch
12:45 - Caregiving as a Gift: How to Thrive Without a Gift Receipt (Joan Hlas, MSW, LISW)
1:30 - Panel Discussion
2:00 - Closing Remarks
Register for in-person or online attendance using this link: https://tinyurl.com/MNSpringPD2026
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April Parkinson’s News
We had originally been planning on running Part 2 of our series on cognitive changes in PD, but we decided to bump it to our May issue, in favor of the timely articles below.
1. 🌱 Stem Cell Treatment for Parkinson’s Receives First‑Ever Approval
Japan has become the first country in the world to approve a stem cell-based treatment for Parkinson’s disease. The treatment uses adult stem cells that have been reprogrammed to become dopamine-producing cells. The study was only done in 7 patients, so the approval is only “conditional”, requiring that the company continue to evaluate safety. You might recall from last month’s newsletter that there are typically three phases of clinical trials before a drug or device receives approval in the USA. An initial study with few patients (fewer than 100; this one only had 7) is a Phase I study, which serves as an initial safety test, and to determine dosage. Larger groups of patients are required to firmly determine that the treatment is safe and actually works. In any case, this is still a very exciting step! Four of the seven patients saw improvement in their Parkinson’s symptoms. It will likely be a long time before this is approved in the USA, and there’s always a chance that further testing shows it to be unsafe or ineffective, but this is a very hopeful development nonetheless.
2. ✍️ Critical Opportunity for Veterans to Influence VA Policy
Are you a veteran? Do you think your Parkinson's is caused by something you were exposed to during your time serving in the armed forces? The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting a review to determine whether additional toxic exposures should qualify for presumptive service connection for Parkinson’s disease. This could make it easier for impacted veterans to get compensation and expanded healthcare eligibility.
There have been many different substances that are potentially linked to Parkinson's. For example, pesticides, jet fuels, industrial solvents such as Trichloroethylene (TCE), heavy metals, welding metals, PFAS, and air pollution. This review is being conducted under the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022
Veterans are encouraged to submit written comments here by the April 13 deadline at. The APDA has offered a template letter to help you get started, but you can also just write in your own words. (FYI the VA advised me that you should submit comments at the link I gave above; don't go to the regulations.gov home page like it says in the template directions.)
Don’t miss these deadlines!
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Written Comments Due: April 13, 2026
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Virtual Public Listening Session: Register by April 30 for session at 12pm CDT on May 14, 2026.
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Free Parkinson's Events in April and May
1. Free climbing classes all month!
In celebration of National Parkinson's Awareness Month, Vertical Endeavors is offering free indoor rock climbing for the entire month of April for people with Parkinson's!
🕒 Find a class time that works for you in April!
📌 Vertical Endeavors in Duluth and Bloomington
Register for Bloomington classes here.
Register for Duluth classes here.
2. University of Chicago Virtual PD Men's Support Group
🕒 11:00am - 12:00pm CT on the first Tuesday of each month
📌 Virtual
Next meeting is Tuesday April 7th. Registration for the group is required, please reach out to Nicole Reidy at 773-834-1688 or nicole.reidy@uchicagomedicine.org.
3. M Health Fairview Rehab Fall Prevention class
In May, M Health Fairview Rehab Services is offering a free, four‑week educational course designed to help people with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers learn practical strategies to prevent falls. Led by a physical therapists and occupational therapists using an APDA‑developed curriculum, this program is ideal for individuals with PD who are able to ambulate and have not experienced frequent falls.
🕒 May 1, 8, 15, 22
📌 M Health Fairview Rehabilitation Clinic - 2200 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55114
To register, please contact: Jamie Engebretson at Jamie.Engebretson@fairview.org or by phone at 952-914-1965.
4. Save the date for Moving Day fundraising walk
🕒 Saturday May 2, 9:00am - 12:00pm
📌 Hilde Park, 3500 Plymouth Blvd, Plymouth, MN
Read more about this event and how to get involved here.
Contact: Ethan Clark at eclark@parkinson.org or 612-213-3142 for questions.
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