The Fox Focus Fall/Winter 2017 | Page 25

Foundation News Sohini Chowdhury Promoted to Deputy Chief Executive Officer by EMILY MURPHY In April, The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced the promotion of Sohini Chowdhury to deputy chief executive officer. Throughout her 12-year career at the Foundation, including in her previous role as senior vice president of research partnerships, Sohini has been instrumental in driving the Foundation’s groundbreaking alliances with key Parkinson’s research stakeholders for the benefit of the estimated five million people worldwide living with Parkinson’s disease. As part of building and leading the Foundation’s formal industry strategy, she has developed fruitful relationships with pharmaceutical and biotech firms as research partners and as sponsors of the MJFF’s scientific and educational programs. She also established MJFF’s Research Partnerships team, which now encompasses the Foundation’s strategy for engaging industry collaborations, as well as the Foundation’s landmark Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative study seeking PD biomarkers, clinical trial-matching tool Fox Trial Finder and the online longitudinal research study Fox Insight. (Read more about these initiatives on page 7 and our cover story, respectively.) As deputy chief executive officer, Sohini will continue to spearhead these important research networks while providing broader organizational oversight alongside MJFF CEO Todd Sherer, PhD, and Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman Debi Brooks. YOUR LEGACY CAN BE A WORLD WITHOUT PARKINSON’S DISEASE By including The Michael J. Fox Foundation in your estate plans, you will help advance life-changing treatments and a cure for Parkinson’s, while providing financial security to you and your loved ones. SPEED A CURE Learn more about planned giving benefits and options, including wills, IRAs and other retirement accounts and charitable annuities at michaeljfox.org/plannedgiving. 25 Fall/Winter 2017