A UWindsor biochemist will talk about his work on finding ways to halt the progression of Parkinson’s disease when the Parkinson’s Society of Southwestern Ontario holds its regional conference here for the first time ever.

Siyaram Pandey, who works with a formula called water-soluble CoQ10, will be a featured speaker at the one-day conference and will discuss how the formula he’s been experimenting with halted the death of brain cells and the impairment of fine motor skills in lab rats with Parkinson’s-like symptoms.

The conference, being held on May 16 at the Holiday Inn and Suites on Huron Church Road, is designed to provide information and support to people living and working with Parkinson’s.

“The people affected by Parkinson’s depend on the knowledge and research of individuals like those speaking at this conference,” said Parkinson’s Society spokesperson Tracey Jones.

Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological movement disorder that is estimated to affect nearly 100,000 Canadians.  While the average age of onset is between 50 and 60 years of age, more and more people are being diagnosed at a younger age. The number of people with Parkinson’s is also expected to rise significantly with the aging population, and there is still no cure.

For more information, visit the conference Web site or call 1-888-851-7376.