Keep Moving Symposium 2023 | Dallas Area Parkinson Society

Keep Moving!
Symposium

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Speakers

Mason Zeagler

The National Plan to End Parkinson's Act

Mason Zeagler is a Government Relations Officer at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, where he leads federal lobbying efforts on behalf of access to care policy priorities and the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act. He is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree in 2019. Mason has a personal connection to Parkinson’s disease and a passion for helping members of our community engage in policy advocacy.

Dave Iverson

Searching for Winter Stars: A Caregiving Journey

Dave Iverson is an author, documentary film producer/director and retired broadcast journalist. His new memoir, Winter Stars: An Elderly Mother, an Aging Son and Life’s Final Journey, tells the story of the 10-year caregiving odyssey he shared with his mom until her

passing at the age of 105. Dave has produced and reported more than 20 documentary specials for PBS, including the Frontline film, “My Father, My Brother and Me” which explored his family’s battle with Parkinson’s disease, and "Capturing Grace", which tells the story of what happened when a group of people with Parkinson’s disease joined forces with a legendary New York City dance company. He was a radio and television reporter, producer and host for nearly 40 years, first at Wisconsin Public Broadcasting and then at San Francisco’s NPR affiliate KQED. His awards include a national Emmy, four regional Emmys and numerous film festival citations. He’s also a founding member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Patient Council. Winter Stars is Dave’s first book.

Jessica Wilden, MD

Advancements in Deep Brain Stimulation

Dr. Wilden’s medical school training began at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where she was first exposed to movement disorders in 2001. Her free time was spent working closely with the movement disorder team, where her passion for surgical treatments like Deep Brain Stimulation grew. She completed a movement disorder fellowship under the direction of dr. Philip Starr at the University of California San Francisco. Dr. Wilden served veterans during her time at UCSF, at a specialized clinic for PD. She learned how to perform MRI-based surgery, which allows patients to be under general anesthesia during DBS, since 2013.

Neerja Bhardwaj, MD, MPH

How Palliative Care Specialists Improve Quality of Life for Parkinson's Patients

Dr. Neerja Bhardwaj is Founder and President of Specialists in Geriatric and Palliative Care Medicine PLLC, a practice that focuses on helping seniors or patients with serious illness with specialty evaluation and treatment. Dr. Bhardwaj has over seventeen years’ experience in clinical care as a specialist in both Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine. Dr. Bhardwaj is triple Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care Medicine. She was chosen by her peers as one of "D" Magazine's Best Geriatric Doctors in Dallas in 2022.

Richard L. Fulbright, PhD

Cognitive Changes in Parkinson’s Disease: What to Know, Ways to Manage It

Dr. Fulbright is a clinical psychologist specializing in clinical neuropsychology. Dr. Fulbright has extensive experience in the evaluation and rehabilitation of traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, toxic exposures, and developmental disorders. Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders have become an area of particular interest and expertise over the past 13 years as he has worked with a number of neurologists who are fellowship-trained specialists in movement disorders.

Stephanie Gil, PT, DPT

Walking & Talking: A Speech-Language and Physical Therapy Approach to Parkinson's Disease

Dr. Gil attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida where she received her Bachelor’s in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. She has been a die-hard Gator fan ever since and spends every Saturday in the fall cheering on her team! Dr. Gil then pursued her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. While in PT school she volunteered with a boxing program aimed specifically at working with individuals with Parkinson’s disease. It was here that her passion for working with the Parkinson’s community grew. To this day, she is fascinated by the impact that exercise can have on the PD community. Dr. Gil has been a therapist at OneRehab for the last three years and has had the pleasure of working with patients with Parkinson’s in all stages of the disease. Watching patients utilize movement and exercise to regain their independence is what drives her to work harder each and every day. Dr. Gil is also a certified LSVT BIG provider and enjoys utilizing and building upon these foundations throughout her experiences. As a physical therapist she strives to create a treatment plan for patients that incorporates the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the disease to provide holistic care for patients.

Anna Gershberg, MS, CCC-SLP

Walking & Talking: A Speech-Language and Physical Therapy Approach to Parkinson's Disease

Anna Gershberg, MS, CCC-SLP attended Texas Woman's University where she received her Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders and then pursued her Masters in Speech Language Pathology. During this time, she discovered her passion for learning about and working with the adult neurogenic population. She has special interests treating those with neurodegenerative diagnoses to help manage and improve symptoms related to communication and swallowing. Throughout her career she has provided care for adults with Parkinson's in skilled-nursing facilities, home health, and outpatient settings. She is currently a therapist at OneRehab and continues to work on an as-needed basis in the skilled nursing setting. She is a certified LSVT Loud provider and enjoys helping patients improve their voice and communication using LOUD principles. She is also certified in AmpCare ESP to provide more intensive and specialized dysphagia care. She just completed her SpeakOUT certification.

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