“Improving the Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Critical to Improving Clinical Trials” will be the topic of the Fountain Hills Parkinson’s Support Group at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 2.

Neuropathologist Dr. Thomas Beach will be the guest speaker. His presentation will be at the Senior Activity Center in the Community Center.

Beach is head and senior scientist at the Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology at Banner Sun Health Research Institute in Sun City and Director of the BSHRI Brain and Body Donation Program. The Brain and Body Donation Program is the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke’s designated brain and tissue resource for Parkinson’s Disease and related disorders. The tissue is used in research by scientists worldwide.

Beach has degrees in biology (B.S.), neuroscience (Ph.D.) and (M.D.) from the University of British Colombia in Vancouver, Canada, and received training in anatomic pathology and neuropathology at UBC and St. Louis University School of Medicine.

He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards from agencies including the national Institutes of Health, Alzheimer’s Association, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and locally from the Fountain Hills Parkinson Support Group’s “Pennies for Parkinson’s – Until There is a Cure” campaign.

He is the neuropathology core leader for Arizona’s National Institute on Aging Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center and for the Arizona Parkinson’s Disease Consortium.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about movement disorders is invited to attend the monthly FHPSG meetings at the community center.

For more information about the support group, go to fhparkinsonsupport.org, or call the John O’Flynn Senior Activity Center at 480-816-5226 or Mary Stone at 480-816-6080.