14 Fox Focus | Fellowships
Edmond J . Safra Fellowship Expands Access to Expert Parkinson ’ s Care and Fuels Research Progress
Whether you ’ re new to Parkinson ’ s or you ’ ve been living with the disease for some time , you ’ ve likely asked , “ Who ’ s the best doctor ?” For people with PD , the best doctor is a movement disorder specialist — a Parkinson ’ s expert , who has completed additional training in diagnosing and treating the disease , and who also listens and cares for you as a whole person , not only a person with Parkinson ’ s .
“ Because movement disorder specialists see more people with PD , they ’ re better able to spot the disease ’ s nuanced direct and indirect effects . They can quarterback a care team and tailor a treatment plan to each person ’ s unique symptoms and circumstances ,” says Rachel Dolhun , MD , movement disorder specialist and MJFF ’ s senior vice president of medical communications .
The challenge : There simply aren ’ t enough movement disorder specialists . Many people know this all too well , in the form of long wait times or distant travel for appointments .
To meet this need , the Edmond J . Safra Fellowship — a collaboration between The Michael J . Fox Foundation and longtime partner the Edmond J . Safra Foundation — trains doctors how to expertly care for people with Parkinson ’ s and other movement disorders and how to lead research in the field .
The program , which has , to date , graduated 27 movement disorder physician-scientists around the world , is on track to train 72 new specialists by 2028 . This global network exponentially increases patients ’ access to expert care and fuels research advances .
To further the fellowship ’ s impact , the program recently launched a complementary initiative , the Edmond J . Safra Movement Disorders Research Career Development Award . This competitive research funding