What motivated you to study in the field of Parkinson’s?
After studying immunology in Paris, I pursued a post-doctorate degree with Dr. Michel Desjardins from Montreal. This is when I found out that Parkinson’s disease patients had a specific immune mechanism where mitochondria (the cellular organelles responsible for energy production) are specifically “attacked” by the immune system.
What are the goals of your research project?
Parkinson’s disease is not fatal, but it is a weakening disease that leads to significant disability in patients who have it. It has long been considered a “brain disease” but there is growing evidence that many factors come into play, especially the immune system.
We want to understand why the immune system becomes active during the disease so that we can better control and diagnose it.
