Parkinson’s Research Outreach Network (PRONET)
Our Aims
The Parkinson’s Research Outreach Network (PRONET) aims to bring together people interested in research into Parkinson’s, including people with Parkinson’s, family and caregivers, professionals supporting people with Parkinson’s, and researchers, to find out about and discuss Parkinson’s research.
Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition the world. But this is not a race which one would want to win. Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire are playing their part looking for improved treatments and ultimately the elusive cure.
The phrase “better together” is the guiding principle of the newly formed PRONET. There is an active welcome for those who know most about the condition, the people who have Parkinson’s. The network includes established researchers, those new to the field, and everyone who has an interest in research into Parkinson’s.
For more information about PRONET future events and to join the mailing list, please contact the PRONET team.
Our Activities
Building on feedback from workshops attended by people with Parkinson’s held in Hatfield and Stevenage in 2024, we aim to arrange a variety of types of events, for example short research talks with time for questions and informal discussions, and to hear from people who have taken part in Parkinson’s research studies.
Events will focus on exploring and ‘decoding’ the research on a topic. While as university academics we are not qualified to give clinical advice or recommend the use of specific devices or treatments, we can help those interested in a topic understand what research has been done, and any limitations of that research.
Network events will be in person, with some also online depending on the type of event and where the technology allows. Events will be at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield or at different locations around the region, for example reading groups at venues used by local Parkinson’s groups, so there is not as far to travel.
If you would like us to arrange a network event at a venue local to you, or you would like a network event to focus on a particular research topic, please contact the PRONET team.
About us
About us
To find out what people would like from a research network, we held workshops in Hatfield, in Stevenage and online during April and May 2024. The workshops were well attended by people with Parkinson’s, their partners and carers. They were joined by academics of a variety of disciplines and included early-career researchers, PhD students, and other interested stakeholders. These disparate groups had a unifying enthusiasm for the PRONET concept and setting up an accessible Parkinson’s research network.
It was very important to make clear at the workshops that the network activities would not become support groups. The intention is to extend knowledge of the research scene, break down boundaries and enable new ideas to emerge from the interests and experience of network members.
For a summary of key points discussed at the workshops and how we hope to take these ideas forward, please see the attached document.
PRONET steering group members are drawn from the Parkinson’s community and the research community at the University of Hertfordshire.
- Dr Lucy Annett
- Rosie Brewis
- Dr Rebecca Hadley
- David Harris
- Professor Mahmoud Iravani
- Vivienne Levy
- Mike Pye
- Dr Nada Yousif
We would like to acknowledge Dr Ruth Herman, founding member of PRONET, an inspiration for PRONET's mission to bring together researchers and people with Parkinson's.
Funding
We gratefully acknowledge funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, through awards from the University of Hertfordshire’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Account. We also thank Parkinson's UK for support towards events.
PRONET past activities
Parkinson's has a bewildering range of symptoms which go from the barely noticeable to severely disabling. This wide spectrum is reflected in the many different types of studies undertaken by researchers seeking to understand Parkinson’s. One research team may work directly with people to investigate movement issues, while another laboratory might be working at the cellular level and see no more of the person with Parkinson’s than their blood. Our aim is to achieve the maximum engagement of all stakeholders in discussions about a wide range of Parkinson’s research topics.
- Meet the Researcher (30 October2024): Researchers from the University of Hertfordshire spoke about their research related to Parkinson's in focussed conversations with an interviewer and answered questions from the audience. Read the full report.
- Experiences of Taking Part in Parkinson's Research (22 March 2025): A panel of people with Parkinson’s who have taken part in research studies told us about what was involved and reflect on the research process. Read the full report.
- Research in Motion: Institute of Sport Research Visit (12 September 2025): This involved a visit to the research facilities at the Institute of Sport. Read the full report.
- Parkinson's Q&A with Professor Peter Jenner (26 November 2025): A guest speaker for a Q&A session on Parkinson’s research and treatments.
- PhD Research Sharing Event (25 February 2026): An opportunity to meet with PhD students undertaking research relevant to Parkinson's at the university.
- Parkinson's Research in Action: Visit to Research Laboratories at the University of Hertfordshire (30 April 2026): A visit to the University's modern computing and engineering and biosciences research laboratories.
PRONET future events
Please contact the PRONET team to join our mailing list to find out about events as they are planned, or to let us know if you have any suggestions for future events.