PD-Life: Enhancing Wellbeing and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease

PD-life brings together researchers from six universities and research institutes (UCC, Tyndall National Institute, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster), healthcare partners, and PD support organisations such as Parkinson’s Ireland and the Parkinson’s UK Northern Ireland branch.

The PD-life research hub builds on existing research skills and knowledge across three linked projects, shaped by the key priorities for people with PD, and by global research priorities:

• Stigma – investigating how facial expression and speech problems affect others’ opinions.
• Mental Health – deciphering unmet needs, examining how people with PD and their families cope, and the impact of PD on healthy-living choices.
• Physical Activity - helping people with PD to start and continue exercise and dance, and examining how this affects health.

PD-life is led by Professor Suzanne Timmons (UCC). Dr Geraldine Foley (TCD) is a co-investigator on the research programme and co-leads work package 6 to evaluate how culture and gender shape the PD experience, which includes for example, attitudes towards the disease, caregiving practices, and help-seeking behaviour.

Funder

HEA North-South Research Programme Strand II: Emerging Hubs of Excellence

Research Team

University College Cork, Queen’s University Belfast, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Tyndall National Institute, and Ulster University.

Collaborators

Parkinson’s UK, Parkinson’s Ireland, and Health Service Executive.