In this World Parkinson's Day Special Episode Julie and Helga look back at a selection of the diverse range of Parkinson's research projects the podcast has featured.

Listen for news about some big changes ahead for the podcast which is now listened to in more than seventy countries worldwide.

This World Parkinson's Day Julie and Helga's message is 'Together we can all help research projects progress towards new treatments and a cure. Volunteer to take part today!'

Professor Heather Mortiboys, Head of Neuroscience and Deputy Dean of the School of Medicine and Population Health at the University of Sheffield is pushing the boundaries of Parkinson's research and drug discovery from every direction. With a particular focus on mitochondria, she has been at the cutting edge of pre-clinical and clinical research, working with cells to develop to models for testing drug compounds. Heather champions public and patient involvement throughout her work and is also deeply committed to mentorship and education, and dedicates significant time to early-career researchers.

Parkinson's UK Virtual Biotech launched in 2017 funded by donors from across the world, with the aim of speeding up research to reduce the timescale for finding new treatments from decades down to years.

Over £130m has been invested in high-potential early-stage projects, many of which are now 'coming-of-age' and in the final stages of clinical trials.

Dr Lynsey Bilsland is the new Managing Director at the helm of the Virtual Biotech, and the person who's going to lead it into its exciting next phase. Julie and Helga met Lynsey to find out more about her new role and what lies ahead.