Seoul 2026
21st Annual Meeting of GEoPD | June 5–6, 2025
<br />Hosted by GEoPD member Sun Ju Chung and colleagues.
Scientific Focus of the 2026 GEoPD Meeting
The 2026 GEoPD meeting in Seoul will focus on recent advances in the genetic and molecular understanding of Parkinson’s disease, with particular emphasis on diversity, precision medicine, and translational applications.
Across four scientific sessions, participants will explore the discovery of novel Parkinson’s disease genes, emerging pathogenic mechanisms, and gene–environment interactions. The program highlights current strategies for identifying genetic risk factors across diverse populations and discusses how large-scale genomic studies contribute to improved disease stratification.
Further sessions address gene-based and antisense therapies, environmental modifiers, and the integration of multi-omics data to support precision medicine approaches. Advances in biomarkers, including alpha-synuclein–based frameworks, retinal markers, and AI-driven clinical data integration, will be discussed in the context of early diagnosis and disease prediction.
The meeting also emphasizes global collaboration, featuring data from East Asian, European, and multinational cohorts, as well as family-based studies and artificial intelligence applications. Poster sessions and DataBlitz presentations provide additional opportunities to present new data, foster discussion, and shape future collaborative research within the GEoPD network.
Program
4th June | 13.00-14:30 | Lotte World Tower Observatory |
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| 15:00-17:00 | SOMA Museum of Art | ||
| 19:00–21:00 | Social Event Dinner (SC Meeting, Korean fine dining – charcoal-grilled galbi) |
Day 1
The conference will be held at the Grand Auditorium, 6th Floor, East Building, Asan Medical Center, Seoul.
Further details are available on the Asan Medical Center website and in the official promotional video.
5th June | 07:30‑08:10 | Registration |
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| Sun Ju Chung | 08:10‑08:15 | Opening remarks | |
| President of Asan Medical Center | 08:15‑08:20 | Welcoming remarks | |
| President of GEoPD | 08:20‑08:30 | Introduction to the 2026 GEoPD Meeting | |
Session 1 | 08:30‑10:00 | Novel Genes and New Pathogenesis for Parkinson’s Disease |
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| Matthew J. Farrer | USA | 08:30‑09:00 | RAB32 and Other Novel Genes in Parkinson’s Disease |
| Christine Klein | Germany | 09:00‑09:30 | Future Approaches to Identify New Genes for Parkinson’s Disease |
| Jeffrey P. Spence | USA | 09:30‑10:00 | Trait Importance and Specificity for Gene Ratings in Genetic Association Studies |
| 10:00‑10:30 | Coffee Break | ||
Session 2 | 10:30‑12:00 | Gene Therapy and Environmental Protection for Parkinson’s Disease |
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| Pam J. McLean | USA | 10:30‑11:00 | Gene Therapy Targeting Alpha-Synuclein in Parkinson’s Disease |
| Jin Kuk Kim | South Korea | 11:00‑11:30 | ASO Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease |
| Rejko Krüger | Luxembourg | 11:30‑12:00 | Genetic Stratification for Precision Medicine Strategies in Parkinson’s Disease |
| Beate Ritz | Gene–Environment Interaction Studies in Parkinson’s Disease | ||
Lunch | 12:00‑13:50 | Lunch, Photos, and Tours of Asan Medical Center | |
Poster Session | 13:50‑14:30 | Poster Presentations | |
Session 3 | 14:30‑16:00 | Molecular and Genetic Advances in Parkinson’s Disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy |
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| Tae-In Kam | South Korea | 14:30‑15:00 | Neuron–Glia Communication in Alpha-Synuclein Models of Parkinson’s Disease |
| Inkyung Jung | South Korea | 15:00‑15:30 | Molecular and Multi-Omics Signatures for Parkinson’s Disease |
| Günther Höglinger | Germany | 15:30‑16:00 | Genetic Etiology and Therapeutic Implications for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy |
| 16:00‑16:30 | Coffee Break | ||
Session 4 | 16:30‑18:00 | New Biomarker Framework for Parkinson’s Disease |
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| Nobutaka Hattori | Japan | 16:30‑17:00 | Future Applications of Alpha-Synuclein Biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease |
| Letizia Straniero | Italy | 17:00‑17:30 | Decoding Parkinson’s Disease Susceptibility Using Omics Data from Discordant Monozygotic Twins |
| Jong Chul Ye | South Korea | 17:30‑18:00 | AI-Driven Clinical Data Integration for Predicting Neurodegenerative Diseases |
Closing/Dinner | |||
| Sun Ju Chung | 18:00 | Closing Remarks | |
| 19:00‑21:00 | Gala Dinner |
Day 2
5th June | |||
Session 1 | 09:00‑10:30 | GEoPD and the Genetic Landscape of Parkinson’s Disease |
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| Manu Sharma | Germany | 09:00‑09:30 | PD Genetics and Ethnic Diversity |
| Yun Joong Kim | South Korea | 09:30‑10:00 | Large-Scale GWAS of Parkinson’s Disease in Korea: Insights in East Asian and Global Contexts |
| Chin-Hsien Lin | Taiwan | 10:00‑10:30 | Unraveling the Genetic Landscape of Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia Progression: Insights from a Taiwanese Cohort |
| 10:30‑11:00 | Coffee Break | ||
Session 2 | 11:00‑12:30 | Expanding the Scope of Genetic Studies for Parkinson’s Disease |
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| Jeffrey P. Spence | USA | 11:00‑11:30 | Bayesian Estimation of Gene Constraint from an Evolutionary Model with Gene Features |
| George Mellick | Australia | 11:30‑12:00 | Can Geographical Differences in the Incidence and Prevalence of Parkinson’s Really Provide Clues to Aetiology and Risk Factors: An Australian Perspective |
| Karin Wirdefeldt | Sweden | 12:00‑12:30 | Epidemiology of Parkinson’s Disease: An Update |
| 12:30‑13:30 | Lunch | ||
Session 3 | 13:30‑15:30 | DataBlitz |
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| 13:30‑15:30 | DataBlitz and GEoPD Outreach | ||
| 15:30‑16:00 | Coffee Break | ||
Session 4 | 16:00‑18:00 | Genetic Mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease: Insights from Familial Studies and Artificial Intelligence |
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| Manabu Funayama | Japan | 16:00‑16:30 | Identifying Causative Genes for Familial Parkinson’s Disease |
| Suzanne Lesage | France | 16:30‑17:00 | What Genetics Tells Us About the Causes and Mechanisms of Parkinson’s Disease: The Latest Findings |
| Rosanna Asselta | Italy | 17:00‑17:30 | Applying Artificial Intelligence for Genetic Studies in Parkinson’s Disease |
| GEoPD members | 17:30‑18:00 | GEoPD Member Discussion on Funding and Future Research Projects | |
Closing Remarks | |||
| Sun Ju Chung | 18:00‑18:05 | Closing Remarks | |
| President of GEoPD | 18:05‑18:10 | Concluding Remarks |