Parkinson’s Australia commissions research into the incidence and prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in Australia. Professor George Mellick, Griffiths University led this research and says, “As the national advocate for the Australian Parkinson’s community, Parkinson’s Australia prioritises the need to work with our stakeholders to raise national awareness of Parkinson’s, educate and empower the community about Parkinson’s and ultimately create better outcomes for all those impacted by Parkinson’s in Australia. To achieve these goals there is a need to the best possible evidence base to support our advocacy.
“The Board of Parkinson’s Australia commissioned the Ecosystem of Parkinson’s in Australia Project with the aim to gather the best available information about the current impact of Parkinson’s in Australia, to identify critical gaps in the available evidence base and to recommend, where needed, potential new directions of investigation that might enable this information to be collected and disseminated.
“The project is multifaceted and ongoing. It is intended that various parts of the project would be released as individual report documents addressing specific issues. Ultimately Parkinson’s Australia hopes that the Ecosystem Project will promote better community awareness, advocacy and connection, and reduce the burden of Parkinson’s in Australia.”
George is an interdisciplinary scientist who works on all aspects of neurodegenerative disease with an emphasis on Parkinson’s disease. He has an extensive research track record of grants, publications and disciplinary engagement, is an active teacher of undergraduates and postgraduates and is a previous recipient of National Teaching Award. In addition, George has, for many years, been an advocate, currently the President of Parkinson’s Queensland and Board Chair of Parkinson’s Australia.
