Research
ONE YEAR LATER,
THOUSANDS SPEED
RESEARCH USING
FOX INSIGHT
by ALLYSE FALCE
THE MICHAEL J. FOX
FOUNDATION (MJFF)
launched Fox Insight
(foxinsight.org) last October
as an online platform for
the Parkinson’s disease (PD)
community to share the
information it knows best —
what it’s like to live with PD
every day. Since that time, the
number of individuals enrolled
has more than quadrupled
from 6,500 to over 25,000 —
and Fox Insight is just getting
started. The study aims to
recruit hundreds of thousands
of people to contribute data.
Fox Insight consists of online
questionnaires where people
with and without PD provide
information on their symptoms,
daily activities and other
health factors. Genetics also
plays a role in the study. “By
combining patient-contributed
information with genetic data,
researchers are able to form a
more holistic understanding
of Parkinson’s,” says Sohini
Chowdhury, MJFF deputy CEO.
Through the Foundation's
collaboration with consumer
genetics company 23andMe,
individuals with Parkinson’s
4
The Fox Focus
who enroll in Fox Insight can
receive the 23andMe Health
+ Ancestry Service at no cost
and incorporate their genetic
information into the study.
(Eligible individuals receive
complimentary genetic
counseling from Indiana
University.)
“Both The Michael J. Fox
Foundation and 23andMe have a
very patient-centric vision,” says
Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and
CEO of 23andMe. “Fox Insight
was a very natural partnership
for us because it is about
empowering consumers to be