Man with Parkinson’s goes into research to help find a cure
A 48-year-old man with Parkinson’s has gone into research with Parkinson’s UK to help find a cure for the illness.
Kuhan Pushparatnam, 48, from Balham, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s 10 years ago, on his 38th birthday.
Mr Pushparatnam is trying to encourage people to take part in Parkinson’s research.
He said: “There’s a lot of great stuff happening in Parkinson’s research but it can only come to fruition if people come forward and get involved in trials.
“Not all research is about clinical trials, and not all clinical trials are about drugs.
“Most of my involvement these days, since Covid especially, is done online. So it might just be a Zoom call, filling out a survey, or taking part in a focus group.
“You’re just more informed at the end of it.”
Mr Pushparatnam has also been involved in the Parkinson’s UK Race Equality in Research initiative, which aims to drive up participation from under-represented communities, particularly from black, Asian and mixed heritage communities.
He has hosted and been a panellist at several events, sharing his story and encouraging people to consider taking part in research.
He said: “When the community comes together, cutting through those barriers, we can achieve so much more.”
According to government data from 2021, 18 per cent of people in England and Wales belong to a black, Asian, mixed or other ethnic group, but they remain underrepresented in research.
Parkinson’s affects people of all ethnicities, and the charity particularly hopes to recruit people from underrepresented minority ethnic groups.
Naveena Kapur, Research Communications Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We would love to empower more people to come forward so we can all move towards better treatments and, ultimately, find a cure for Parkinson’s.
“Research unlocks so much potential in our search, and people with Parkinson’s and their loved ones are a vital part of the team.
“Our studies are often simple, local and even home-based, and every single participant will take us even closer to finding the answers.”
Pictured top: Kuhan Pushparatnam (Picture: Parkinson’s UK)
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