Stopping a disease that is slow but relentless

By Jan Jarvis

Gregory Petsko
Photo credit: Carlos Rene Perez/Weill Cornell Medicine

 

Parkinson’s disease is slow but relentless, and progresses over some 20 years.

It takes the body, but leaves the mind intact until the late stages, said Dr. Gregory Petsko, a renowned scientist who will speak at the Neurobiology of Aging Trainee Symposium, hosted by UNT Health Science Center’s Institute for Healthy Aging.

“People know what is happening until the end,” he said. “Treatments are purely symptomatic, but the disease goes on.”

For decades, Dr. Petsko has focused on understanding neurologic diseases such as Parkinson’s at the molecular level. A member of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Petsko was named one of the 30 most influential people in the world in public health in 2014. He has an endowed professorship at Weill Cornell Medical College, is an adjunct professor at Cornell University and professor emeritus at Brandeis University.

Neurobiology of Aging Trainee Symposium

Dr. Gregory Petsko:
“How Parkinson’s Disease Starts – And How It Might Be Stopped”

Thursday, May 12, 11:45 a.m.
Center for BioHealth (CBH 230)

Open to the public

He will share his insights during his presentation, “How Parkinson’s Disease Starts – And How It Might Be Stopped,” at 11:45 a.m. Thursday in the Center for BioHealth (CBH 230). His talk is open to the public and is the highlight of the National Institutes of Health-funded symposium, which also will feature 10 presentations from UNTHSC students and postdocs on aging-related topics such as stroke, cognitive function and movement disorders.

About 1.3 million people have Parkinson’s disease, a figure is expected to triple over the next 35 years. Dr. Petsko said he and others have been looking for ways to prevent the disease or at least freeze it in its tracks.

Possible risk factors include head injuries, high cholesterol, brain infections, inflammation and the bird flu.

“People with melanoma are much more likely get Parkinson’s and the reverse is true,” he said. “But nobody understands the basis for this.”

A popular speaker on TED Talks, Dr. Petsko has garnered more than 800,000 views online. His presentation is expected to attract a wide audience interested in neurologic diseases and their impact on public health, said Michael Salvatore, PhD, Associate Professor in the Center for Neuroscience Discovery and one of the symposium organizers.

“Dr. Petsko stands at the forefront as a biomedical scientist who fully understands and communicates about the gravity of the health consequences of aging-related impairments to our well-being and health, in not only our nation but also the world,” Dr. Salvatore said.

Recent News

Dr. John Licciardone
  • Research
|Jun 12, 2025

Long-term study shows better chronic pain outcomes in patients treated by osteopathic physicians

The first long-term study involving three years of follow-up of osteopathic medical care for chronic pain has been published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. The research team was led by Dr. John Licciardone, executive director of the Osteopathic Research Center and regents professor at T...
Dsc01266
  • Community
|Jun 12, 2025

Legacy Writers: TCOM students bring life stories to the final chapter

When Azelia Lau arrived at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, she brought more than a passion for psychiatry. She also carried a long-held idea inspired by an undergraduate program she never got to join. Now a third-...
Lillee Smith Gelinas 666 X 750
  • Research
|Jun 5, 2025

TCOM course linked to higher patient safety awareness knowledge and residency readiness

The Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is the first medical school in the country to require a patient safety course that prepares students for the Certified Professional in Patient Safety credential — and a new study publishe...
Web Banners
  • Community
|May 30, 2025

TCOM retired faculty member Dr. Frank Papa named emeritus professor by UNT Board of Regents

With more than 40 years of experience, expertise and dedication to the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, the UNT System Board of Regents has awarded Frank Papa, DO, Ph.D., with the designation of emeritus professor. Dr. Pa...