Fox Focus I Spring / Summer 2021 5
“ It ’ s never too early to make a difference ,” says Phil Alongi , 67 , of Monroe , New Jersey , a former NBC News producer who was diagnosed with PD in 2019 . A year later , he joined PPMI at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders study site in New Haven , Connecticut .
Brian Duggan and his wife , Debbie .
He recently scheduled his screening visit at the University of California , San Francisco , PPMI study site .
Your Golden Opportunity : It ’ s Never Too Early to Participate
The Michael J . Fox Foundation ( MJFF ) regularly hears from people with PD who didn ’ t learn soon enough that their early participation in research , often before they were treated with PD medications , held particular value to drug development research . In fact , many wish they had asked their doctor for information on research participation when they were diagnosed . People in this fleeting window are in a unique position to contribute to research and help scientists capture the full picture of Parkinson ’ s .
“ This has helped me learn more about PD and be involved with people who know the latest research . If something comes out of this that benefits me , that ’ s great . But I ’ m just as happy to help scientists find a reason this happened , or why certain people have it and others don ’ t ,” says Phil .
PPMI is recruiting individuals recently diagnosed with Parkinson ’ s and age- and gender-matched control volunteers . It also is transitioning its more than 1,000 prior participants ( who have now been living with PD for as long as 10 years ) into the next phase of the study .
Today , whether you have Parkinson ’ s or not , you can get started by taking a short survey online at
michaeljfox . org / ppmi . More women tend to volunteer — but the study needs the majority of its 100,000 participants to be men aged 60 and up . Encouraging your brothers , fathers , grandfathers , uncles and friends to get involved is the first step .
He doesn ’ t have Parkinson ’ s . But he can help end it .
Join the study that could change everything .