When the eyes and the mouth reveal new biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease

This webinar, broadcast on 22 January 2026, presents research carried out at the CERVO Research Centre at Université Laval, focusing on innovative approaches to improve the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Two promising avenues are explored: 🔹 Electroretinography (ERG), which measures the electrical activity of the retina, a tissue closely linked to the brain and sensitive to disruptions in dopamine signalling 🔹 Analysis of the salivary microbiome, highlighting alterations associated with inflammation and neurodegenerative processes By combining these non-invasive tools, the research opens the door to simple, rapid, and accessible methods to detect the disease before symptoms appear, monitor its progression, and assess responses to treatment. This webinar offers an overview of recent advances in a fast-moving field and invites reflection on the future of Parkinson’s diagnosis. 🎙️ Guest speaker: Martin Lévesque, PhD Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, and researcher at the CERVO Research Centre. He leads a laboratory studying the mechanisms behind the development and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. His work combines molecular biology, animal models, and brain organoids, with a clear goal: to develop non-invasive therapies and biomarkers to improve the detection and monitoring of Parkinson’s disease.