Author Archives: Mary Chapman

Building upon previous efforts, Parkinson’s UK has opened a monthlong marketing campaign aiming for a better understanding of Parkinson’s disease — particularly among young adults — and of the daily challenges facing patients, caregivers, and family members. Specifically, the group wants to help people more deeply understand and care…

A Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) team is developing immersive virtual reality “games” to help those with movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. Led by James S. Thomas, PhD, a physical therapy professor, the multidisciplinary science team at VCU’s Motor Control Lab in the College of Health Professions hope these…

Due in large part to a $15 million Norton Healthcare Foundation investment, the Norton Neuroscience Institute (NNI) has expanded to offer state-of-the-art technologies and enhanced amenities for people with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases. The newly opened center at the Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit institute, which serves its regional community,…

A $20,000 Parkinson’s Foundation community grant will help to keep the American Dance Festival’s (ADF) Parkinson’s Movement Initiative (PMI) going for a fifth year. The program, founded by ADF in 2017 with NC Dance for Parkinson’s, and Poe Wellness Solutions, is free for Parkinson’s disease (PD)…

A Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) research fellow is leading a study into the role of social determinants in medical mistrust and the lack of clinical trial participation by people with diseases such as Parkinson’s who belong to racial, ethnic and social minority groups. Paris Adkins-Jackson’s study, titled “…

It’s been a long, evolutionary road for The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) annual Tour de Fox fundraiser, which kicks off virtually this year on Aug. 28. The worldwide cycling event invites riders of all ages and abilities to put on helmets, check bike tire pressure, and take…

Parkinson’s disease experts worldwide, in a recent virtual meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO), discussed issues related to the neurodegenerative disease that will be the basis of a report to the United Nations detailing ways to improve life for patients and their families. The two-day meeting was reportedly the…

A television producer, legislators, and movement disorder specialists are among recent recipients of The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s (MJFF) 2020 Parkinson’s Advocacy Awards. The annual presentation, which this year took place virtually at the organization’s Parkinson’s Policy Forum, recognizes individuals or groups that do outstanding work advocating on behalf…

Zarela Martinez, a celebrity chef with Parkinson’s disease (PD), has partnered with Acorda Therapeutics to create a video series aimed at helping people live well with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Release of the series, called “A Taste for Life with Zarela,” coincides with Parkinson’s Awareness Month, observed each April.

Dorys, a 66-year-old woman with Parkinson’s who lives in Peru, was able to be treated for her progressive disease through an extreme sacrifice: the sale of her family’s home. Diagnosed 15 years earlier, the disease had rendered Dorys unable to do much of anything. Her physicians suggested a surgical treatment…