Free Community Forum on Parkinson's Disease
RISKS • PREVENTION • CAREGIVING • SUPPORT • RESEARCH
Saturday, February 21, 2026
9:00 am to 3:00 pm cst
Location: LSUHS Campus, Center for Medical Education, 1365 Jennings Street, Shreveport, LA 71103
In case you missed it ... Watch the full presentation below
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
9:00 am - Doors open, breakfast and check-in
9:30 am - Welcome by Center for Brain Health Director
10:00 am - 12:00 noon - Presentations by Speakers
12:00 noon - Lunch (provided for those attending in person)
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm - Presentations by Speakers
All presentations are geared toward the general public. Bring your questions! The speakers are always happy to talk more about their work.
► Scroll down to view the Speakers & Presentation Topics.
“Part of the challenge with Parkinson’s disease is that people don’t always realize they have it. Someone may notice a tremor and think it’s just part of aging, but there’s actually a huge amount we can do to improve quality of life if people seek care early.”
Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Center for Brain Health at LSUHS.
PRESENTATIONS
9:40 am – "Introduction to Parkinson's Disease"
Dr. Ahmad Abbas, LSU Health Shreveport Neurology Resident
Dr. Abbas will talk about disease mechanism, signs and symptoms and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. He is currently finishing his training in Neurology with an interest in Parkinson’s Disease.
10:10 am – Healthy Aging Panel
Dr. Ahmad Abbas, Dr. Sheila Asghar, Dr. Evelyn Pryor and Dr. Marie Vazquez Morgan from LSU Health Shreveport will answer questions about healthy aging and PD prevention.
11:00 pm – "Parkinson's Genetics"
Dr. Lana Chahine, Michael J. Fox Foundation, Genetics Researcher
Dr. Chahine will talk about the link between Parkinson’s Disease and genetics, and what we have learned from this exciting project. She is part of a team studying Parkinson’s Disease across the globe to better understand the genetic contribution to the disease.
11:30 pm – "Community Resources and Research Opportunities"
Sha ‘Matt McCall, LMSW, LSU Health Shreveport, Center for Brain Health
Ms. McCall will discuss new community resources and highlight local research opportunities. She is a social worker working with people with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases.
1:30 am – "Prevention of Parkinson's Disease"
Dr. Jennifer Purks, Movement Disorders Fellow, University of Florida
Dr. Purks will talk about environmental factors that impact risk for Parkinson’s Disease and the results from recent research on this topic. She is finishing her specialty training in movement disorders like Parkinson’s Disease.
2:00 pm – "The Power of Sleep: Unlocking Better Health"
Dr. Bernadette Fausto, Associate Director, Aging and Brain Health Alliance, Rutgers University
Dr. Fausto will talk about healthy aging and what her team has learned about things like exercise, sleep, nutrition and brain aging from a longitudinal study of older African Americans. She is a Cognitive Gerontologist and Neuroscientist who studies healthy aging.
2:30 pm – "When someone at home has Parkinson's"
Dr. Terri Pease - Caregiver and Author
Dr. Pease will talk about how to offer supportive, empathic, and trauma-informed care, and the unique challenges of Parkinson’s Disease caregiving. She is a former Parkinson’s Disease caregiver and an expert on supportive care. She is also author of “Love, Dignity, and Parkinson's: from Care Partner to Caregiver”.
All presentations are geared toward the general public. Bring your questions! The speakers are always happy to talk more about their work.
