The Michael J. Fox Foundation Annual Report 2018 Impact + Innovation | Page 32

The Michael J. Fox Foundation
The Edmond J. Safra
Fellowship: Growing
the Global Base of
Clinician-Researchers
For people living with Parkinson’s
disease (PD), building the right care
team, which includes a movement
disorder specialist, can lead to getting
a diagnosis and an appropriate
treatment plan. Movement disorder
specialists are neurologists who
receive extra training focused on
a handful of disorders, such as
Parkinson’s. In addition to their roles
in patient care, clinician-researchers
play a crucial part in making scientific
advances.
But not enough people with Parkinson’s see this type of
physician, partly because there aren’t enough of them.
The MJFF solution: find a partner with the vision to
address a critical need in the patient community —
more highly skilled movement disorder physician-
scientists around the world who can elevate the level
of care available to people with Parkinson’s and bridge
the gap between lab and clinic. Then train them.
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That vision reached a key milestone in June 2018, as the
pioneering class of The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in
Movement Disorders graduated and took the next step
toward playing this important role and supporting the
next classes of distinguished candidates. “This program
is serving a critical need,” said Lily Safra, chairwoman
of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation and member of
the MJFF Board of Directors. “More expertly trained
movement disorder specialists means more doctors
to care for people with Parkinson's and lead research
toward better therapies and a cure.”
The program, which has received tremendous
response from clinical, research and patient
communities, annually awards funding to five world-
class academic centers to train a fellow over the
course of two years. By 2021, the program is on track
to graduate 21 new movement disorder physician-
scientists around the world. Visit michaeljfox.org/
safrafellows to learn more about the program.
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is grateful for
the vision of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation in
enabling this program, one of our many partnerships
supporting pivotal and far-reaching work in
Parkinson’s research and care.