David G. Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., chair of UAB's Department of Neurology, joins the new Advisory Council on Parkinson's Research, Care, and Services David G. Standaert, M.D., Ph.D., has been appointed to the new Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and Services.
The new Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and Services is tasked with evaluating and prioritizing federally funded initiatives in Parkinson’s disease research, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, clinical care and programs. Additionally, the council aims to identify ways to reduce the financial burden of the disease, improve health outcomes and quality of care, and address environmental triggers and underlying factors contributing to Parkinson’s disease.
“I am honored to have been selected, and I look forward to working together with the other members of the Advisory Council to discover ways to improve the health and wellness of the many people who are impacted by Parkinson’s disease,” Standaert said.
Standaert is the John N. Whitaker Professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. He is an international expert in movement disorders and Parkinson’s disease. Standaert is chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the American Parkinson’s Disease Association and is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association.
Established in 2024 under the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, the council is composed of public members representing a broad range of expertise in Parkinson’s disease and key government officials. Standaert joins a multidisciplinary group that includes biomedical researchers such as himself, patient advocates, a family caregiver, a health care provider, a movement disorders specialist, a dementia specialist, nonprofit representatives and government officials.