Rate My Professor Toni Pitcher

Pitcher's research interests encompass the epidemiology of Parkinson's disease, genetic risk factors, blood biomarkers, MRI applications, and saccadic eye movement deficits. She leads the NZPEGS project, supported by Health Research Council funding, to examine environmental exposures, lifestyle factors, and genetics in Parkinson's etiology. As part of the NZP3 longitudinal cohort study, she coordinates the collection, storage, and utilization of biological samples for genetic and proteomic analyses. She contributes to the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society’s Epidemiology Study Group. Key publications include 'Extracellular vesicle biomarkers for cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease' (Brain, 2023), 'Insights into ancestral diversity in Parkinson’s disease risk: A comparative assessment of polygenic risk scores' (npj Parkinson's Disease, 2025), 'A worldwide study of subcortical shape as a marker for clinical staging in Parkinson’s disease' (npj Parkinson's Disease, 2024), 'Higher Frequency of Stuttered Disfluencies Negatively Affects Communicative Participation in Parkinson's Disease' (Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research, 2024), and 'Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Association of Clinical and Neurocognitive Factors With Apathy in Patients With Parkinson Disease' (Neurology, 2024). Her epidemiological work has informed projections of Parkinson's burden in New Zealand, and she has delivered keynote presentations on Parkinson's cohorts. In 2025, she received a grant of $194,910 for updating Parkinson's prevalence data.