FROM: PR Newswire
August 21, 2002, Wednesday
HEADLINE: The Michael J. Fox Foundation Announces Research Fellowships
DATELINE: NEW YORK, Aug. 21
" The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) today
announced
the creation of The Michael J. Fox Foundation Research Fellowship
program,
designed to encourage promising young scientists and clinicians to enter
the
field of Parkinson's research. The $1.2 million program provides a
two-year
fellowship awarded on a competitive basis at nine leading research
institutions
in North America.
"With Parkinson's disease research now gaining momentum, the
Foundation's
Fellowship program will help build the bench strength needed to quickly
find a
cure," said Michael J. Fox.
"This program is a logical complement to our aggressive research
funding
strategy," said Deborah W. Brooks, executive director. "The Michael J.
Fox
Foundation Fellowship program is designed to help attract excellent
young
scientists and clinicians to cutting-edge Parkinson's disease research
efforts.
In addition, the program will provide the fellows with the mentoring and
collaborative opportunities critical to the early stage of their
careers." Ms.
Brooks noted that each fellow would work under the guidance of a member
of the
Foundation's Scientific Advisory Board, comprised of leading researchers
in
various aspects of Parkinson's disease.
The fellowship initiative is one element of MJFF's broad research
agenda to
eliminate Parkinson's disease within the decade, given the proper
funding. To
date, the Fox Foundation has funded or directed more than $17 million in
Parkinson's disease research. An additional $8 million in three research
programs is scheduled to be funded by the end of the year.
The following institutions currently are seeking applicants for their
Michael J. Fox Foundation Research Fellowships:
* The Parkinson's Institute. A basic research fellowship under the
direction of J. William Langston, MD, scientific director and chief
executive officer and colleagues. A second fellowship providing
experience in epidemiologic research methods under the direction of
Caroline M. Tanner, MD, PhD, director of clinical research.
* Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center. A research fellowship
under the direction of Jeffrey H. Kordower, PhD, professor of
Neurological Sciences and director of the Research Center for Brain
Repair.
* Stanford University. Fellowship in stem cell biology under the
direction of Theo D. Palmer, PhD, assistant professor of neurology.
* University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. Research
fellowship under the direction of Clifford W. Schults, MD, focusing
on
the processes leading to neuronal death in Parkinson's disease and
developing interventions in these pathogenic processes.
* University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Research fellowship
available under the direction of Michael J. Zigmond, PhD,
co-director
of the National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence and
associate
director for research of the Pittsburgh Institute for
Neurodegenerative
Disorders.
* University of Toronto, Toronto Western Hospital. Fellowship for
physicians and post-doctoral scientists to train in functional
neurosurgery and research in Parkinson's disease under the
direction of
Andres M. Lozano, MD, PhD, head of applied and interventional
research.
The following institutions have already named their research
fellows.
They are:
* Columbia University, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Department
of
Neurology. Robert Silva, PhD, has been named the first Michael J.
Fox
Foundation Research Fellow. Dr. Silva will work under the
direction of
Robert E. Burke, MD, director of laboratory research in Parkinson's
disease and related disorders. Dr. Silva will study programmed cell
death of dopamine neurons, examining the role of the c-jun kinase
(JNK)
signaling pathway. Dr. Silva received his bachelor's degree from
Boston
University and a doctorate from The City University of New York.
* Emory University School of Medicine. Todd Sherer, PhD, has been
named
the first Michael J. Fox Research Fellow at the Center for
Neurodegenerative Diseases. Dr. Sherer will work under the
direction
of J. Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD, to study models of
environmentally
induced Parkinson's disease and mechanisms of cell death. Dr.
Sherer
received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Duke University and
a
doctorate in neuroscience from The University of Virginia.
* The Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Rowena Tabamo, MD
has
been named the first Michael J. Fox Research Fellow. Dr. Tabamo
will
work under the direction of Kenneth L. Marek, MD, president and
senior
scientist, to study neuroimaging for Parkinson's disease. Dr.
Tabamo
received a bachelor's degree in biology at the University of the
Phillipines, and an MD degree from the University of the
Philippines,
the Philippine General Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Tabamo
completed
an internship in internal medicine at New York Medical College, and
residencies in neurology at the University of Missouri and Brown
University. Most recently, Dr. Tabamo was a fellow in at the
Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center.
Founded in May 2000, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research
has established a strategic campaign to accelerate, expand, and focus
funding of
the world's best research targeting effective treatment and prevention
of
Parkinson's disease. MJFF is dedicated to pursuing every possible
avenue to
increase federal funding and support aggressive fundraising efforts in
both
private and corporate arenas to ensure that this critical battle is
won. For
more information on The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's
Research,
visit http://www.michaeljfox.org.
MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here
http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X82585053
SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation
CONTACT: Media - Joyce Oberdorf, +1-212-213-3525, ext. 214, or Research
Contact
- Mike Claeys, +1-212-213-3525, ext. 228, both of the Michael J. Fox
Foundation
URL: http://www.prnewswire.com
LOAD-DATE: August 22, 2002
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