named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI)
Global observational study following people with Parkinson's, at-risk individuals, and controls over time to identify biomarkers and enable precision medicine approaches.
Path to Prevention platform trial
Platform trial design aimed at testing preventive therapies in individuals at risk for Parkinson's disease.
Targets to Therapies Program
Initiative focused on validating novel biological targets for disease-modifying Parkinson's therapies, including TRPML1, NOD2, and others.
Therapeutics Pipeline Program
Funds biotech and pharmaceutical development of promising therapies, including those targeting LRRK2, GBA1, and mitochondrial or lysosomal dysfunction.
activities · 7 groups
What they do
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Parkinson's Disease Research and Support 2 activities
- Support global grassroots fundraising through Team FoxEngages thousands of Team Fox members globally in fundraising activities for Parkinson's research.
- Use public engagement and media to advance missionFeatured Michael J. Fox in a three-episode arc on Apple TV's "Shrinking" to portray a character living with Parkinson's, using his return to acting to demonstrate continued engagement in passions and inspire the Parkinson’s community.
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Genetic and Neurological Disease Research Funding 1 activity
- Fund and advance Parkinson's disease researchHas funded over $2.5 billion in Parkinson's research programs, awarded 108 grants totaling $62.4 million in 2025 alone, and supported therapeutic development including stem cell engineering and drug development for LRRK2 and GBA1 targets. The foundation has transformed genetic discoveries like LRRK2 into druggable targets and advanced biomarker tools such as the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay.
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Healthcare Provider Directories and Clinical Support Services 1 activity
- Operate Fox Trial Finder and support clinical trial participationOperates Fox Trial Finder, a tool that matches people with Parkinson's to recruiting clinical studies, facilitating over 15,000 referrals since 2020. Also provides access to virtual clinical trials remotely and supports screening and participation in longitudinal studies like PPMI and NeuLark.
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Charity Event Organization 1 activity
- Organize community fundraising eventsOrganizes the Run/Walk Series and Tour de Fox Cycling Series to engage communities in fundraising for Parkinson's research, contributing to over $30 million raised since 1994, including $2.4 million in 2025.
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Patient and Researcher Conferences 1 activity
- Participate in and support the World Parkinson CongressDeploys staff and supports participation in the World Parkinson Congress, including hosting policy discussions, contributing lived expertise, moderating research sessions, and supporting event planning.
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Healthcare Policy Advocacy 1 activity
- Shape federal Parkinson's research policy and fundingPlayed a key role in building bipartisan support leading to the establishment of the National Parkinson’s Project, submitted public comments to its Advisory Council, and organized the 2026 Parkinson’s Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., where 300 advocates met with over 240 congressional offices.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Advocate for national and state-level policy change on pesticidesHas led a nationwide advocacy campaign for over 10 years to ban paraquat, a pesticide linked to increased Parkinson's risk. Advocated for a bipartisan Farm Bill amendment in 2026 and is actively working on paraquat legislation in 12 states including New York, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota.
- Conduct longitudinal research through Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI)Conducts the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), a long-term study collecting biological, genetic, and clinical data from over 4,200 in-person and nearly 50,000 online participants to understand early stages of Parkinson’s and identify biomarkers. Includes recruitment of individuals with REM sleep behavior disorder and use of wearable sensors and DaT scans.
- Provide research participants with access to their dataProvides U.S. and U.K. participants with access to their research results—including smell test, alpha-synuclein spinal fluid test, motor signs test, and DaT scan—through the myPPMI portal.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$505.29M
Contributions & grants$490.18M97%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$13.02M3%
Other revenue$2.08M
expenses
Total expenses$452.47M
Program expenses89%
Admin / overhead4%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$52.85M
Grants paid out$342.76M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$439.01M
Cash$195.78M
Investments$169.90M
Liabilities$243.13M
Net assets$195.88M
Liquid reserves9.7 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +59.9%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 11
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEBORAH W BROOKS | CO-FOUNDER & CEO | 40 | $1.52M |
| TODD SHERER | CHIEF MISSION OFFICER | 40 | $1.26M |
| SOHINI CHOWDHURY | CHIEF PROGRAM OFFICER | 40 | $1.01M |
| LISA BOUDREAU | CHIEF DEVLEP. OFFICER (AS OF 7/24) | 40 | $553K |
| HOLLY TEICHHOLTZ | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER | 40 | $540K |
| BRIAN K FISKE | CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER | 40 | $475K |
| MARK A FRASIER | CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER | 40 | $455K |
| JAMES MCNASBY | GENERAL COUNSEL/SECRETARY | 40 | $452K |
| VANESSA ARNEDO | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER | 40 | $427K |
| WILLIAM FOWLER | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (TO 3/24) | 40 | $257K |
| JENNIFER MOUGHALIAN | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER (AS OF 7/24) | 40 | $198K |
board members · 14
- AKBAR GBAJABIAMILA — MEMBER
- ALEX KRYS — MEMBER
- AMAR KUCHINAD — MEMBER
- ANDREW CREIGHTON — MEMBER
- ANDREW J O'BRIEN — CHAIRMAN
- ANNE M HOLLOWAY — MEMBER
- ANNE-CECILIE ENGELL SPEYER — MEMBER
- ARI RICHTER — MEMBER
- BARRY J COHEN — MEMBER
- BARRY MALKIN — MEMBER
- BONNIE M BANDEEN — MEMBER
- BONNIE STRAUSS — MEMBER
- CAROLYN SCHENKER — MEMBER
- COLIN R MASSON — MEMBER
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- AbbVie Partner — Industry sponsor supporting the economic burden study.
- Acadia Pharmaceuticals Partner — Industry sponsor supporting the economic burden study.
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) Partner — Collaborates with MJFF to support global scientific collaboration on Parkinson’s research, including mechanisms behind different disease manifestations and precision medicine.
- American Parkinson Disease Association Partner — Nonprofit sponsor collaborating on the economic burden study.
- Apple TV Partner — Collaborated to feature Michael J. Fox in a guest role on the series "Shrinking" to raise awareness for Parkinson's disease.
- BlueRock Therapeutics Partner — Collaborated with through research support to develop stem cell–derived dopamine neuron therapies for Parkinson's disease.
- Collaborative Research Network (CRN) Network — ASAP-supported program collaborating with MJFF to advance Parkinson’s research.
- CurePSP Partner — Nonprofit sponsor collaborating on the economic burden study.
- Environmental Working Group Partner — Collaborated with Vermont legislators and advocates on paraquat legislation.
- Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program (GP2) Network — ASAP-supported program collaborating with MJFF to advance Parkinson’s genetics research.
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders Partner — Co-founded by PPMI principal investigator Dr. Kenneth Marek and collaborates on Parkinson's research.
- National Parkinson’s Project Partner — Collaborates with the National Parkinson’s Project through advocacy and submission of policy recommendations.
- National Parkinson’s Project Advisory Council Partner — Engages with the Advisory Council by submitting public comment and contributing expertise.
- Nelle Fortenberry Partner — Producing partner of Michael J. Fox and founding MJFF Board member who wrote and directed the foundation's 25-year impact film.
- PD GENEration Partner — Collaborates on genetic research initiatives for Parkinson's disease, facilitating participant enrollment and education.
- Parkinson's Unity Walk Partner — Collaborates on an annual walk event that raises funds for Parkinson's research.
- Parkinson’s Foundation Partner — Nonprofit sponsor collaborating on the economic burden study.
- Parkinson’s Precision Medicine Initiative (PPMI) Network — MJFF-supported initiative that supports precision recruitment for genetic stratification and patient identification in Parkinson’s research.
- Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative Network — Participates in a large-scale research initiative to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s progression
- Path to Prevention platform trial Network — Participates in a platform trial focused on preventing Parkinson’s disease
- Team Fox Network — Network of thousands of fundraising members supporting Parkinson's research
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) Partner — Funds and/or provides leadership for research into objective diagnostic tests for Parkinson's disease
- University of Rochester Partner — Collaborates on the NeuLark clinical study, enrolling participants through local research sites.
- Vermont Public Interest Research Group Partner — Collaborated with Vermont legislators and advocates on paraquat legislation.
- Washington Post Partner — Collaborates with The Washington Post to disseminate information about early Parkinson's symptoms and research opportunities.
- World Parkinson Congress Partner — Collaborates with the World Parkinson Congress to engage the global Parkinson's community and advance research and care.
- clinicaltrials.gov Partner — Integrates study data from clinicaltrials.gov into Fox Trial Finder.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collaborative De-Risking Model for Therapeutic Developmentmethodology: de-risking_therapeutic_developmentBy funding and coordinating shared research infrastructure, validating targets, and generating pre-competitive data, we accelerate therapy development because we reduce scientific, technical, and financial risks for industry partners, encouraging investment in high-potential treatments.
- Genetics-First Precision Medicine Pathwaymethodology: genetics-first researchBy focusing research on genetic subtypes of Parkinson’s, particularly early-onset cases, we enable the development of targeted, disease-modifying therapies because identifying root biological causes allows for earlier intervention and personalized treatment strategies.
- Patient-Centered Research Accelerationmethodology: patient-centered_researchBy integrating patients as expert partners in research design and governance, we accelerate the development of meaningful therapies because their lived experience ensures scientific priorities align with real-world needs and outcomes.
- Policy-Driven Prevention and Research Advocacymethodology: policy_advocacy_through_coalition_buildingBy advocating for policy change around environmental risk factors and regulatory action, we reduce the incidence and burden of Parkinson’s because systemic interventions enable large-scale prevention and redirect research priorities toward modifiable causes.