Please join Dr. Robert Cochrane's, Jam's for Joy improv program specifically for the YOPN community. You must register for this program using the link below.

https://www.yesandexercise.org/book-online

The link will show a calendar with 4 class offerings and each class will have unique themes, songs and games. There is a class limit of 16 - all participants should be on their own screen and can join from anywhere in the world .

The Jam for Joy is for people with PD, care partners and the medical/wellness staff who serve our community. It's an hour of fun, connection and discovery in a brave space where we show our full selves, have each others backs at all times, and know there are no wrong answers.

About Robert

Dr. Robert Cochrane is a graduate from UNLV's Integrated Health Sciences department, where he studied the effect of improvisation and storytelling on Parkinson’s disease. He has launched a 501(c)3 non-profit, Yes, And…eXercise to run improvisation and storytelling programs he developed during his PhD program with support from the Parkinson's Foundation and the Davis Phinney Foundation. The Day One Storytelling courses are group based adventures featuring Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey as well as deep dives into popular films such as The Shawshank Redemption, Inside Out and Star Wars. Robert has led and served as a Keynote at numerous workshops and Parkinson's-themed conferences both online and in person. 

Monthly Member Community Gathering

April 23, 2024 - 7:00 - 8:00 PM EDT

On the fourth Tuesday of each month, YOPN members come together to learn, engage, and support one another.  It's a great opportunity to connect with fellow members, share experiences and insights about living with YOPD,  discuss personal challenges as well as potential opportunities, and learn how others thrive beyond diagnosis.  This is your safe space - a place you can be real with others who understand what you're experiencing.

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with YOPN members and explore what's possible as you create your own path forward.

Speaker Series -  Finding your Balance: Strategies for Weight Management in Parkinson's Disease , Part Two

May 14, 2024 7:00 PM EDT

• How to Identify and modify eating behaviors that impact weight
• Understand and manage appetite changes associated with Parkinson's
• Learn strategies for meal planning to support optimal nourishment

About Kelly Morrow, MS, RDN, FAND

Kelly is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She has been on the faculty at Bastyr University since 2002 where she has supervised clinical rotations at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health and taught in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Science. She started her career over 20 years ago working at the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Center at Evergreen Hospital in Washington State and currently supports Parkinson’s patients in meeting their nutrition needs at Seattle Integrative Medicine. Kelly is an affiliate dietitian with the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Washington, is a past Chair of Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a Co- Editor of Krause and Mahan’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process textbook.

As a nutrition educator, Kelly helps people learn about how food affects health. As a nutrition counselor, she helps people with motivation and making sustainable changes while supporting personal preferences, lifestyle, and culture. Kelly uses an integrative, body positive, and non-diet approach.

Monthly Member Community Gathering

Speaker Series - Preventing Freezing of Gait using Wearable Robotics in Parkinson's Disease

June 11, 2024 7:00 PM EDT

We are honored to have three esteemed researchers presenting on Gait dysfunction. 

• Understand how Freezing of Gait impacts movement and walking in PD
• Explore the potential of next-generation wearable robotics to improve Freezing of Gait in people with PD. 
• Learn about ways to help us develop impactful solutions aimed at preventing Freezing of Gait using wearable robotics

About the Presenters

Franchino Porciuncula, PT, DScPT, EdD is a Research Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at Boston University.  Trained as a physical therapist and as a rehabilitation scientist, Dr. Porciuncula’s research focuses  on developing rehabilitation/exercise interventions by targeting biomechanical, cognitive, and behavioral processes of gait dysfunction. His research includes the development of wearable technologies through robotics and digital health solutions to promote sustainable and impactful outcomes in Parkinson’s disease (PD), stroke, and other movement disorders. 

Nicholas Wendel, PT, DPT, NCS: Nick is a physical therapist at the Center for Neurorehabilitation where he provides patient care and participates in research and education activities with persons with Parkinson disease and related movement disorders. Prior to joining the Center for Neurorehabilitation, he was a senior physical therapist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital where he provided physical therapy to patients with various neurologic conditions including Parkinson Disease, stroke, concussion, multiple sclerosis and individuals with balance dysfunction. 

Christina Lee, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow in bioengineering at the Harvard Biodesign Lab. She received her Ph.D. in 2023 from The University of Michigan and her B.S. and M.S. in 2018 from Northwestern University, in biomedical engineering. Her research interests lie in understanding how individuals with neuromuscular impairment interact with assistive devices through the investigation of fundamental biomechanics and performance-related measures during device use in the lab and in the community.

Monthly Member Community Gathering