Research
Category
A FULLER FUTURE FOR PARKINSON’S CARE
enough of these doctors to go around.
A key reason is lack of funding for training.
A message that many people living with
Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their families
often hear is to make sure they are seeing
the right doctor. For most people with
Parkinson’s, that’s a movement disorder
specialist. These neurologists with specialized
training in Parkinson’s have the knowledge
and experience to balance complicated
medication regimens and integrate the latest
therapies. When also skilled as researchers,
they can use firsthand experiences with
patients to inform their studies.
To address this crucial gap in Parkinson’s care
and research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation
(MJFF), in partnership with the Edmond J.
Safra Foundation, launched an international
fellowship training program in 2014. Each year,
The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement
Disorders selects five world-renowned medical
centers to train a clinician-researcher over two
years. As a result of this initiative, by 2021,
there will be 20 new movement disorder
specialists in communities across the world
treating patients and linking them to the latest
research developments.
People with Parkinson’s who see movement
disorder specialists typically report being
happier with their care, but there aren’t
Visit michaeljfox.org/edmondjsafrafellowship to watch a video about the
program and to read about all five graduating fellows who are embarking on
careers in movement disorders research and care.
How One Edmond J. Safra
Fellow Is Broadening
Parkinson’s Understanding
symptoms and progression may differ, and
how genetics and environment play a role.
This is an area where data is historically
lacking, and Marissa wants to change that.
For the past two years, Marissa Dean, MD,
has been honing her clinical skills and
leading research projects at University of
Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) under the
guidance of David Standaert, MD, PhD, an
MJFF scientific advisor. This spring, Marissa
will graduate to become an assistant
professor at UAB, treating patients with
Parkinson’s and other movement disorders,
and simultaneously doing research to
improve her patients’ lives.
Marissa has mined data on African-American
patients from MJFF’s Parkinson’s Progression
Markers Initiative (PPMI), which collects
information on people with and without PD
to find a measure of PD (a biomarker). This
will now serve as the foundation of a larger
study to gather more information about
African Americans with PD. Research such as
Marissa’s will broaden our understanding of
Parkinson’s so she and her fellow movement
disorder specialists can deliver better care
and treatments.
When caring for people with PD, Marissa
says, “It’s important to step back and see
the world from the patient’s perspective.”
She applies the same motto to her research:
She’s particularly interested in how African
Americans experience Parkinson’s — how
9
Spring/Summer
The Fox Focus
2018