The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson's disease
through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. Established by actor Michael J. Fox
in 2000, the Foundation has since become the largest private funder of Parkinson's disease research in the world, investing nearly $179 million in research to date. The Foundation's proactive approach to advancing PD science has made it "the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world". In 2010 the Fox foundation launched the first large-scale clinical study on evolution biomarkers of the disease with a cost of 40 million dollars in 5 years.
Rapid Response Innovation Awards quickly support high-risk, high-reward projects with little to no existing preliminary data, but potential to significantly impact our understanding or treatment of PD (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research).
Target Validation Awards provide support for work demonstrating whether modulation of a novel biological target has impact in a PD-relevant pre-clinical model — an essential step to the development of potential targeted therapies (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research).
Clinical Intervention Awards support clinical testing of promising PD therapies that may significantly and fundamentally improve treatment of PD (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research).
Therapeutics Development Initiative, an industry-exclusive support program for preclinical development of Parkinson’s disease therapies with potential to fundamentally alter disease course and/or improve treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care.
The Pipeline Programs are complemented by the Foundation's Critical Challenges in Parkinson's Disease program, which provides funds for top research priorities. Critical Challenges in 2009/2010 include: speeding research on PD genetic targets, LRRK2
and alpha-synuclein
; advancing research on neurotrophic factors
; identifying biomarkers of PD; understanding patient's unmet needs, like postural instability and gait disturbances; and, promoting collaborations with the Arizona Parkinson's Disease Consortium.
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
through an aggressively funded research agenda and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson's today. Established by actor Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
in 2000, the Foundation has since become the largest private funder of Parkinson's disease research in the world, investing nearly $179 million in research to date. The Foundation's proactive approach to advancing PD science has made it "the most credible voice on Parkinson's research in the world". In 2010 the Fox foundation launched the first large-scale clinical study on evolution biomarkers of the disease with a cost of 40 million dollars in 5 years.
Research Priorities
The Foundation targets underfunded, high-risk, "translational" research—the work of translating basic scientific discoveries into practical treatments with potential to benefit the estimated five million people living with Parkinson's today. The Foundation's research team, drawn from the worlds of both science and business, proactively manages the largest PD research portfolio in the world, prioritizing the most promising ideas and key studies to ensure that they continue on a strategic course forward.Funding Opportunities
The Foundation drives progress by awarding grants to ensure that the most promising research avenues are thoroughly funded, explored and carried forward toward pharmacy shelves. The Foundation's four annually recurring Pipeline Programs aim to speed research along the drug development pipeline. The Pipeline Programs include:Rapid Response Innovation Awards quickly support high-risk, high-reward projects with little to no existing preliminary data, but potential to significantly impact our understanding or treatment of PD (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research).
Target Validation Awards provide support for work demonstrating whether modulation of a novel biological target has impact in a PD-relevant pre-clinical model — an essential step to the development of potential targeted therapies (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research).
Clinical Intervention Awards support clinical testing of promising PD therapies that may significantly and fundamentally improve treatment of PD (an Edmond J. Safra Core Program for PD Research).
Therapeutics Development Initiative, an industry-exclusive support program for preclinical development of Parkinson’s disease therapies with potential to fundamentally alter disease course and/or improve treatment of symptoms above and beyond current standards of care.
The Pipeline Programs are complemented by the Foundation's Critical Challenges in Parkinson's Disease program, which provides funds for top research priorities. Critical Challenges in 2009/2010 include: speeding research on PD genetic targets, LRRK2
LRRK2
Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 , also known as dardarin, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the LRRK2 gene. LRRK2 is a member of the leucine-rich repeat kinase family...
and alpha-synuclein
Alpha-synuclein
Alpha-synuclein is a protein that, in humans, is encoded by the SNCA gene. An alpha-synuclein fragment, known as the non-Abeta component of Alzheimer's disease amyloid, originally found in an amyloid-enriched fraction, is shown to be a fragment of its precursor protein, NACP, by cloning of the...
; advancing research on neurotrophic factors
Neurotrophic factors
Neurotrophic factors are a family of proteins that are responsible for the growth and survival of developing neurons and the maintenance of mature neurons...
; identifying biomarkers of PD; understanding patient's unmet needs, like postural instability and gait disturbances; and, promoting collaborations with the Arizona Parkinson's Disease Consortium.