Thanks for visiting my JustGiving page!

I am currently training for the 2020 Sheffield Half Marathon and have created this JustGiving page as a fundraiser for Parkinson's Disease research at the University of Sheffield. 

I'm a keen Parkrunner, but previous to starting this training, the most I had continuously run was around 10km! After a tentative 15km long run, I was determined to challenge myself on this beautiful Half Marathon course. I've had a couple of adjustment ankle issues, but with a solid training plan, I hope to push on for a 1:40-1:50 time! 

I'm recording all of my longer runs with Strava which you can follow if interested here: https://www.strava.com/athletes/38209757

I am lucky enough to work at the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), and I am keenly aware of unmet clinical need for a cure for Parkinson's Disease, and the pioneering research ongoing here in Sheffield focused on meeting that goal. Parkinson's Disease currently affects 145,000 people in the UK and we need to halt the progression in it's tracks.

Highlighting some of the work currently occurring in SITraN: Professor Oliver Bandmann is leading the 'UP' Study clinical trial, testing a new 
treatment for Parkinson's Disease in humans. 

Dr. Heather Mortiboys is generating new tools for studying Parkinson's Disease using donations from local patients, which will help increase the understanding of what causes the disease and the differences between individual patients to improve the effectiveness on new treatments.

More information on the 'UP' Study, Professor Bandmann, and Dr. Mortiboys can be found here:  https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/liver-drug-trialled-in-parkinsons-patients-1.828628 
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/neuroscience/staff/bandmann 
https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/neuroscience/staff/mortiboys

This incredible research has the power to change lives and much is funded through the generosity of people such as yourself. 

Thank you for your support with this very worthy cause, and in myself for this challenge!

Allan :)