Michael J. Fox Foundation Donates $24 Million To Parkinson’s Research
Michael J. Fox is well known for his roles in Back To The Future or Spin City. However, this actor is better known by some for his humanitarian work. The Michal J. Fox Foundation just announced a generous donation of $24 million dollars. The money will be used to fund grants and research for an innovative new treatment for Parkinson’s disease.
Fox started the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research the year he was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2000. The foundation is now the world’s largest non-profit funder of Parkinson’s disease research in the world. As a result, they have funded more than $800 million in Parkinson’s research.
Fox has also become a spokesperson for Parkinson, giving the world an honest look at what it is like to live with the progressive neurodegenerative condition.
Searching For Hope
The funding will be distributed via 127 new grant awards for various projects “seeking to understand, treat, diagnose, and measure the progression of the disease.”
One of the grant recipients will be The University in Aukland, New Zealand. The university has been researching the genetics of Parkinson’s disease “from an unusual and promising angle.” Looking closer at mutations found in a gene known GBA.
“If we are right, we will identify a network of interrelated Parkinson’s genes. This may help advance research efforts for therapies, and bring together previously confusing or unrecognized connections.”
“For us, this grant is an amazing opportunity to investigate a disorder that has a huge impact on people. We hope to make insights that ultimately make a real difference to patients.”
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