Talking Parkinson’s Research (formerly NosPRIG Pod)
Talking Parkinson's Research began as part of The North of Scotland Parkinson’s Research Interest Group (NoSPRIG) who are one of a nationwide network of research groups supporting Parkinson’s UK by increasing awareness and involvement in research at a regional level.
The aim of the series was initially to focus on Parkinson’s research from a Scottish perspective and highlight some of the work being in Scotland to find out more about the mechanisms of this complex disease. Much to our surprise the podcast quickly became popular and by it's third year was attracting listeners in 70 countries. In response to that global audience, in 2026 we began to feature international researchers.
The podcast is produced and presented by Dr Julie Jones from the School of Health Sciences at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, and Helga Macfarlane, a former broadcast news producer who has Early Onset Parkinson's.
We hope you find our episodes entertaining and informative. Any feedback would be much appreciated - email: nosprig@gmail.com. Thank you for listening!
Episodes

Jun 15, 2023
Jun 15, 2023
37 min
In this episode of the North of Scotland Parkinson’s Research Interest Group podcast, Julie joins Professor Gareth Jones who is epidemiologist based at the University of Aberdeen. In this pod Julie and Gareth demystify key research terminology such as what is a randomised controlled study? Why sample size is important in research? What is peer review? What involved in the ethics process. So, a research 101 on key research terminology to help people make more sense of research jargon. Enjoy.
The North of Scotland Parkinsons research interest groups: https://www.nosprig.org/
Research groups nationally: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/local-parkinsons-research-interest-groups
Parkinson’s UK Scotland: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-scotland

May 18, 2023
May 18, 2023
35 min
Julie Jones meets James Jopling, Parkinsons UK’s Scotland Director. James joined the charity a year ago in the wake of the Covid pandemic and just as the cost of living crisis began to bite. In this episode he talks about the challenges facing the charity, the unique way Parkinson’s U.K. encourage public involvement in research and he takes a look forward to the future.
The North of Scotland Parkinsons research interest groups: https://www.nosprig.org/
Research groups nationally: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/local-parkinsons-research-interest-groups
Parkinson’s UK Scotland: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-scotland

Feb 16, 2023
Feb 16, 2023
30 min
Julie Jones is a Physiotherapist & Senior Lecturer at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. She is passionate about improving services for people with Parkinson's & the benefit of exercise.
Helga Macfarlane was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017 aged 52, and devotes much of her time to helping raise awareness of the disease and how it impacts the lives of people with PD.
In this podcast Julie shares her perspective on Parkinson's research.
The North of Scotland Parkinsons research interest groups: https://www.nosprig.org/
Research groups nationally: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/local-parkinsons-research-interest-groups
Parkinson’s UK Scotland: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-scotland

Jan 26, 2023
Jan 26, 2023
36 min
Consultant Neurologist Carl Counsell divides his time between clinical practice and research at Aberdeen University. Dr Counsell leads the University’s Chronic Disease Research group, which aims to improve health through the clinical research of chronic diseases and health care, supporting evidenced based practice and policy. In this podcast Carl shares his thoughts on what the future research priorities are plus what he perceives are the key research priorities for Parkinson's.
The North of Scotland Parkinsons research interest groups: https://www.nosprig.org/
Research groups nationally: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/local-parkinsons-research-interest-groups
Parkinson’s UK Scotland: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-scotland

Dec 20, 2022
Dec 20, 2022
1 min
Welcome to the NoSPRIG podcasts!
The aim of our podcast series is to focus on Parkinson’s research from a Scottish perspective and highlight some of the work being done here to find out more about the mechanisms of this complex disease and ways of making life better for those living with it.
We hope you enjoy listening. Please keep checking back for new episodes!
The North of Scotland Parkinsons research interest groups: https://www.nosprig.org/
Research groups nationally: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/local-parkinsons-research-interest-groups
Parkinson’s UK Scotland: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-scotland

Your host
My name is Julie Jones and I am a physiotherapist and academic based at the School of Health Sciences at the Robert Gordon University, and I am part of the North of Scotland Parkinson's research interest group. Living up in the North of Scotland, attending research meetings can be challenging, so as a group we decided that podcasts may be a way to bring the research to the community. Therefore, we started a journey of recording podcasts with local and nationally renowned research who work in the field of Parkinsons.





