Ten Years of Training the Next Generation of Movement Disorder Specialists
By Elizabeth Chute
Fall / Winter 2024 | Parkinson ’ s Care
As chairwoman of the Edmond J . Safra Foundation for more than 20 years , the late Lily Safra was one of MJFF ’ s earliest and most important champions .
13
Ten years ago , the Edmond J . Safra Foundation , longtime partner to MJFF in the work to develop better therapies and a cure for Parkinson ’ s , and the Foundation joined forces to address a critical challenge : how to foster scientific advances in Parkinson ’ s research while also meeting the growing need for trained specialists who can diagnosis and care for the needs of people living with PD . The answer came in the launch of the Edmond J . Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders , an initiative designed to complement research with handson patient care .
The Fellowship is a renowned and distinguished training program that has built a global network that extends care access , including in underserved areas ; fuels research advances ; and trains future generations beyond trainees . Centers and trainees seek out this opportunity , knowing it signals the highest quality education . People with Parkinson ’ s and their families know that with the training , our graduates will deliver the most skilled and compassionate care .
A unique and highly valued feature of the program — extending education , mentorship and partnership opportunities beyond a trainee ’ s individual center — has helped the network grow to 51 centers in four continents , 12 countries and across 14 states in the United States .
Now , a decade later , the impact of the Fellowship is felt and seen in its incredible accomplishments , including the validation of the alpha-synuclein biomarker , a new genetic link for PD found in underrepresented populations and the 20 new treatments for Parkinson ’ s approved in the United States since its start . As we enter the new era of Parkinson ’ s research , and with the growing need for trained specialists to address the unmet needs of patients , it will be the capable and dedicated leaders of the Fellowship who will sustain and grow the incredible momentum that has brought us to this point .
After 10 years , an additional 31,200 patients worldwide have access to specialized care that , without the Fellowship , would not be there .