This podcast has been organised and funded by Merz Therapeutics GmbH
Fresh from the Parkinson’s Life podcast is a special episode for International Women’s Day 2026, where we explore the unique and often overlooked experiences of women living with Parkinson’s.
Guests discuss the way Parkinson’s is impacted by hormones and the menstrual cycle, to menopause, bone health, HRT, and the persistent gaps in research and clinical trials.
“90% of women said their neurologist had never asked them about the impact of hormones on their symptoms.”
Richelle Flanagan is a registered dietician who has lived with young onset Parkinson’s for nearly ten years.
Drawing on her own experience, she founded an app to help women with Parkinson’s track their symptoms across their stages of life.
She is joined by Silvia Enriquez, a neurologist and clinical researcher specialising in biomarkers at Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona, with a particular interest in sex differences in Parkinson’s symptoms and clinical trials.
And Cathy Molohan, who is a board member of Parkinson’s Europe and a passionate advocate for women with Parkinson’s, and has been living with the condition for nearly fifteen years.
Together, our three guests explore what the data tells us, what’s still missing, and what needs to change, from the consulting room to the clinical trial.
Find more inspiration for International Women’s Day 2026 by exploring our Women and Parkinson’s articles.
Meet your host
Anthony Zahra is a broadcaster and journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in radio, digital and podcasting.
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Explore more of our Parkinson’s Life podcasts, with episodes covering Parkinson’s research, how to deal with “off” periods, sex and intimacy in Parkinson’s, and genetics and Parkinson’s. Never miss an episode by subscribing to the Parkinson’s Life podcast on Spotify, Apple Music, or your streaming service of choice.
This podcast has been organised and funded by Merz Therapeutics GmbH. The content of this episode was up to date and accurate at the time of recording in February 2026. Parkinson’s Europe is sharing this article for information purposes only; it does not represent Parkinson’s Europe’s views and is not an endorsement by Parkinson’s Europe of any particular treatments, therapies or products.
