A new newsletter created by MRC PPU PhD students Rose Francis and Chloe Flitton is helping to make Parkinson’s research more accessible to those with lived experience of Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s: Beyond the Bench has been developed with input from members of the Dundee Research Interest Group (DRIG) steering committee and colleagues across the MRC PPU. Each issue will explore a different area of Parkinson’s research, explaining the biology, introducing techniques used in the lab, and answering questions about the research and researchers that make it all possible.
Rose and Chloe said:
“We wanted to create a newsletter to make Parkinson’s disease research less intimidating and easier to understand. We felt there was a gap between our understanding of research as scientists, versus how someone in the Parkinson’s community experiences and understands scientific research. All of the Parkinson’s research going on around the world is ultimately about the people it can help and we want to highlight this and make research more accessible.”
Importantly, the newsletter is designed to be a two-way conversation. By involving people with lived experience and including a feedback link in every issue, Rose and Chloe hope it can respond to what the Parkinson’s community actually wants to know, while giving researchers valuable insight into the questions that matter to them.
“Scientists can learn from people with lived experience of Parkinson’s too. This newsletter is also about opening up a dialogue between scientists and members of DRIG so we cannot stress the value of feedback enough. We want our newsletter to cater to exactly what members of DRIG want and we know this can evolve and change. We want to keep the communication as free flowing as possible so we can provide the best newsletter possible.”
Sarah Patrick, MRC PPU Patient and Public Involvement Consultant, said:
“What I love about Beyond the Bench is that it isn’t just about making research easier to understand - it’s about creating a genuine two-way conversation. People with lived experience of Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s researchers both bring valuable knowledge and perspectives. Co-producing research communications helps us learn from each other and communicate research in a way that is accessible, useful and relevant.”
Rose and Chloe hope that future issues will bring even more voices into the conversation:
“This newsletter has been produced with lots of helpful feedback from our colleagues in the MRC PPU and members of the DRIG steering committee. As we publish more issues of the newsletter, we hope to get more people involved through interviews and research spotlights.”
The first issue focuses on LRRK2, a protein linked to Parkinson’s and an important area of research at the MRC PPU. Alongside an introduction to the biology of LRRK2, it takes readers behind the scenes to explain western blotting - one of the techniques researchers use to study proteins in the lab.
Read the first issue of Parkinson’s: Beyond the Bench: MRC PPU Parkinson's:Beyond the Bench Newsletter
If you’re living with Parkinson’s, caring for someone with Parkinson’s, or simply interested in Parkinson’s research, you can become a member of the Dundee Research Interest Group (DRIG).