Movement Disorders Journal (MDJ) Symposium: Neurobiology of Parkinson’s Disease
(Satellite meeting of the SfN Neuroscience 2026)
Washington, DC, USA
November 13, 2026
About the MDJ Symposium
This symposium is organized by the editorial team of Movement Disorders, the official journal of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. The symposium will explore the biological underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease (PD), the neurobiological basis for current and emerging treatments, and the mechanisms responsible for disease complications and adverse responses to therapy
Schedule
| 8:00 - 8:10 | Welcome from MDJ Editors A. Jon Stoessl, CM, MD University of British Columbia (Canada) David Standaert, MD, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA) |
| Session 1: Networks and Control of Movement in PD | |
|---|---|
| 8:10 - 8:40 | Somato-Cognitive Action Network Evan Gordon, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis (USA) |
| 8:40 - 9:10 | Role of the Cingulo-Opercular Network in Postural Deficits Roger Albin, MD, University of Michigan (USA) |
| 9:10 - 9:40 | Striosomal Direct and Indirect Striatonigral Projections Jill Crittenden, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA) |
| 9:40 - 10:00 | Q&A / Discussion |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | BREAK |
| Session 2: Selective Neurodegeneration in PD | |
| 10:20 - 10:50 | Selective Vulnerability D. James Surmeier, PhD, Northwestern University (USA) |
| 10:50 - 11:20 | Astrocytic Dysfunction in Neurodegeneration Valina Dawson, PhD, Johns Hopkins University (USA) |
| 11:20 - 11:50 | Neurodevelopmental Origins of Parkinson’s Lorenz Studer, MD, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA) |
| 11:50 - 12:10 | Q&A / Discussion |
| 12:15 - 13:00 | LUNCH |
| Session 3: Lifestyle and Environmental Influences on PD | |
| 13:00 - 13:30 | Interactions Between α-Syn Polymorphisms and the Microbiome Haydeh Payami, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA) |
| 13:30 - 14:00 | Role of Exercise in Parkinson’s Richard Smeyne, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University (USA) |
| 14:00 - 14:30 | Environmental Contributors Briana De Miranda, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA) |
| 14:30 - 14:50 | Q&A / Discussion |
| Conclusion | |
| 14:50 - 15:00 | Closing Remarks from MDJ Editors A. Jon Stoessl, CM, MD University of British Columbia (Canada) David Standaert, MD, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham (USA) |