Jonathan Brotchie, MB, ChB, PhD, is Senior Scientist at the Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network (UHN), Toronto, and is a Founder and Director of the contract research company Atuka Ltd. His academic research laboratory at UHN focuses on characterising the neural mechanisms underlying movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and developing new therapies. His laboratory has a history of defining novel therapeutic approaches for Parkinson's disease. The work conducted by the group has helped identify many potential treatments for Parkinson's disease, several of which have entered clinical development. Dr Brotchie has published more than 150 peer-reviewed publications and has filed numerous patents covering novel therapeutics for Parkinson's disease. He regularly acts as a consultant to governments, the pharmaceutical industry and venture capital community.

Karl Kieburtz, MD, MPH, is the Director of the Center for Human Experimental Therapeutics and Professor of Neurology, Community and Preventive Medicine and Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. His primary clinical and research interests are neurodegenerative diseases affecting the basal ganglia, particularly Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, and HIV-related neurologic disorders. He is the principal investigator for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (“NINDS”)-sponsored trials of neuroprotective agents for Parkinson’s disease (NET-PD) and currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Parkinson Study Group. He also directs the Coordination Center for other National Institute of Health (“NIH”) and foundation-supported multi-centre academic consortia.

C. Warren Olanow, M.D., FRCPC is Professor and Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Neurology, and Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Prior to this he served on the faculties of McGill University, Duke University, and the University of South Florida. Dr Olanow is Past President of the Movement Disorder Society and is an Honorary Professor at the University of London (Royal Free Hospital) and an Honorary Member of the French Neurological Society. He has served on numerous editorial and scientific advisory boards and is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Movement Disorders. His clinical and basic science research efforts are directed towards defining neuroprotective therapies for Parkinson’s disease. Dr Olanow has authored more than 300 scientific publications, primarily related to Parkinson’s disease and was ranked #1 in the United States in research citations for Parkinson’s disease during the past decade.

Olivier Rascol, MD, PhD, has been Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Neuropharmacolgy at Toulouse University Hospital since 1993, runs the Toulouse Clinical Research Centre and the Toulouse European Space Clinic. Since 2006 he has led the French Reference Center for Multiple System Atrophy. Professor Rascol’s main areas of interest are Parkinson’s disease, movement disorders and functional neuroimaging and he currently runs research programmes on neuroprotection and new antiparkinsonian medications in collaboration with research centres in the USA and Europe. Professor Rascol is also an external advisor for a number of European scientific organisations, patients’ associations, regulatory agencies and international pharmaceutical companies. He has published over 300 scientific articles and is currently an associate editor for the Journal of Neural Transmission, and is a member of the editorial board of the Lancet Neurology and the European Journal of Neurology.

Anthony Schapira, MD, DSc, FRCP, FMedSci, has been Chairman of the University Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, since 1990 and is Professor of Neurology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Royal Free Hospital, London. He is also currently Vice Dean of University College London Medical School and Director of the Royal Free Campus. Professor Schapira’s research interests include the molecular and clinical aspects of neurodegenerative diseases, with special emphasis on Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. He has over 300 peer reviewed publications and has edited more than 15 books on various aspects of neurology. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Neurology and is on the editorial board of several journals of neurology and neuroscience.

Mike McDonald, M.B., CHB, MRCP, Dip Pharm Med, has over 20 years' experience in clinical drug development and regulatory leadership. Previously he was Chief Medical Officer and then Chief Executive Officer of Oxford BioMedica plc, Chief Medical Officer at Seattle Genetics Inc. and spent nine years with Eli Lilly, including serving as worldwide Vice President, Clinical Research and Medical Affairs. He is a non executive director of IS Pharma plc. Dr McDonald received his medical degree from Edinburgh University, is a member of the Royal College of Physicians in London, holds a Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Physicians.