Spectrum News: Student-led organization empowers patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Spectrum News recently highlighted the work of Parkinson's Together, a UC student-led nonprofit organization that takes a multidisciplinary approach to meeting the needs of people with Parkinson's disease in the community.
“We’re really excited about this, offering this kind of multidisciplinary, support resources and not trying to duplicate the wonderful resources that already exist, but trying to figure out how we can make them work together,” said Mallika Desai, Parkinson’s Together founder.
The organization began in October 2021 with a core group of students who primarily were studying medicine. But as more students from other areas of study joined, new opportunities for different programs emerged.
“We started volunteering and realized that to make a bigger impact, we needed to think beyond medicine or sitting with a resident,” Desai said. “We needed to expand to involve other disciplines.”
With this collaborative approach, pre-law undergraduate students can research and educate patients on inequities and their legal rights regarding the link between exposure to pesticides and the development of Parkinson’s disease. Pre-medical students are conducting research on topics including how telemedicine and exercise can help manage the disease and improve quality of life.
Engineering students participated in a hackathon this spring to design solutions that optimize patients’ living space and routines that have been altered due to the disease. Political science majors can study and increase advocacy to local, state and federal government officials promoting policies that improve the lives of patients with Parkinson’s.
As the group continues to grow in Cincinnati, there are plans in motion to expand to chapters at universities across the country, starting with a chapter that has opened at Miami University.
Watch the Spectrum News story.
Read more about Parkinson's Together.
Featured photo at top of Mallika Desai. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.
Latest UC News
- Celebrating all things CincinnatiHoxworth Blood Center announces the sixth annual Cincinnati Favorites Blood Drive Tour.
- Does CBD really work?The University of Cincinnati's LaTrice Montgomery and Michael Privitera joined WVXU's Cincinnati Edition to discuss how claims about CBD measure up to scientific research.
- Ex-smokers who vape at higher risk of lung cancerAshley Merianos, PhD, is cited as an expert in two recent Deutsche Welle articles on vaping research. Merianos, a prolific tobacco researcher, is an assistant professor of human services in UC's College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH).
- Engineering professor honored for distinguished scientific researchIn 2019, Munir Nazzal joined the University of Cincinnati College of Engineering and Applied Science as a professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management. Throughout his time at UC, he has received various accolades for his advancements in transportation research, including the UC George Rieveschl Jr. Award for Distinguished Scientific Research for 2024.
- UC study uses health factors to predict kidney function recoveryResearchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have created a scoring model that uses key health indicators to accurately predict recovery for patients who suffer kidney failure due to acute kidney injury (AKI).
- US Coast Guard Band's 'Heartland Harmonies' tour presents concert at CCMThe United States Coast Guard Band brings its "Heartland Harmonies" concert tour to UC's College-Conservatory of Music on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. The free concert is presented in Corbett Auditorium as part of the band's tour through the American South and Midwest regions for public performances and educational outreach.