In this special one-time broadcast, APDA brought together an extraordinary panel of Parkinson’s champions: Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Michael Okun, renowned Parkinson’s experts and authors of The Parkinson’s Plan, along with Congressman Gus Bilirakis, one of the most effective and passionate advocates for the Parkinson’s community in Congress.
Watch now to hear Anne Hubbard, APDA’s Chief Public Policy Officer, host this engaging and insightful discussion focused on:
- Key public policy initiatives outlined in The Parkinson’s Plan
- APDA’s efforts to elevate Parkinson’s disease (PD) as a federal priority
- The National Parkinson’s Project
- APDA’s new Public Policy & Advocacy Department
- How you can make your voice heard and drive change
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Watch the broadcast now on APDA’s YouTube Channel, and be sure to subscribe to the APDA YouTube channel for more informative and important resources for Parkinson’s disease.
About Our Guests
REP. GUS BILIRAKIS
Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis is a Republican representing Florida’s 12th Congressional District, which includes all of Citrus and Hernando counties and most of Pasco County. He was first elected to Congress on November 7, 2006. Gus serves as a Senior Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. He is the Chairman of the Innovation, Data and Commerce Subcommittee. He is also a Senior Member of the Health Subcommittee and the Communications and Technology Subcommittee. With 75 bills he authored signed into law since 2015, Congressman Bilirakis was recently designated as the 31st Most Effective Lawmaker in Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University.
Working in a bipartisan manner, his main priorities include controlling government spending, creating jobs for middle class Americans, finding ways for government to operate smaller and smarter, and lowering taxes. He is also committed to strengthening homeland security, improving education, increasing access to quality health care, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, protecting Veterans’ benefits, ensuring the long-term viability of Social Security and Medicare, and improving emergency preparedness and response.
DR. RAY DORSEY
Dr. Ray Dorsey is a neurologist, researcher, and public health advocate working to end Parkinson’s disease by addressing its root causes: toxic environmental exposures. He is the founding Director of the Center for the Brain & Environment at Atria Health and Research Institute and serves as Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester. Dr. Dorsey has testified before Congress, advised the World Health Organization, and was recognized by the White House as a “Champion for Change.” He is the co-author of Ending Parkinson’s Disease (2020) and the New York Times bestseller, The Parkinson’s Plan: A New Path to Prevention and Treatment (2025).
ANNE HUBBARD, MBA
Anne Hubbard was appointed Chief Public Policy Officer of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) in August 2025 to create and lead APDA’s Department of Public Policy and Advocacy, developing a strategy in this critical arena and building APDA’s presence at both the federal and state levels across the country. Anne collaborates closely with other leading PD organizations to maximize our collective impact for the Parkinson’s community.
Anne brings a wealth of experience in strategic leadership in health policy and advocacy through stakeholder engagement, along with a strong record of effectively working directly with Members of Congress and various federal regulatory agencies. Anne joins APDA after serving as a successful leader at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) as their Director of Health Policy for 11 years where she led efforts to inform Medicare and private payer of policies that impact the practice of radiation oncology. Prior to that, she held senior roles at the Maryland Hospital Association and the Maryland Department of Health, among others — consistently driving meaningful change through her strong leadership and policy expertise.
Anne has a BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland at College Park and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from Loyola University Maryland.
DR. MICHAEL OKUN
Michael S. Okun is the Adelaide Lackner Distinguished Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida and Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases. Michael is one of the world’s leading Parkinson’s disease researchers who has advanced surgical treatments. Michael is the National Medical Advisor of the Parkinson’s Foundation, the country’s largest Parkinson’s disease patient and advocacy group. Michael is a prolific writer with over 500 publications, and the author of the book, The Parkinson’s Plan: A New Path to Prevention and Treatment (Public Affairs, 2025).