Prof Bas Bloem’s Award Puts Holistic Parkinson’s Care in the Spotlight

Professor Bastiaan Bloem has been honoured with the 2025 Robert A. Pritzker Prize for his leadership in Parkinson’s disease research and care. This award recognises his work in moving treatment beyond simply medicines and symptoms, to a model that puts you in the centre of care, not just your disease. What sets his approach apart is the focus on the whole person: physical movement, mental health, daily routines, lifestyle, community and technology all working together. Rather than only prescribing pills, he encourages people with Parkinson’s, their carers and their health teams to cooperate in designing care that fits how they live, how they move and how they feel. His projects show this in action. For example, the “Park-in-Shape” programme explored how home-based exercise can boost brain plasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt) and help preserve function. Another ongoing study, “Slow-SPEED”, is looking at whether early intervention with exercise can delay symptoms. Then there is the “Personalised Parkinson Project”, which tracks hundreds of people with Parkinson’s using digital tools and imaging so we can better understand how the disease works and how to act early. In his home country of the Netherlands, Professor Bloem also helped build ParkinsonNet, a network of more than 4,000 health professionals trained specifically in Parkinson’s care. This network ensures that care is delivered in a joined-up way: neurologists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and specialists all coordinate. The goal is to reduce complications like falls or hip fractures and to improve quality of life. For you living with Parkinson’s, this matters because it reinforces a message you already know: managing Parkinson’s is not just about taking pills and waiting for the next doctor visit. It’s about living well every day, staying active, staying connected, staying mentally sharp and making sure your care team treats you as a whole person. With care like this you are in the driving seat — discussing what matters, getting tailored support, and using technology, lifestyle and therapy together. This recognition of “holistic” care — treating you, not just the disease — is something we can all cheer for. It signals that the Parkinson’s field is shifting toward more personalised, patient-centred approaches. If you want to engage with this model, it might mean asking your clinician about routines, exercise, community, technology and how your care plan aligns with your goals. Professor Bloem himself said his goal has always been to work alongside people with Parkinson’s, not just for them. That means you have a voice in your care, you have a partner in your team and you are not alone. With the spotlight now on holistic and personalised care, you have more reason than ever to steer how your Parkinson’s is managed — not simply receive it. Photo: MJFF Chief Scientist Brian Fiske, PhD, (left) confers Bastiaan Bloem, MD, PhD, (right) with the Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research.