Fellowship Program Building a Workforce of Parkinson's Disease
Care and Research Specialists
NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2014
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research, in collaboration with its longtime supporter and partner The Edmond
J. Safra Foundation, announces The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement
Disorders. By increasing resources for specialized training for
clinician-researcher neurologists, the program aims to grow the global base of
movement dis
order specialists treating people with
Parkinson's disease (PD) and contributing to research toward breakthrough
treatments for the disease.
"Lily Safra has long shown
tremendous compassion to people living with disease, both through her personal
generosity and the activities of The Edmond J. Safra Foundation," said
Michael J. Fox. "We're grateful to be working together to increase the
number of highly specialized neurologists who can help patients live better
with PD and speed progress toward a cure."
Mrs. Lily Safra, Chairwoman of The
Edmond J. Safra Foundation, said: "The talented young
clinician-researchers who will be chosen as Edmond J. Safra Fellows represent
great hope for all of us, and I am so proud to be supporting them at the
beginning of what will certainly be stellar careers full of groundbreaking
achievements. With The Michael J. Fox Foundation's leadership, this initiative
will surely make a profound impact on both research and patient care in the
years to come."
Todd Sherer, PhD, CEO of The Michael J.
Fox Foundation (MJFF), added: "This program holds potential to benefit not
only the five million Parkinson's patients and families worldwide, but also the
millions more living with essential tremor, dystonia and other movement
disorders. Clinician-researchers are an important bridge between positive
patient outcomes in the care setting and scientific advances in the lab."
A lack of available funding for
fellowships currently limits the number of openings in movement disorder
specialist training programs, including programs at medical centers with the
required expertise to train the next generation of specialists.
"Unfortunately, more people want to
enter the field than there is funding to allow. Many fellows are unable to
specialize in an area that is only going to grow in demand," said Matthew
B. Stern, MD, director of the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center
at the University of Pennsylvania Health System and president of the
International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (IPMDS).
The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in
Movement Disorders is launching as a pilot program, supporting up to five new
fellows a year for two years. Fellowships will be granted to multiple centers
in each round of funding. Interested movement disorder centers may submit
applications to MJFF through January 28, 2015.
Impact of Clinician-Researchers
Specializing in Movement Disorders
In addition to delivering expert care to
individual patients, clinician-researcher movement disorder specialists improve
the landscape of Parkinson's care overall. The clinicians trained through The
Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders also will be researchers,
designing and conducting studies with their patients' unmet needs in mind. From
the front lines, they are poised to observe trends and nuances of the patient
experience that can lead to investigations toward greater understanding of disease
and open new avenues to better therapies.
Patients are also specialists' greatest
partners in research. These doctors are aware of (and often leaders of) ongoing
clinical trials and research studies, putting them in a position to educate
their patients about participating in research — a powerful opportunity to be
part of the quest for a cure.
"Parkinson's research and care is a
two-way street, with ideas and techniques flowing from each to inform the
other. Movement disorder specialists are the streets, sharing insights from the
bench to the bedside and back," said Stern.
Dedication to Parkinson's Care and
Research
Founded by the late banker and
philanthropist Edmond J. Safra, his namesake Foundation has long supported
Parkinson's disease care and research. Mr. Safra is survived by his wife, Lily
Safra, who has been a member of MJFF's Board of Directors since 2001 and serves
as chairwoman of The Edmond J. Safra Foundation.
In addition to generous gifts to centers
and programs providing direct care to people with Parkinson's disease, Lily
Safra and her Foundation have driven vital scientific investigation into new
treatments through The Edmond J. Safra Core Programs for PD Research, one of
MJFF's central grantmaking programs to support high-impact Parkinson's research
projects.
For More Information
MJFF will hold a conference call on
January 7, 2015 to explain the goals of this initiative in greater detail and
answer applicant questions. Fellowship and sponsored programs administrators at
movement disorder centers are encouraged to take part (as are members of
neurology departments). To receive call-in details, RSVP to conferencecalls@michaeljfox.org.
About The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic
Foundation
Edmond J. Safra was one of the 20th
century's most accomplished bankers, as well as a devoted philanthropist. He
created a major philanthropic foundation to ensure that needy individuals and
organizations would continue to receive assistance and encouragement for many
years to come. Now under the
chairmanship of his beloved wife Lily, The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic
Foundation draws continuing inspiration from its founder's life and values.
Through Mrs. Safra's leadership since 1999, the Foundation supports hundreds of
projects related to education, science and medicine, religion, culture and
humanitarian relief in over 40 countries. The Foundation has provided
significant funding for Parkinson's disease research and patient care at dozens
of hospitals and institutes in places as varied as Natal (Brazil), Toronto, New
York, Grenoble, Paris, London and Jerusalem.
For more information, visit www.edmondjsafra.org.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research
As the world's largest nonprofit funder
of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to
accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those
living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an
aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active
global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders,
clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to
funding more than $450 million in research to date, the Foundation has
fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at
the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking
collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government
research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease
clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's
awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates
the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world.
To view the original version on PR
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SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research
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