Policy
Joseph Patterson, PhD, of Michigan
State University, Gerald Dorn, MD, of
Washington University in St. Louis and
Kim Serongy, PhD, of the University of
Cincinnati visited the Washington DC
office of Senator Debbie Stabenow
(D-MI) as part of MJFF’s “Researcher Hill
Day.” The Foundation organized more
than 30 scientists to visit Capitol Hill and
advocate for a much-needed increase in
federal funding for Parkinson’s research.
Photo by Joe Shymanski
PARKINSON’S RESEARCHERS
TAKE CAPITOL HILL
by ALLYSE FALCE
IN LATE FEBRUARY, The
Michael J. Fox Foundation
(MJFF) hosted its first-ever
Researcher Hill Day. This event
brought more than 30 scientists
to Washington, D.C. to advocate
for increased federal funding
for Parkinson’s research. After
participating in advocacy
training, attendees conducted a
full day of meetings with their
members of Congress.
During these visits, scientists
advocated for increased
funding for the National
Institutes of Health (NIH)
— which is the largest public
funder of Parkinson’s research
— and urged lawmakers to
boost investments in the
Parkinson’s Research Program
at the Department of Defense
(DoD) — the only Parkinson’s-
specific research program
supported by the federal
government.
SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
BRINGS UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE TO
CAPITOL HILL
In years past, MJFF gathered
people with Parkinson’s and
care partners in Washington
to share their experiences
with policymakers. The
event has expanded and
become an opportunity for
Congress to speak directly
with another important
segment of our community —
the individuals conducting
Parkinson’s research.
8
The Fox Focus
“Scientists can help educate
members of Congress on the
very real ways in which federal
research funding improves
outcomes for people living
with Parkinson’s,” said Ted
Thompson, JD, senior vice
president of public policy at
MJFF. “When a researcher
can give Congress specific
examples of how federal dollars
help advance their work, that’s
incredibly powerful.”
Joseph Patterson, PhD, a
Parkinson’s researcher at
Michigan State University who
received a grant from the DoD,
added: “Scientists are often
thought of as these creatures
hidden in a lab. I wanted to
meet with my lawmakers to