Mike Claeys ([log in to unmask]) of the Fox Foundation asked that this
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PRESS RELEASE
April 5, 2001
Contact: Kamili Wilson, APCO Worldwide
Telephone: 202/778-1700
Email:  [log in to unmask]

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Awards $1.5 Million
in Research Grants

New York, N.Y. -- April 5, 2001 --  The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research announced today that it has awarded 15 grants totaling
more than $1.5 million to researchers pursuing a cure for Parkinson's
disease.

Parkinson's disease, a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that
affects an estimated 1 million Americans, impairs the central nervous
system causing difficulty with even the simplest of movements.  Michael J.
Fox established The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in
2000, after publicly disclosing in 1998 that he had been diagnosed with the
disease seven years earlier.

In keeping with its mission to expedite a cure for Parkinson's, the
Foundation implemented a rigorous, accelerated grant application review
process for its initial round of research funding.  The Foundation received
nearly 200 grant applications from scientists representing 20 countries.

"This initial round of research grant funding represents an exciting
first-step in our Foundation's active involvement in the search for a
Parkinson's cure.  The overwhelming number of proposals that were submitted
affirm our belief that promising research opportunities exist, merely
awaiting much-deserved funding," said Michael J. Fox, Founder.  "The
Foundation remains committed to supporting as much research as possible --
and at that end we hope to make additional awards within the next few
months."

The Foundation assembled a Grant Review Committee, comprised of 15 highly
regarded scientists specializing in research areas relevant to Parkinson's
disease, to conduct its application review process.  "The quality and
variety of proposals we received was impressive," said J. William Langston,
M.D., Scientific Director of The Parkinson's Institute and Chief Scientific
Advisor to The Michael J. Fox Foundation.  "This first round of grants
dramatically demonstrates the breadth and depth of innovative research that
can be encouraged with an efficient and rapid funding process.  I have no
doubt that the results of these studies will advance our goals for finding
the cause, cure and better treatments for Parkinson's disease."

Researchers awarded funding by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research:

Marina E. Emborg, M.D., Ph.D., Rush University, Chicago, IL
Matthew Goldberg, Ph.D./Jie Shen, Ph.D., Brigham and Women's Hospital at
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
Stephen Kish, Ph.D., University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Rudiger Klein, Ph.D., European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg,
Germany
Ronald J. Mandel, Ph.D., University of Florida College of Medicine,
Gainesville, FL
Graeme Mardon, Ph.D., Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Eliezer Masliah, M.D., University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA
Jose A. Obeso, M.D., Clinica Universitaria de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Amy Rubinstein, Ph.D., Zygogen LLc, Atlanta, GA
Michael Schwarzschild, M.D., Ph.D., Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
Lorenz Studer, M.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Catherine Verfaillie, M.D., Regents of the University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, MN
Gail D. Zeevalk, Ph.D., Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, Piscataway, NJ
Renping Zhou, Ph.D., Rutgers University Lab, New Brunswick, NJ
Michael Zigmond, Ph.D./Ruth G. Perez, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh, PA

Research abstracts for these grants as well as biographies for each grantee
can be viewed on the Foundation's Web site, www.michaeljfox.org.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research also announces it
has already begun to work with the NIH and other private foundations to
develop plans for a joint funding initiative to support additional research
in Parkinson's disease.

"The NINDS congratulates the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Researach on their efforts to support research that wiil help us understand
how Parkinson's disease destroys crucial parts of the brain and develop
strategies to halt or reverse this degeneration," said Audrey S. Penn,
M.D., Acting Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disordres
and Stroke.  "Over the next few  months, we look forward to working with
the Foundation as they join others in a larger public-private partnership
to leverage our strengths in research funding and raise awareness of the
needs as well as the exciting scientific opportunities in this field."

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to the
fastest possible end to Parkinson's disease.  The Foundation has launched a
strategic campaign to accelerate, expand and focus funding for the world's
best research targeting effective treatment and prevention of Parkinson's
disease.  The Michael J. Fox Foundation pursues every avenue available to
increase federal funding, as well as support an aggressive fundraising
effort in both private and corporate arenas to ensure that this critical
battle is won within the decade.  For more information on The Michael J.
Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, visit www.michaeljfox.org.

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