Parkinson's disease and multiple system atrophy are neurological disorders affecting over 10 million people worldwide. In both of these conditions, toxic clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein form in the brain. Previous research suggests that the building blocks of these clumps are the same but that the 3D structure can vary, giving rise to unique alpha-synuclein 'strains'. Dr Dieriks and his team think that these different 'strains' are responsible for the different types of Parkinson's disease and that future treatments will need to be specific for each strain. Dr Dieriks' is investigating this in brain tissue from patients who died with these diseases. During this event, Dr Dieriks will discuss some of the causes of these diseases, his recent findings and how understanding these strains could offer new hope for developing effective treatments. As an emerging leader in Parkinson's disease research, he focuses on the biology of neurodegeneration with the ultimate goal of finding a therapy that will delay or stop the onset of these chronic conditions. About Dr Dieriks Dr Dieriks obtained his PhD at the University of Ghent, Belgium, in 2010. Dr Dieriks moved to New Zealand in 2011 and started working at the University of Auckland, where he established an innovative and transdisciplinary research stream on the early effects of Parkinson's disease. Dr Dieriks is currently a Sir Charles Hercus Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Synuclein lab at the Centre for Brain research. In 2020 he was awarded a Neurological Foundation project grant to investigate alpha synuclein strains in Parkinson’s disease.