2 PPMIonline . org
Note from the Deputy CEO
It ’ s official . The seismic expansion of The Michael J . Fox Foundation ’ s Parkinson ’ s Progression Markers Initiative ( PPMI ) — also known as , the study that could change everything — is under way .
With the study ’ s growth come our most aggressive recruitment goals to date , nearly tripling enrollment in the clinic and adding online data capture for tens of thousands . It ’ s an all-encompassing call to action for volunteers , scientists and business experts worldwide with unmatched potential for the future of Parkinson ’ s research .
This milestone also comes with reflection . For over a decade , I ’ ve worked alongside colleagues and collaborators on PPMI , which The Michael J . Fox Foundation ( MJFF ) first
launched in 2010 . I am so proud to see the hard work of the entire community and the impact PPMI has on Parkinson ’ s disease ( PD ) research . Together , we have built a vast and maturing engine of discovery that continues to funnel a wealth of insights , practical tools and data directly into today ’ s Parkinson ’ s drug development arena worldwide . And on a personal level , it ’ s been so gratifying to see this study translate into meaningful and important results for the benefit of today ’ s patients and future generations .
The investment in this next critical phase for PPMI will take us to another level . We hope to gain important information that may help in understanding who is ‘ at risk ’ for Parkinson ’ s , who ultimately gets the disease , who does not , and why . To do so , we ’ ll need to enroll and gather important data from more than 100,000 individuals with and without PD . That is a monumental task , but our team is committed to hitting that goal .