The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Thank you to GE HealthCare for supporting this year’s Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference. A longstanding partner of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, GE HealthCare provides digital tools that enhance diagnosis, treatment and patient monitoring. GE's mission is to advance healthcare and improve patient outcomes. https://bit.ly/3MWVDDU

Last week, colleagues, alumnae and trainees gathered to honor the 10th anniversary of the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders. In 2014, this program was created to expand the global base of movement disorder specialists – Parkinson’s experts – by funding academic centers to train new clinician-researchers to provide expert care and lead scientific advances. Ten years in the making, we are proud of the fellowship's impact: 40 graduates across 12 countries and 31K patients now benefitting from specialized care. As the needs of the more than 6 million people living with Parkinson’s worldwide continue to grow, we’re more motivated than ever to continue this vital work. Medical centers interested in applying for funding can learn more about the program here: bit.ly/3zZU6Kd

Last month, some of New York City’s top restaurants came together for our second EpiCure for Parkinson’s tasting event to benefit The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Thank you to our talented chefs, partners, and sponsors for making the night such a success! #EpiCureforPD

New qualitative and quantitative tools are being developed to measure and track changes in proteins relevant for neurodegenerative disease, and these tools have the potential to accelerate drug discovery and clinical trials. In the latest episode of The Parkinson’s Research Podcast, Dr. Judith Steen, Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard University discusses her work creating novel qualitative and quantitative tools and workflows at the interface of proteomics and transcriptomics. She also describes her ongoing project, funded by MJFF, to develop FLEXISyn, which aims to track post-translational changes in alpha-synuclein to better understand how the protein becomes dysfunctional and begins misfolding and forming toxic aggregations in Parkinson's disease. Listen to the episode: https://bit.ly/3ZKFvwQ * This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast: michaeljfox.org/podcasts

Thank you to Sage Therapeutics for supporting this year's Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics Conference. Sage has been an esteemed partner of The Michael J. Fox Foundation helping to deliver impactful educational content to both our patient and researcher communities. https://bit.ly/3ZG1G7l

Last year, the Foundation announced a major breakthrough: a biomarker for Parkinson’s disease. But what is a biomarker? And what does this mean for the future of Parkinson’s research and drug development? With the help of some familiar faces and friends of the Foundation — Harrison Ford, Josh Gad, Jennifer Grey, Wendell Pierce, Tracy Pollan, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Fox —our latest video tells the story of this groundbreaking discovery and how we got here. Watch the full video: https://bit.ly/4gPWlQR

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson's share a powerful vision: to unite in our mission to advance progress in Parkinson’s and improve the quality of life for those living with the disease. By working together, we believe we can make a greater impact and create lasting change. Kirk Gibson, former Major League Baseball player, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers, started the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s in 2017, two years following his diagnosis of the disease in 2015. His Foundation is committed to raising awareness and support for those living with the neurodegenerative disease. Now, the Foundation’s mission continues to grow with the opening of the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness in 2025. This new center will offer critical resources and include programs specific to improving motor and non-motor skills as well as educational programs designed to improve the quality of life for the Parkinson’s community, including family members and care partners. By working together, The Michael J. Fox and Kirk Gibson Foundations can make an even greater impact for those living with Parkinson’s.

Save the date! The Lewy Body Dementia Association, Inc. (LBDA), in collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association?, is hosting the Externally-Led Patient-Focused Drug Development (EL-PFDD) Meeting on DLB, a virtual, public event bringing together the global community of people affected by dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). The EL-PFDD Meeting on DLB is open to anyone interested in increasing the understanding of DLB and improving treatments for those impacted by DLB including patients, their families and care partners and health care providers. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 from 10:00am – 3:00pm ET. Learn more at www.lbda.org/el-pfdd/. #ELPFDDonDLB #ELPFDDMeeting #Dementia #LewyBodyDementia

When Ivana Sosa joined The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2022, she was determined to help build an inclusive workplace. As an active member of both?the MJFF Social Committee and A Place for Us Employee Resource Group, she is a spirited force for collaborative staff events?–?including?the most recent?Fox?Around?the World. Read this article to learn more about how Ivana highlights the importance of DEI in advancing our mission.

Substantial research has focused on identifying biomarkers for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease as well as monitoring progression of the disease. In developing these biomarkers, it is critical for scientists to consider how the biomarkers will ultimately be used in the clinic and in clinical trials research.? In this episode of The Parkinson’s Research Podcast, Dr. Charles Adler (Charles A.), Professor of Neurology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science shares his perspectives on how biomarkers are currently being used in clinical and research contexts, and what it would take for him to use them more often in clinical practice. He also discusses how groundbreaking collaborative research studies, including the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders and the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), are having major impacts on the field. Listen to the episode: https://bit.ly/4gy0uck * This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast: michaeljfox.org/podcasts?