Parkinson's, help me finish my PhD
Donation protected
About me:
I am still a student, desperately trying to finish my PhD. The main focus of my project is Parkinson's disease and research of innovative treatments which would improve the life of people with this disease. I am currently in a financial deadlock after five years of relentless work. I was seriously thinking of giving up my PhD when a friend told me about GoFundMe and asked me: "why not you ?". Yes, why not me... So, I am taking my last chance and I am asking for your help after years of hard times. It will allow me to finish my PhD that I put years of research into. I don't want all this hard work and discoveries to have been for nothing. I want that my work could benefit all the people who need it !
From Brittany (France)... Altruistic, true, tenacious, determined, hard worker and perfectionist... I am still there after all the challenges I have encountered. Despite the current situation I find myself in, I am fighting because this project is worth it ! Its impacts are not negligible and will contribute to greatly improve quality of life for thousands of people !
What is this funding for :
I'm going to start my 6th year of PhD between France and Belgium. I started a unfunded PhD in October 2010; for lack of funding, I did not had other choice that to change my subject of study after 15 months, which brings me in Belgium. Until now, I have been funded for only two years over five. Despite a constant search over the last five years (countless phone calls, grant applications or various subsidies searches), I have only obtained the support of one foundation, the "Foundation Bleustein-Blanchet pour la vocation", which granted me a prize of 7 700 Euros two years ago. I could never thank them enough for their help, support and trust. So I have to search for jobs on the fringes of my PhD (like I always did to be able to study), but this has direct implications for my work which is not proceeding as fast as I would like it to (in France, you are suppose to finish your PhD in three years ! In Belgium, in four. Especially for a study of this magnitude). I really would like to finish my PhD before the end of 2016.
Nevertheless, this schedule will only be feasible if I can devote adequate time to my PhD. It is within this framework that I need your help and generosity because I have to stay about 14 more months in Belgium to finalized my PhD (MRI and behavioral data analysis, drafting of articles, submission, drafting of my PhD, etc.). For this, I would at least need 8500 Euros to help me with my rent, expenditures, internet, food, transportation, insurance, etc. plus the 5% that GoFundMe take on each donation), so about 575 Euros per month. Of course, to be honest, I will still have to work with this money, so if the objective is exceeded, you would just help me even more. Why don't I go back to France ? Simply because my French laboratory does not dispose of the equipment needed to process the MRI data nor the expertise of research center's staff I am working in (center with international reputation), specialized in processing cerebral imaging data.
If you are interested in my project or if it touches you because you or someone you know lives with this disease ; please consider helping me. If you place your trust in me, this money will not be wasted. I accept also words of support, letters, emails, etc. encouraging me to persevere and giving me strength not to give up...
Thank you in advance for your help !
About my project:
Parkinson's disease affects around 1.2 millions of people just in Europe. It is generally characterized by movement alteration closely followed by deterioration of several cognitive functions (which represents all mechanisms allowing us to understand the world) like memory, attention, planning, etc. These deteriorations impact directly person's autonomy and generate high health care costs. Patients' care, with the objective of improving their quality of life, is at the very heart of scientific interest. Therefore, finding strategies aiming to slow down the symptomatic progression from the earliest stages represents a major scientific challenge. Up-to-date, there is no irrefutable proof for a treatment which would stop or even slowdown progression of Parkinson's disease.
Number of schooling years, work solicitation and regular commitment to leisure activities (sport, reading, etc.), contribute to the development of a "reserve" over the lifetime to copy with negative impact of healthy or pathological aging on cognitive functions. Unlike accumulated knowledge on Alzheimer's disease, the effect of this reserve on intellectual capacities evolution has received little attention in Parkinson's disease.
The first aim of my PhD is to study the impact of different variables such as actual and past lifestyle habits (education, jobs, leisure) on cognition during healthy and pathological aging but also on brain anatomy and cerebral functioning (with Magnetic Resonance Imaging: MRI). These results have a major theoretical issue. They will help us acquire more in-depth knowledge on how to maintain a good cerebral and cognitive health despite the outbreak of Parkinson's disease.
The second aim is to evaluate the impact of a regular physical activity in this disease to answer more precisely to the following questions: Could physical activity be considered as a new therapeutic strategy which would allow these persons to preserve their autonomy longer ? If so, what would the characteristics of such a program be ? So, the results have also a practical issue insofar as they will allow me to make precise recommendations about the most beneficial physical activity program to help people with Parkinson's disease preserve their autonomy for as long as possible.
I am still a student, desperately trying to finish my PhD. The main focus of my project is Parkinson's disease and research of innovative treatments which would improve the life of people with this disease. I am currently in a financial deadlock after five years of relentless work. I was seriously thinking of giving up my PhD when a friend told me about GoFundMe and asked me: "why not you ?". Yes, why not me... So, I am taking my last chance and I am asking for your help after years of hard times. It will allow me to finish my PhD that I put years of research into. I don't want all this hard work and discoveries to have been for nothing. I want that my work could benefit all the people who need it !
From Brittany (France)... Altruistic, true, tenacious, determined, hard worker and perfectionist... I am still there after all the challenges I have encountered. Despite the current situation I find myself in, I am fighting because this project is worth it ! Its impacts are not negligible and will contribute to greatly improve quality of life for thousands of people !
What is this funding for :
I'm going to start my 6th year of PhD between France and Belgium. I started a unfunded PhD in October 2010; for lack of funding, I did not had other choice that to change my subject of study after 15 months, which brings me in Belgium. Until now, I have been funded for only two years over five. Despite a constant search over the last five years (countless phone calls, grant applications or various subsidies searches), I have only obtained the support of one foundation, the "Foundation Bleustein-Blanchet pour la vocation", which granted me a prize of 7 700 Euros two years ago. I could never thank them enough for their help, support and trust. So I have to search for jobs on the fringes of my PhD (like I always did to be able to study), but this has direct implications for my work which is not proceeding as fast as I would like it to (in France, you are suppose to finish your PhD in three years ! In Belgium, in four. Especially for a study of this magnitude). I really would like to finish my PhD before the end of 2016.
Nevertheless, this schedule will only be feasible if I can devote adequate time to my PhD. It is within this framework that I need your help and generosity because I have to stay about 14 more months in Belgium to finalized my PhD (MRI and behavioral data analysis, drafting of articles, submission, drafting of my PhD, etc.). For this, I would at least need 8500 Euros to help me with my rent, expenditures, internet, food, transportation, insurance, etc. plus the 5% that GoFundMe take on each donation), so about 575 Euros per month. Of course, to be honest, I will still have to work with this money, so if the objective is exceeded, you would just help me even more. Why don't I go back to France ? Simply because my French laboratory does not dispose of the equipment needed to process the MRI data nor the expertise of research center's staff I am working in (center with international reputation), specialized in processing cerebral imaging data.
If you are interested in my project or if it touches you because you or someone you know lives with this disease ; please consider helping me. If you place your trust in me, this money will not be wasted. I accept also words of support, letters, emails, etc. encouraging me to persevere and giving me strength not to give up...
Thank you in advance for your help !
About my project:
Parkinson's disease affects around 1.2 millions of people just in Europe. It is generally characterized by movement alteration closely followed by deterioration of several cognitive functions (which represents all mechanisms allowing us to understand the world) like memory, attention, planning, etc. These deteriorations impact directly person's autonomy and generate high health care costs. Patients' care, with the objective of improving their quality of life, is at the very heart of scientific interest. Therefore, finding strategies aiming to slow down the symptomatic progression from the earliest stages represents a major scientific challenge. Up-to-date, there is no irrefutable proof for a treatment which would stop or even slowdown progression of Parkinson's disease.
Number of schooling years, work solicitation and regular commitment to leisure activities (sport, reading, etc.), contribute to the development of a "reserve" over the lifetime to copy with negative impact of healthy or pathological aging on cognitive functions. Unlike accumulated knowledge on Alzheimer's disease, the effect of this reserve on intellectual capacities evolution has received little attention in Parkinson's disease.
The first aim of my PhD is to study the impact of different variables such as actual and past lifestyle habits (education, jobs, leisure) on cognition during healthy and pathological aging but also on brain anatomy and cerebral functioning (with Magnetic Resonance Imaging: MRI). These results have a major theoretical issue. They will help us acquire more in-depth knowledge on how to maintain a good cerebral and cognitive health despite the outbreak of Parkinson's disease.
The second aim is to evaluate the impact of a regular physical activity in this disease to answer more precisely to the following questions: Could physical activity be considered as a new therapeutic strategy which would allow these persons to preserve their autonomy longer ? If so, what would the characteristics of such a program be ? So, the results have also a practical issue insofar as they will allow me to make precise recommendations about the most beneficial physical activity program to help people with Parkinson's disease preserve their autonomy for as long as possible.
Organizer
Maud Quéré
Organizer
Liège
