Members of The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) team at the MJFF exhibit booth at AD/PD 2026.

At the 2026 International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases (AD/PD) in Copenhagen, Denmark, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) was actively engaged on the ground, contributing to and closely tracking cutting-edge science while participating in critical discussions shaping the field. As thousands of researchers convened to share advances in early diagnosis, therapeutic development, and disease biology, MJFF was part of the ongoing dialogue across plenaries, symposia, and poster sessions.

"Meetings like this highlight how much progress is being driven by open data, global collaboration, and stronger connections between Alzheimer's and Parkinson's researchers," said Mark Frasier, PhD, a chief scientist at MJFF. "By sharing insights across diseases and disciplines, scientists can uncover common mechanisms and accelerate discovery in ways that simply weren't possible before."

While the breadth of topics was vast, several unifying themes emerged across sessions: the promise of the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate discovery, the maturation of biomarker science toward precision medicine, increasingly encouraging therapeutic readouts, and a growing consensus that neurodegenerative diseases must be understood through the lens of co-pathology rather than single-protein frameworks.

Harnessing AI to Accelerating Discovery

One theme woven through many of the presentations was the promise of using AI to speed scientific discovery. Rather than simply supporting research, AI is increasingly being used to guide it.

A major challenge in neurodegenerative research has been the sheer complexity of data. Clinical information, brain imaging, molecular data and real-world patient data are often stored separately and require significant time and effort to combine. AI systems can help bring these data sources together much more quickly, allowing researchers to move faster from raw data to meaningful insights.

More importantly, AI is beginning to help researchers decide what questions to pursue. By analyzing large, complex datasets, AI can identify hidden patterns, suggest new biological pathways involved in disease, and estimate which ones are most likely to lead to successful treatments. This could help the field avoid investing time and resources in approaches that are unlikely to work and instead focus on the most promising targets.

At the same time, researchers emphasized that AI is only as good as the data it learns from and the people using it. Ensuring diverse, high-quality, and representative datasets are used in AI analysis and that AI outputs are interpreted with an expert eye will be critical to making sure AI-driven insights are reliable and meaningful.

MJFF is advancing this work by investing in large, high-quality datasets and applying AI across its research portfolio to accelerate discovery. For example, MJFF's Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) generates deeply characterized datasets that enable AI-driven analyses of disease risk and progression, while supporting efforts to identify new drug targets, predict patient outcomes, and uncover real-world patterns that could inform care. MJFF also brings together computational scientists and disease experts to ensure AI is applied thoughtfully and securely, combining technical power with biological and clinical insight to drive more precise, personalized treatments.

Biomarkers and the Move Toward Precision Medicine

Biomarker research was one of the most scientifically progressed areas highlighted at the conference. The field is moving beyond single markers and toward combining multiple types of biological information to better reflect how complex these diseases are.

Blood-based biomarkers were a major focus, with the understanding that finding a blood-based method to analyze the biological underpinnings of PD will make such tests more accessible to patients, helping support research and earlier and more accessible diagnosis.

At the same time, researchers emphasized that no single biomarker can fully capture these diseases. Instead, panels of biomarkers are being developed to measure different biological processes, such as protein buildup, inflammation, and changes in brain function. When combined (potentially with the help of AI) these markers can provide a more complete and individualized picture of disease.

"This focus on biomarkers is central to the shift toward precision medicine," said Brian Fiske, PhD, a chief scientist at MJFF. Rather than treating all patients the same way, clinicians will increasingly be able to understand what is driving disease in each person and tailor treatments accordingly."

This approach closely aligns with MJFF's strategic research agenda, which prioritizes the development and validation of robust biomarkers to enable earlier diagnosis, improve patient stratification, and de-risk and accelerate therapeutic development. Biomarkers are also becoming essential in clinical trials, helping identify the right patients, confirming that a drug is working on its intended target, and aiding in monitoring safety.

Progress in Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics

The conference also highlighted meaningful progress in the development of new treatments for Parkinson's disease. While current therapies primarily manage symptoms, there is growing momentum toward treatments that aim to slow or change the course of the disease, called disease-modifying therapies.

Researchers are now targeting multiple aspects of PD biology, including inflammation, protein buildup, and problems with how brain cells function and survive. This reflects a broader understanding that PD is driven by several overlapping processes, not just one.

One particularly promising area is cell therapy, where scientists are working to replace the dopamine-producing neurons lost in PD. Research over the past two decades, including early work supported by MJFF, helped lay groundwork for newer advanced cell therapies now in clinical trials. Studies are now suggesting these transplanted cells can survive, improve motor symptoms, and reduce the need for medication in some patients, with larger trials underway.

At the same time, new drug approaches are being developed that go beyond traditional dopamine-based treatments, including therapies aimed at protecting brain cells, improving how they clear toxic proteins, and addressing non-motor symptoms such as sleep disturbances.

"The conference made clear that there is real momentum toward therapies targeting the underlying biology of Parkinson's disease," said Dr. Frasier. "The priority now is to build on these encouraging results and move them to patients as quickly as possible."

MJFF is helping to accelerate this progress by focusing on de-risking and advancing the theraputics pipeline, from early discovery through clinical development, through efforts such as its Therapeutic Pipeline Program (TPP). By supporting projects at critical translational stages and investing in tools, data, and infrastructure that improve trial design and execution, MJFF aims to reduce barriers to development and bringing promising therapies to patients.

Considering Co-pathology

In the past, conditions like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's were often framed as distinct diseases driven by a single dominant biology. But at the conference, it was clear that researchers now understand that the underlying drivers of these conditions frequently overlap. For example, alpha-synuclein, most commonly associated with Parkinson's, can also be found in some people with Alzheimer's, while tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's, is present in subsets of people with Parkinson's and related disorders. In other words, this biological overlap isn't unusual and could actually be the norm.

This evolving view points toward a more connected, "big tent" understanding of neurodegenerative disease, where conditions are linked by shared underlying mechanisms rather than defined strictly as separate entities. Emerging biomarkers are increasingly able to detect and differentiate these mixed pathologies in living patients. As biomarkers become more precise in measuring co-occurring pathologies, they are helping to drive a shift toward more personalized and targeted treatment approaches. That shift opens the door for greater collaboration across fields, allowing researchers to learn from advances in one disease area and apply them to others.

MJFF is increasingly incorporating this perspective into its research strategy by supporting studies that examine overlapping pathologies and shared mechanisms across neurodegenerative diseases. Through investments in cross-disease datasets, collaborative research efforts, and open science initiatives, MJFF is helping to break down traditional silos and enable a more integrated understanding of disease biology and biomarkers.

A Promising Future

The conference highlighted an exciting wave of progress that is opening up entirely new possibilities in neurodegenerative disease research. Together, the advances presented at the conference are paving the way for more personalized and effective approaches to care. Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, the field is embracing new tools that accelerate discovery, deepen our understanding of Parkinson's disease biology, and support the development of treatments tailored to each individual, guided by a more complete picture of the disease.

"If the discussion we saw at AD/PD 2026 was any indication, the years ahead are likely to bring faster discoveries, smarter clinical trials, and, ultimately, more impactful treatments for people living with neurodegenerative diseases, said Dr. Fiske."

• Claire Cole, PhD

  Director of Research Communications