I want to introduce my friend, Diane Stephenson PhD, who I also have dubbed her to be the W.A.P.D, which I created this title for her as she is the Worlds Ambassador for Parkinson’s Disease.

Diane is a neuroscientist and the director of the Critical Path Institute in Tucson, Arizona. I met her a few years ago and quickly became friends. She is so smart! She is so kind and down to earth. She rides bikes! She is a wife, married to her husband Joe, a mother, a great sister, a grandmother, and great friend.

She has traveled extensively around the world to participate in conferences, symposiums, and other gatherings to help bring the mission of the Critical Path Institute (C-Path) to fruition. They are a nonprofit, public-private partnership with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created under the auspices of the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative program in 2005.

C-Path’s aim is to accelerate the pace and reduce the costs of medical product development through the creation of new data standards, measurement standards, and methods standards that aid in the scientific evaluation of the efficacy and safety of new therapies.

Her brother, Cliff, also has Parkinson’s Disease, so she is very aware and sympathetic for people with Parkinson’s as it is close to home for her.

I have rode in the El Tour de Tucson with her and the team from C-Path, and what a great group of people. I am very fortunate to know them and greatly appreciate Diane for her knowledge, kindness, and our friendship.

Me, Diane, and good friend Jim Grossman at the World  Parkinson’s Conference in  Portland OR

Jacie, Marin, Jordan, me, Diane at the El Tour de Tucson