[Skip to content]

EPDA - European Parkinsons Disease Association EPDA - European Parkinsons Disease Association EPDA - Awareness EPDA - Coping Strategies EPDA - Medical Information EPDA - Patient Guide EPDA - Site Map EPDA - Rewrite Tomorrow
EUROPEAN PARKINSON'S DISEASE ASSOCIATION
.

Patrons

Mary G Baker, MBE
Mary G Baker, MBE
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn
Cardinal Christoph Schönborn
Rasheda Ali-Walsh
Rasheda Ali-Walsh
John Bowis OBE
John Bowis OBE
Arvid Carlsson
Arvid Carlsson
Sir David Jones
Sir David Jones
John Walker
John Walker
 


“Without doubt, the EPDA has been the most exciting and enriching part of my work. It provides added value to its membership and its innovation is superb and should be encouraged. The EPDA has played, and will play, a key role in some of the regulatory and ethical aspects enabling that innovation to flourish.”

Mary Baker, MBE 

[On her retirement in October 2006 after 14 years as president of the EPDA]

“It is indeed a very notable honour for me to become one of the EPDA patrons. I profoundly support its generous efforts and all the professional help it provides.” 

Cardinal Schönborn

“I am honoured and delighted to be an EPDA Patron. As you know Parkinson’s disease is very high on my emotional commitment scale and I always enjoy working with the wonderful EPDA team.” 

John Bowis, OBE

“I am truly honoured to be a Patron of such a prestigious organisation that will truly make a difference to the lives of those living with Parkinson's disease."
Rasheda Ali-Walsh
www.rashedaali.net

Mary Baker
Mary Baker

Mary G Baker, MBE

Mary retired as president of the European Parkinson's Disease Association (EPDA) in October 2006 having served seven terms in office, a position she was elected to in 1992 when the EPDA was first formed.

She is currently President of the European Brain Council, President of the European Federation of Neurological Associations, member of the ABPI Code of Practice and a member of the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn

Christoph Schönborn

Christoph Schönborn was born in Skalsko, Bohemia on the 22nd of January in 1945. His family name has been born over many centuries by distinguished prelates including the Archbishop of Mainz, the Archbishop of Trier, the Prince Bishop of Speyer, and most recently in the nineteenth century the Cardinal Archbishop of Prague.

Towards the end of World War II, his parents fled with him to Austria; he was nine months old. At the age of 18 Christoph entered the Dominican Order of Preachers where he studied philosophy, theology and psychology. On 27 December 1970, at the age of twenty-five, he was ordained a priest of the Dominican Order by Franz Cardinal König, then Archbishop of Vienna.

After pastoral work and studies Fr. Schönborn became a student pastor and chaplain at Graz University in 1973 for two years. He pursed advanced formation in Regensburg (Germany) where he came into contact with Prof. Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI). In 1976 he was promoted to Associate Professor of Dogma at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and Professor of Theology the following year. For ten years beginning in 1981 he was Professor of Dogmatic Theology in the same institution.

In 1980 he was appointed a member of the Orthodox-Roman Catholic Dialogue Commission of Switzerland as well as a member of the foundation "Pro Oriente" in 1984.

In 1987 he attained international prominence as Secretary for the Draft-Commission of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church, a position he held until 1992.

On 11 July 1991, at the age of forty-six, Fr. Schönborn was appointed by Pope John Paul II the Auxiliary Bishop of Vienna. He was ordained on 29 September of the same year by Cardinal Hans Hermann Groër, and promoted to Co-Adjutor Bishop of Vienna on April 13, 1995 and five months later on 14 September was named Archbishop of Vienna.

He was further honored by Pope John Paul II when he was elevated to the cardinalate during the Sacred Consistory of February 21, 1998, receiving the titular church of Jesus the Divine Worker. He received his red berretta on 23 February

On 18 April, 2005, Cardinal Schönborn participated as the 6th youngest member in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI

Cardinal Schönborn is a member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Oriental Churches as well as the Pontifical Council for Culture.

He is fluent in German, French, English, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. He is popularly called "The Healer."

For more information on Cardinal Schönborn: www.cardinalschonborn.com

Rasheda Ali-Walsh

Rasheda Ali-Walsh

Rasheda Ali-Walsh, author, actor, and daughter of Muhammad Ali, was only nine years old when her father, boxing legend and three-times World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. 

Now, a parent and actress, she has become an author and, in her famous father’s words “…an activist in the cause to help families keep the faith and never stop living each day to the fullest extent possible.”

For more information on Rasheda Ali-walsh: www.rashedaali.com

John Bowis OBE

John Bowis

John Bowis is married to Caroline and they have a daughter and two sons. He was born on 2nd August 1945 and educated at Tonbridge School and Brasenose College, Oxford (MA Philosophy, Politics and Economics).

Since 1999 he has been Conservative MEP for London and has been Rapporteur for the Parliament on Food Safety, Health and Enlargement, Professional Qualifications, Health and Poverty in Development Policy and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

For more information on John Bowis: www.johnbowis.com

Arvid Carlsson

Arvid Carlsson

On 10 October 2000, three neuroscientists were awarded Nobel Prize for Medicine for their work on neurotransmitters. Professors Arvid Carlsson of Sweden, Paul Greenguard and Eric Kandel of America were amongst the first people to analyse the role of dopamine as a transmitter of nerve signals in the brain. All three have opened up potential new avenues of treatment for brain conditions such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Arvid Carlsson, Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Göteborg, Sweden, received the award for his discovery of how dopamine and other transmitters exert their effect on the nervous system and that dopamine is a transmitter with great importance to control of movements. His studies in the mid-1950s at the University of Lund laid the groundwork for the discovery of dopamine depletion in Parkinson's and subsequent treatment with levadopa, which is still the principal drug used by doctors to delay the disease's devastating advance.

His work has made huge strides forward in helping doctors understand the importance and role of dopamine in the brain - and ways in which drugs can influence the way the brain works. This has led to a number of treatments for schizophrenia, depression and Parkinson's Disease and has furthered our understanding of the way the brain receives and delivers signals.

A full autobiography and nobel laureate details can be found at www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/2000.

Sir David Jones

Sir David Jones

David Jones joined Kays Mail Order Company in October 1960 as a temporary clerk. He qualified as a Chartered Secretary and Certified Accountant by correspondence courses, and was appointed Finance Director of Kays at the age of 23.

In 1974 he was appointed Assistant Managing Director of Kays, and in 1976 became Chief Executive of the British Mail Order Corporation Ltd - another Mail Order Subsidiary Company of the Great Universal Stores Plc.

In 1980 he was appointed an Associate Director of GUS Plc and in 1981 he was head hunted to become the Chief Executive of Grattan Plc - a long established independent - loss making - Home Shopping business with a Market Capitalisation of under £25m. Grattan's profitability recovered sharply in the early 1980's and in 1986 it merged with NEXT Plc at a valuation of £330m.

David became Chief Executive of NEXT Plc in 1988 after a well publicised "board room coup" which resulted in the dismissal of the founder of NEXT. Under his leadership NEXT became the retail success story of the 1990's - being voted the Retailer of the Decade - and the Market Capitalisation grew from £25m in 1990 to over £3b in 2001 when he retired as Chief Executive and became the part time Chairman of NEXT.

On 24th July 1982 David was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and decided to keep the illness a secret from everyone except his family and closest friends. He eventually admitted that he had PD after the successful transfer of the CEO responsibilities to his chosen successor.

In September 2001 NEXT organised a Charity Ball to support the British and European PD Societies which raised over £300,000.

In 2009, the Queen bestowed a New Year's honour on David Jones, as a Knight Bachelor for services to business and charity.

David has been married to Ann for over 40 years.

John Walker

John Walker

John Walker has supported the work of the EPDA since 2001 and since his retirement in March 2005 as Executive Director, International Operations Human Resources, Ford of Europe, a position to which he was appointed in 2002, has become more actively involved in the organisations activities.

His career with Ford began in 1970 in Britain and in 1989 he moved to Ford's Executive Development Center in the U.S where in 1995 became Director, Strategy and Process Planning for the HR function worldwide. In 1996 he was appointed Director of International Labour Affairs and  returned to Europe as Vice President, Human Resources, Ford of Europe until his retirement.