Strong Interest in Parkinson’s Event During Brain Awareness Week

10.03.2026

More than 1,000 people participated when researchers and clinicians highlighted Parkinson’s disease dur-ing the Brain Awareness Week. Around 200 participants attended the event in person at Aarhus Universi-ty, while approximately 800 followed the event via livestream.

On Monday, 9 March, the focus was on Parkinson’s – a neurological disease with many facets – as Professor Per Borghammer and Consultant Neurosurgeon Andreas Nørgaard Glud shared the latest knowledge about the condition.

During the event, the audience gained insight into the biological mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s dis-ease, its symptoms and progression, as well as current treatment options and recent research advances in the field. The discussion also addressed the less visible symptoms that can affect sleep, mood, and every-day life.

“Parkinson’s is not only a brain disease – the whole body is affected. One theory we are working with in Aarhus is the body-first and brain-first hypothesis, where the disease begins locally and then spreads throughout the body.” Per Borghammer, Professor, Dept. of Nuclear Medicine.

The event took place during the Brain Awareness Week as a collaboration between the Lundbeck Founda-tion, the Danish Neuroscience Center, and Hearts & Minds.

The level of interest in the topic was clear during the Q&A session, where both participants in the auditori-um and viewers following the livestream took part actively. Approximately 150 questions were submitted by the online audience alone.

Moderator Line Friis Frederiksen guided the discussion and ensured that questions from both the audience in the room and online viewers were included in the dialogue with the speakers. This created a lively con-versation between researchers, moderator, and audience, allowing for deeper discussion of research, treatment, and the many questions surrounding life with Parkinson’s disease.

The purpose of the event was to make the latest knowledge about the brain accessible to a broad audience. With more than 1,000 participants, the evening demonstrated the strong public interest in brain research and neurological diseases.