Registration Opens 1/14/26

Living Well with PD Education Symposium
Wednesday, April 16, 2026
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
The Ballroom at St. John the Evangelist, 625 111th Ave. N., Naples, FL 34108 
Registration: $65 per person through February 25, 2026, and $75 thereafter, includes program and lunch.
VIP Registration is $125 and includes an invitation to a Faculty reception on Wednesday evening, preferred seating, program, and lunch.
​​REGISTRATION CLOSES: March 25, 2026
The symposium brings together leading experts in the field of Parkinson’s Disease research and treatment to help persons with PD live well. The program is open to persons with PD, their family members, care partners, and the medical community.

CLICK TO REGISTER

2026 SYMPOSIUM TOPICS
The Parkinson's Plan: Ray Dorsey, MD
​Living with Parkinson’s Disease: Irene Malaty, MD, FAAN
Current Research and Emerging Treatments: Ihtsham ul Haq, MD, FAAN

Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Please contact Mary C. Schoeffel at 239-417-3465 or at MSchoeffel@ParkinsonAssociationSWFL.org for more information. CLICK TO BECOME A SPONSOR

Scroll down to learn more about the speakers ▽

---

Generously Sponsored by

Sustainer Sponsor

Ambassador Sponsors

Advocate Sponsors

BrightStar Care
​Lee Health

Scroll down to learn more ▽

---

2026 SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS & PANEL

Ray Dorsey, MD

Dr. Dorsey is a nationally recognized neurologist and a leading voice in Parkinson’s disease prevention and care. He serves as Director of the Center for the Brain & the Environment at the Atria Health and Research Institute, where his work focuses on identifying the root causes of brain diseases to help prevent them before they begin. Dr. Dorsey is co-author of Ending Parkinson’s Disease and the New York Times bestseller The Parkinson’s Plan, which outlines a groundbreaking approach to preventing and treating PD. A former leader at Johns Hopkins and the University of Rochester, he was named a White House “Champion for Change” for Parkinson’s disease in 2015.

Irene Malaty, MD, FAAN

Dr. Malaty is an internationally recognized movement disorder specialist, the Barbara Padgett Dein Professor of Parkinson’s Disease, and serves as Chief of the Movement Disorders division at the University of Florida’s Department of Neurology and Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases. She directs the Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence at UF and serves on the Parkinson’s Study Group. Her research focuses on clinical trials, improving hospital safety for people with Parkinson’s, and advancing understanding of non-motor symptoms.  She has co-authored more than 100 scientific publications, as well as the book Living with Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Malaty is also part of the International Movement Disorders Society Parkinson’s Disease Non-Motor Symptoms Steering Committee.

Ihtsham ul Haq, MD, FAAN

Dr. Haq is Professor and Division Chief of Movement Disorders in the Department of Neurology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute and holds the Cornfeld-Hurowitz Endowed Chair in Movement Disorders. Under his leadership, the University of Miami has become home to multiple Centers of Excellence supporting individuals with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Dr. Haq’s research focuses on understanding brain circuitry, advancing technology-driven care, and improving outcomes for patients through collaboration with foundations, industry, and government. A graduate of Columbia University, Georgetown University, and the University of Florida, he has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed research articles and multiple book chapters. His presentation, “Unlocking the Mysteries of Parkinson’s: The Latest in Research and Diagnosis,” will explore how current scientific discoveries are shaping better treatments—and moving us closer to a cure.

CLICK TO REGISTER

---

Photos from our 2024 & 2025 LWWPD Education Symposium