Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The New York Times headline was spare and startling: "Sue Goldie Has Parkinson's Disease." More than two years earlier, Goldie had agreed to let reporter John Branch chronicle her experience living with Parkinson's ––giving him unfiltered access to her life at home and at work, her intense triathlon training, and hundreds of video diaries where she shared her innermost hopes and fears. An intensely private person, she wrestled with the decision to go public but wanted to give voice to the struggle that many people endure silently in the years following diagnosis, and to spark discussion about how people live and work with the uncertainty of this neurodegenerative disease. Goldie also hoped the story would provide a platform for her goals to raise awareness about the benefits of exercise in Parkinson's and the importance of community and connectedness. In this fireside chat, Goldie—a physician, scientist, and renowned educator—will reflect on her journey and share what she has learned from the response to the story and what she hopes to do in her next chapter.
#HarvardChanStudio
SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter:
hsph.me/Studiosignup
SPEAKERS
■ Sue J. Goldie, Roger Irving Lee Professor of Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
MODERATOR
■ Stephanie Simon, Former Dean for Communications and Strategic Initiatives, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
─────────────────────
Sharing diverse perspectives on public health.
Speakers do not speak for Harvard.
The New York Times headline was spare and startling: "Sue Goldie Has Parkinson's Disease." More than two years earlier, Goldie had agreed to let reporter John Branch chronicle her experience living with Parkinson's ––giving him unfiltered access to her life at home and at work, her intense triathlon training, and hundreds of video diaries where she shared her innermost hopes and fears. An intensely private person, she wrestled with the decision to go public but wanted to give voice to the struggle that many people endure silently in the years following diagnosis, and to spark discussion about how people live and work with the uncertainty of this neurodegenerative disease. Goldie also hoped the story would provide a platform for her goals to raise awareness about the benefits of exercise in Parkinson's and the importance of community and connectedness. In this fireside chat, Goldie—a physician, scientist, and renowned educator—will reflect on her journey and share what she has learned from the response to the story and what she hopes to do in her next chapter.
#HarvardChanStudio
SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter:
hsph.me/Studiosignup
SPEAKERS
■ Sue J. Goldie, Roger Irving Lee Professor of Public Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
MODERATOR
■ Stephanie Simon, Former Dean for Communications and Strategic Initiatives, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
─────────────────────
Sharing diverse perspectives on public health.
Speakers do not speak for Harvard.
