Episode Details

Trichloroethylene (TCE) and related chemicals like perchloroethylene (PCE) have been used widely for a variety of commercial purposes over the past century, and these chemicals are prevalent in the air, water, and soil. Over the past several decades, mounting evidence has been published linking exposure to TCE/PCE with adverse health effects, including cancer and Parkinson's disease. In this episode, Dr. Sam Goldman discusses his research on environmental risk factors for Parkinson’s disease, focusing on recently published studies examining Parkinson's disease risk in Veterans at Camp Lejeune and also a cluster analysis investigating parkinson's disease diagnoses in people who worked near a contaminated site. Sam is a Professor in the Division of Occupational, Environmental, and Climate Medicine and the Departments of Medicine and Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is also a Principal Investigator in the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Mentioned in this episode:

Researchers are studying the link between sense of smell and brain health. People with and without Parkinson's can help by taking a scratch-and-sniff test. It’s free, mailed to your home and takes just 15 minutes to complete. mysmelltest.org/getstarted

This podcast episode was part of a limited series created by The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2023 and 2024 for clinicians and researchers in our audience.  These episodes provide a deeper dive into exciting new scientific research in Parkinson’s disease, as well as innovative tools and valuable resources, through conversations with a variety of experts in the field. We hope you enjoy the conversation.