David Johnson is professor emeritus of philosophy at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he lectured until 2001, when Parkinson’s disease symptoms caught up with him.

Johnson, 69, lives in Columbia with his wife and receives treatment at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. He worries that stagnant research funding may delay an effective cure or treatment.

How have you battled with Parkinson’s disease?

I first noticed something was wrong when I was on vacation in California. I noticed a slight tremor in my hand and fingers, and it was difficult to touch my fingers together. My doctor gave me multiple tests including an MRI to check for brain tumors, he finally eliminated it down to Parkinson’s in 1997. My form of Parkinson’s progresses slowly. It has diminished my ability to make decisions or take action. Some things I don’t do, I just sit and think about doing them.

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What treatments have you received?

I have been taking Levodopa to calm the tremors and make me more energetic, and I use a walking stick for balance. I used to take yoga, but now I try to take walks regularly throughout the week, go to the gym, and stretch everyday. As my friend says, we don’t have to be perfect we just have to be better than we were.

What are your hopes for Parkinson’s disease research?

I’m hoping it will eventually lead to a cure for Parkinson’s disease. We were able to kill syphilis and TB, and we’ve eradicated smallpox. It stands to reason, if we put our minds to it we can cure Parkinson’s.