People often think of Parkinson’s disease as only affecting older adults. But a genetic mutation found at unusually high rates in some Polynesian populations has been linked to Parkinson’s developing much earlier in life. Asiata Professor Satupaitea Viali, Vice Chancellor and President of Oceania University of Medicine, shared at the recent Oceania Pacific Health Association conference what researchers are learning and the challenges of diagnosis and care across the Pacific. He is researching the PINK1 gene mutation and its link to early-onset Parkinson’s disease in certain populations.
Listen to Professor Viali’s ABC Pacific interview aired on ABC Radio Australia.
In addition to his Parkinson’s research, the Vice Chancellor’s other collaborative research includes studies on the ghrelin hormone and cardiovascular health, lipidomics, metabolic health, and lymphatic filariasis, in partnership with institutions including Yale University, the University of Auckland, the University of Otago, the University of Pittsburgh, Brown University, Variant Bio, and the University of Queensland. He also serves as Co-Director of the Yale University Fogarty Global Health International Centre in Samoa.
