Featured Speakers
Professor K. Ray Chadhuri
MD, DSc, FRCP · King’s College London
Few people have done more to move Parkinson's care beyond its visible motor symptoms than Professor K. Ray Chaudhuri. Based at King's College London, he is a global authority on the non-motor aspects of Parkinson's — including sleep, pain, mood, fatigue, cognition and autonomic function. Director of the Parkinson's Foundation Centre of Excellence at King's College London, Founding Editor of npj Parkinson's Disease and now Editor Emeritus. Authored more than 500 publications; a 2024 bibliometric analysis identified him as the most published author globally in non-motor Parkinson's research between 2013 and 2022.
Non-Motor Symptoms & Whole Person in Parkinson’s
Associate Professor Miguel Rentería
PhD · QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
Part of the Parkinson's story is written in our genes — and Associate Professor Miguel Rentería is leading one of Australia's most ambitious efforts to understand it. Principal Investigator of the Australian Parkinson's Genetics Study and head of the Computational Neurogenomics Laboratory at QIMR Berghofer, the study is Australia's largest Parkinson's genetics cohort with more than 21,000 participants overall, including more than 12,000 people living with Parkinson's. Named among the world's top 2% most-cited scientists and awarded the Australian Academy of Science's 2026 Ruth Stephens Gani Medal.
The Genetics of Parkinson's — What the Science Tells Us
Dr Quentes de Vries
FRACP · Geriatrician & General Physician
Parkinson's rarely presents as one isolated problem. Dr Quentes de Vries is a Specialist General Physician and Geriatrician with additional training in stroke medicine and movement disorders. He plays a key role in the Sunshine Coast University Hospital Stroke Service and also works privately at Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital and Beach Brain Clinic. Drawing on his experience across geriatric medicine, movement disorders and complex clinical care, Dr de Vries brings an essential medical perspective to the Conference theme: understanding the whole person, rather than managing Parkinson's symptoms in isolation.
Future Directions in Parkinson’s Care
Expert Faculty & Contributors
Dr Chris Padgham
Respiratory & Sleep Physician · Sunshine Coast Respiratory & Sleep
Dr Chris Padgham is a Respiratory and Sleep Physician with extensive clinical experience in sleep disorders, including those associated with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease. Sleep disruption is one of the most commonly reported non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's. Dr Padgham's presentation addresses the range of sleep disorders seen in Parkinson's — including REM sleep behaviour disorder, insomnia and daytime sleepiness — and evidence-based approaches to managing them.
Sleep & Fatigue in Parkinson's
Dr Sarah Davies
BOccThy, PhD · Occupational Therapist & Lecturer · UniSC
Dr Sarah Davies is an Occupational Therapist and academic at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her presentation focuses on the CO-OP (Cognitive Orientation to Daily Occupational Performance) approach — a structured, goal-directed framework for helping people with Parkinson's regain confidence and independence in the activities that matter most to them.
Focusing on What Matters: Making Goal Setting Work for You
Bhaveena Patel
BPharm · Clinical Pharmacist · PKG & Wearable Motor Monitoring
Bhaveena Patel is a Clinical Pharmacist with extensive clinical experience in medication management for people living with Parkinson's. Her presentation focuses on the PKG (Parkinson's KinetiGraph) — a wearable device that monitors motor symptoms and helps clinicians optimise medication timing with objective data.
Focusing on What Matters: Making Goal Setting Work for You
Dr Simone Shaw
DPsych · Clinical Psychologist & Neuropsychologist · Sure Psychology
Dr Simone Shaw is a Clinical Psychologist and Neuropsychologist with a clinical focus on the psychological dimensions of neurological conditions. Working from Sure Psychology on the Sunshine Coast, she supports people living with Parkinson's to navigate the cognitive, emotional and behavioural changes that accompany diagnosis and progression. Her presentation explores apathy — one of the most commonly overlooked non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's — and practical strategies for supporting motivation and behavioural engagement.
Apathy, Motivation & Behavioural Change
Andrew Duffy
BN, MSc, RN, FHEA, MACN Associate Lecturer in Nursing and Pain Researcher, UniSC
Andrew Duffy is an Associate Lecturer in Nursing at the University of the Sunshine Coast. His work focuses on improving pain management through education, research and evidence-informed practice.
With a longstanding interest in neurological conditions, Andrew is committed to translating research into practical, person-centred strategies that help people better understand and manage pain. Through his teaching and research, he seeks to improve health outcomes and the care experiences of people living with chronic and complex conditions, including Parkinson’s disease.
Pain Management
Dr Colleen Johnston-Devin
RN, BN, GCAPN, GCTAE, PhD. Senior Lecturer in Nursing, UniSC
Dr Colleen Johnston-Devin is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She has extensive clinical and research experience across universities, hospitals, aged care facilities and community settings throughout metropolitan, regional and rural Australia.
Colleen’s research focuses on chronic health conditions, particularly persistent pain, self-management and the lived experience of pain. Her work also encompasses gerontology, person-centred care, healthcare models and the education of future health professionals.
Pain Management
Dr Robyn Lamont
Research Physiotherapist
Dr Robyn Lamont is a Research Physiotherapist with research expertise in exercise and rehabilitation for people living with Parkinson's. Her work translates exercise research into practical, sustainable strategies. Her presentation explores the evidence base, how to overcome common barriers, and how rehabilitation approaches can be adapted across different stages of the condition.
Overcoming Barriers to Exercise
Catherine Raff
MEd · Relationship Counsellor & Sexologist · Indego Sexology
Catherine Raff is a Relationship Counsellor and Sexologist based on the Sunshine Coast. Parkinson's affects relationships in complex ways — physically, emotionally and socially. Her presentation addresses intimacy and connection, and how people and their partners can communicate openly through the challenges of the condition.
Relationships & Connection
Steve Yellen
Patient Advocate & Author · USA
Internationally recognised Parkinson's advocate, speaker and author Steve Yellen brings a powerful lived-experience perspective to the Conference. Diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2019, Steve has presented at the World Parkinson Congress and is the author of Living Parkinson's. His recorded presentation shares practical insights into taking an informed, active role in living with Parkinson's.
Lived Experience & Advocacy
Ryan Gee
Nurse Navigator · Queensland Health
Ryan Gee is a Nurse Navigator with Queensland Health, working with people living with Parkinson's to coordinate care across the health system and support medication management. Nurse navigators play a critical role in helping people with Parkinson's manage the complexities of their condition — connecting them with the right services, supporting medication adherence and acting as a consistent point of contact across clinical settings.
Nurse Navigation & Medication Management in Parkinson's
Karen Malcom
Speech Pathologist · Restoring Hope Parkinson's Speech Therapy
Karen Malcolm is a Speech Pathologist who works exclusively with people living with Parkinson's disease, through Restoring Hope Parkinson's Speech Therapy. Her presentation covers evidence-based treatment approaches including SPEAK OUT!® and LOUD Crowd®, and practical strategies for people with Parkinson's and their communication partners.