People know Parkinson's disease for the tremors it can cause, but it's much more.

It's this disease that encroaches on multiple body systems and parts of our lives.

Today is Wednesday, March 6th, and you're listening to Science Friday. I'm Cyfry producer Charles Burgquist coming up a talk with a recipient of this year's

rising black scientist award. He's a graduate student looking at with a recipient of this year's Rising Black Scientist Award.

He's a graduate student looking at effects of Parkinson's

disease that go beyond the most visible body tremors

to things like your ability to sense your own beat. Here's Ira Flato.

Parkinson's as you may know is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder in the

US. According to a 20 study, some 90,000 people a year are diagnosed with

Parkinson's. It's a progressive disease that worsens over time, producing

unintended or uncontrollable movements such as tremors

stiffness and difficulty with balance and coordination.

Researchers are working to better understand the causes of the disease how it connects to other conditions

and how to slow or prevent its effects.

Senegal, Alfred Mabry, a third year PhD student in neuroscience at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York chose

to study Parkinson's for an additional reason, a social reason.

And as I mentioned, Mabry is a recipient of this year's Rising Black

Scientists Award a program created by Cell Press and he joins me now.

Welcome to Science Friday.

Happy Friday everyone.

Thank you so much for having me on.

Yeah, as you've mentioned, I'm a third year doctoral student in human neuroscience.

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