Too Young For This Sh*t with Allie Signorelli

Joining Allie this week is neuroscientist and social media star Toby Curless. Toby is a PhD candidate at University College of London studying neuroscience. He is also a skilled communicator who breaks down complicated concepts of neurodegenerative diseases for the TikTok generation. Too Young is a podcast about fighting back and finding joy in the face of the difficult things that life throws our way...no matter what age we are. Here we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we employ a few explicit battle cries, but most of all, we share authentic stories about how to survive this thing we call life.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

Join me and celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd as we talk about her incredible career and her life with Parkinson's.  Too Young is a podcast about fighting back and finding joy in the face of the difficult things that life throws our way...no matter what age we are. Here we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we employ a few explicit battle cries, but most of all, we share authentic stories about how to survive this thing we call life.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

For the official inaugural episode of the Too Young for this Sh*t podcast, Allie welcomes the one and only Michael J. Fox. Michael joins Allie to talk about his newest book Future Boy and they are joined by his co-author and longtime friend and collaborator Nelle Fortenberry.  The book shares the incredible story of the time in Michael's career when he was filming Family Ties during the day, and Back to the Future at night. They also talk about creating the Fox Foundation 25 years ago and his return to acting on the hit show Shrinking opposite Harrison Ford.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Michael and Nelle!   More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as common parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.  

I mean...do we even need a description here? My sit down with the legendary news icon Katie Couric. We talked all about Parkinson's and a million other things that I can't even really remember because I am pretty sure I blacked out for most of this conversation. What I do know is that she is hysterical and generous and I am lucky to know her.

Join me and Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Michael Okun as we chat about their New York Times bestselling book The Parkinson's Plan which lays out a path forward to ending this awful disease. It's not all science and confusion though - we laugh a lot and talk about ways people can save their brains. In The Parkinson’s Plan, the docs show readers how to prevent the disease through the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the lifestyles we live. They introduce the “Parkinson’s 25,” the most detailed checklist ever created to allow anyone to lower their risk of Parkinson’s. They interview the world’s top scientists, clinicians, and thought leaders in the Parkinson’s field to offer a detailed plan for treatment that includes cutting-edge methods and recent technological and medical advances. 

Join me as I chat with the amazing Ai-jen Poo who has been recognized among Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders and Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, and she has been the recipient of countless awards, including a 2014 MacArthur "Genius" Award. Ai-jen has been a featured speaker at TEDWomen, Aspen Ideas Festival, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Skoll World Forum, and the Obama Foundation Inaugural Summit.

A conversation with producer, actress, writer, director and nonprofit founder Lauren Miller Rogen who started Hilarity for Charity (HFC) with her husband Seth Rogen. Lauren lost her mom to early onset Alzheimer's and created HFC to bring light to the disease and to support caregivers. Lauren shares her mom's story and the incredible work HFC is doing today to educate the next generation about the importance of brain health. 

Dr. Rachel Dolhun is a double-board-certified neurology and lifestyle medicine physician and fellowship-trained movement disorder specialist, who joined The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2014 to lead medical communication. This conversation is about being a woman with Parkinson's and all that that entails. Spoiler alert: PD is not the same experience for women as it is for men. Join us as we talk all things gals, brains and more!

Join me and Dr. Michael Okun, New York Times bestselling author of The Parkinson's Plan and He is a leading national spokesperson for Parkinson's disease, and has been extensively quoted in The New York Times, Wall St. Journal, USA Today, CNN and other media.   He is the former Chair of Neurology at the University of Florida. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health. The Institute is unique in that it is comprised of more than 150 interdisciplinary faculty members from diverse areas of campus, all of whom are dedicated to care, outreach, education and research. The Institute is well known for its science and service hub model of care and research as well as for its international think tanks.   Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Professorship in Neurology and has published more than 600 peer-reviewed articles and trained over 80 MD fellows in Parkinson’s disease. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, he is a published poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995) and author of 15 books including most recently The Parkinson’s Plan (2025). His research is highly cited and has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Lancet and many other peer-reviewed venues. He has been invited to speak about Parkinson's disease and movement disorders all over the world and was honored at the White House in 2015 as a champion for change in Parkinson’s disease. His book Parkinson’s Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Join me and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) as we talk about the historic passing of the National Plan to End Parkinson's act which was named in honor of his brother Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis who lived with Parkinson's disease. This was recorded shortly after President Biden signed the law to create the National Parkinson's Project in July 2024. 

Dr. Ray Dorsey is a leading voice in Parkinson’s disease research and care, and a tireless advocate for rethinking how we approach chronic illness. A neurologist by training, he combines deep clinical experience with a passion for how technology can fuel health care innovation and change. “I knew I wanted to be a doctor in first grade,” says Dr. Dorsey, whose parents were both psychiatrists. “I’ve always loved learning and I still do.” Dr. Dorsey holds a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Stanford University, and a joint MD/MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School

Join me in a chat with the co-founders of Make Time Wellness, Emma Heming Willis and Helen Christoni. They share how their own personal journeys have informed this company designed to help women make their brains a priority. 

Join me as I chat with my friend and the hardest working woman in the neurodegenerative space. Sandra is the wife and care partner to Brian Wallach who is living with ALS. They are the co-founders of I Am ALS and Synapticure. She is beautiful and honest about her caregiving journey and the pain of watching the person you love most in the world suffer. She has turned her pain into passion to make the world a better and more livable place for all.

Join me in a conversation with my buddy Dr. Richard Isaacson who made me laugh so hard during this conversation - who knew geniuses where so funny! Dr. I and I talk about Parkinson's, brain health and prevention, memory and nutrition and our days as youngens at Northwestern (where I attended and he visited apparently but I didn't know it!). Dr. Isaacson is a pioneering neurologist, he Founder and Former Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, a first-of-its-kind in the world, at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York Presbyterian, where he was also Assistant Dean of Faculty Development and Associate Professor of Neurology. He runs the research program at The Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND) in Boca Raton, FL.  Join us for a lot of laughs and some incredibly important information about keeping your brain healthy!

Join me and Dr. Julie Fratantoni, a neuroscientist and brain health expert, as we discussed healthy habits for our heads. Julie received her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from The University of Texas at Dallas. she is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, trained in biofeedback, a 200 hr certified yoga instructor and trained in breathing and mindfulness techniques. Here work focuses on how to improve brain performance and extend cognitive longevity.

Join me as I chat with Drew Hatter, Senior Government Relations Manager at The Michael J. Fox Foundation about the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act. We filmed this in 2024 shortly before the National Plan became a law, now called the National Parkinson's Project.

Join me in a conversation with the lovely and talented Irish Examiner columnist, stylist, author and podcaster Annmarie O'Connor. We talk about our shared journeys having young onset Parkinson's and overcoming the shock we felt after our diagnosis. Annmarie wrote her memoir, Twitch which is a frank and funny memoir about picking up the pieces when personal tragedy hits. The book chronicles her journey from a life-altering diagnosis to becoming an activist and agent of change.

Join me as I catch up with one of my oldest friends, Broadway and television star Christopher Jackson. Chris is best known for his iconic run as George Washington in Broadways' Hamilton. He's also a Daytime Emmy winner for his work on Sesame Street, voiced Chief Tui in Disney's Moana, and stars as Herbert Wexley in And Just Like That... with past TV roles including the CBS drama Bull. We talk about our days as in New York City, his career, and the experiences he and his wife Veronica have had raising their son CJ who was born with autism.

Join me as I chat with the CEO of the Parkinson's Foundation, John Lehr. We talk about the organization's mission and the critical role that they play in the lives of those of us living with this diseased. John L. Lehr leads the Parkinson's Foundation (PF) as president and chief executive officer. He has nearly three decades of nonprofit fundraising and management experience, with a strong focus in the voluntary healthcare and medical research sectors. Lehr played a key role in merging two legacy Parkinson’s disease (PD) organizations into the Parkinson’s Foundation in 2017. Since joining the Foundation, fundraising revenue has grown three-fold, allowing the Foundation to greatly expand its mission programs in research, care, and patient education and empowerment. He has expanded the Foundation’s footprint by opening PF chapters across the United States, as well as expanding the Foundation’s Global Care Network to more than 60 PF-designated Centers of Excellence. These and other developments have resulted in the Foundation receiving the highest ratings among independent nonprofit rating agencies, including a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. The Foundation was also named one of the Best Places to Work in 2020 by The NonProfit Times.

Join me as I chat with New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Genova. Acclaimed as the Oliver Sacks of fiction and the Michael Crichton of brain science, Lisa has captured a special place in contemporary fiction, writing stories that are equally inspired by neurological conditions and our shared human condition. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels STILL ALICE, LEFT NEGLECTED, LOVE ANTHONY, and INSIDE THE O'BRIENS.