The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Join us October 16, 2025 for our annual Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Conference. Each year, over 300 researchers and business development professionals gather for the world’s only scientific conference focused solely on Parkinson’s disease drug development. New this year is our inaugural Partnering Session! Taking place the afternoon before the conference, this exclusive session offers a chance to meet our Foundation program leads, learn about resources that can accelerate your research and connect with peers across the field. This ticket option is available during conference registration. Secure your spot today: https://lnkd.in/eVJK9Uax

August is Make-A-Will Month — a time when our planned giving team at The Michael J. Fox Foundation shares resources to help our community understand the importance of creating a will and planning for the future while supporting Parkinson's research. Throughout the month, our team will be sharing educational materials, stories from community members who have joined our Legacy Circle and hosting virtual events to guide you through estate planning. Explore resources and see what’s coming up this month: https://lnkd.in/edDFVCc2

Last Chance: Neurology residents are invited to join us for a free, two-day course on research, care and careers in movement disorders. Learn from top experts, interact with patients and families, and network with colleagues throughout the Americas. The course will be held September 20-21, 2025, in Denver, Colorado. Applications close August 1st - apply today: https://bit.ly/42LFREF

This year, our Public Policy team took on a new ambitious goal to vastly scale state government investment in Parkinson’s research. We also grew the number of statewide Parkinson’s registries, improved insurance coverage requirements for biomarker testing and advocated for state-level environmental policy change. Read our latest blog to learn about our work in the states. https://lnkd.in/esSsnGWU

A Parkinson’s diagnosis can bring up many questions about the future. That's why it's so important to make sure your estate plan reflects your wishes and protects what matters most. As we approach Make-A-Will Month in August, join us for a special virtual talk: Plan with Purpose: Your Estate Plan after a Parkinson’s Diagnosis 🗓️ Wednesday, August 6, 2025 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Led by estate planning attorney Jill M., this conversation will walk through: • The first steps to take after a diagnosis • What to prioritize in your estate plan • How to talk with loved ones about the future • Ways to ensure your plan reflects your values Register now to save your spot at https://lnkd.in/exmxDMep Whether you’re living with Parkinson’s, caring for someone who is or simply planning ahead, this session will help educate and inform you as you navigate this journey.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation has published a new paper in npj Parkinson’s Disease outlining the selection process behind our Targets to Therapies Initiative – a program designed to engage the research community, accelerate the drug development pipeline and detail promising but underexplored drug targets in Parkinson’s disease. Targets, in this context, are biology — like gene mutations or malfunctioning proteins — that research shows play a role in Parkinson’s. Targets stem from efforts across the field, including rich inputs from MJFF research program datasets and collaboration with the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s | ASAP initiative-supported programs including the Collaborative Research Network (CRN), the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2). By focusing on fundamental knowledge gaps around these targets, the initiative aims to reduce risk in early-stage drug development and overcome barriers that have historically slowed progress in PD therapeutics. Learn more about the Targets to Therapies Initiative: https://lnkd.in/eN6ZBFMW

What does it truly mean to center people with Parkinson’s in research? When a recent Nature Reviews Bioengineering commentary cited The Michael J. Fox Foundation as an example of meaningful patient involvement in trial design, it underscored something core to our DNA: better science starts with the people who live with Parkinson’s every day. An in-depth understanding of the patient experience helps us guide research in ways that reflect the real-world challenges of living with the disease, focus on what matters most to patients and families, and make science more inclusive, representative and impactful. At MJFF, we work alongside individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s to shape the research process — offering feedback on study design, participating in focus groups and advisory boards, helping define which symptoms and challenges should be prioritized, and more. Read how this patient-centered approach is driving progress in Parkinson’s research: https://lnkd.in/e4Zn_3r8

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a treatment that uses focused ultrasound on both sides of the brain (in two procedures, months apart) for the management of Parkinson’s-related motor symptoms. This is an advance in focused ultrasound (FUS), a noninvasive surgical approach that uses sound waves to create heat and destroy a small area of brain tissue involved in Parkinson’s. But until this latest advance, FUS could only be performed on one side of the brain. The new approach targets a different area of the brain, making it able to treat tremor, slowness, stiffness and involuntary movement (dyskinesia) on both sides of the body. FUS is sometimes considered for people who continue to have movement symptoms despite medication and who cannot or do not want deep brain stimulation (DBS). Now, bilateral FUS offers a new, noninvasive treatment option for people with progressing Parkinson’s. Learn more about FUS, who might be a good candidate, how it’s similar and different from DBS, and more: https://lnkd.in/eyRudwi2

Join us on October 16, 2025 in New York City for Parkinson's Disease Therapeutics Conference (PDTC). PDTC brings together over 300 research and business development professionals from both academia and industry and showcases the most exciting and innovative research from MJFF's research portfolio. Save your seat today: https://bit.ly/44ivdGa

"Off" time is when Parkinson's symptoms — motor and/or non-motor — return or worsen between medication doses. Not everyone experiences "off" time, but it is more common the longer you live with Parkinson’s, the longer you take Parkinson's medications and the higher the dose of medication. Doctors and researchers use the term "off" in Parkinson's care and clinical trials, but people with Parkinson's may be less familiar with this term or what it means for them. Understanding "off" time can help you better manage Parkinson's, in partnership with your care providers. Visit our updated webpage — sponsored by Amneal Pharmaceuticals and Merz Therapeutics — to learn more: what “off” time could look like, how to manage it and additional resources for support. https://lnkd.in/euK7hDKT