An Open Letter to Western Pennsylvania: Thank You for Showing Me What It Means to Be a Neighbor
On Saturday April 18th, I had the honor of standing in a room filled with strength, honesty, humor, and something that feels like it’s getting harder to find in the world: real connection. To the Western Pennsylvania Parkinson Foundation, and to every person who showed up for the Living Well Conference : thank you. Christine Haythorn, CEO, Parkinson’s Foundation of Western Pennsylvania and Robert Cochrane, PhD at the Living Well Conference in Pittsburgh, PA – Saturday, April 18, 2026 Not just…
Originally Published on https://www.yesandexercise.org/
Dr. Robert Cochrane is a graduate of UNLV's Integrated Health Sciences department. He's researching the effect of improvisation and storytelling on Parkinson’s disease. He received grants from the Parkinson's Foundation and support from the Davis Phinney Foundation along the way. He is a popular, unique and high energy Keynote speaker, bringing joy, optimism and practical tools for people in the PD community to thrive today.
He has a background in filmmaking, with the Artisan Entertainment release, The Playaz Court, and two Stephen King-based short films among his credits. His father, Dan, was diagnosed with PD in 2001, which shifted Robert’s artistic lens to health. He made his first documentary, the award-winning Boys of Summer in 2004. There are two follow up films in the series with the fourth film coming in 2023.
He moved his family back to Walnut Creek, CA, where he grew up. He lives there with his beautiful wife, two teenagers who are, indeed, "all that" and is a proud care partner for his amazing parents.
