Investing in the Future of Parkinson's Research and Care Through The Michael J. Fox Foundation's Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders

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The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Nov 10, 2025, 14:01 ET

Since it began in 2014, the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders has graduated 48 new movement disorder specialists around the world and is on track to graduate 17 more who are currently in training. By 2031, the Fellowship will have produced 103 specialists, increasing access to expert care for 80,000 patients annually.
The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship has grown into a world-renowned program with significant contributions in enhancing access to high-quality patient care and leading scientific advancements toward better understanding and treatment of movement disorders — an urgent need as Parkinson's is the world's fastest growing neurological disease.
Edmond J. Safra Fellowship alumni continue to make an impact by advancing groundbreaking Parkinson's research beyond their training, including through the Edmond J. Safra Movement Disorders Research Career Development Award.

NEW YORK, Nov. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The longstanding partnership between The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and the Edmond J. Safra Foundation continues to open the door toward scientific advances and opportunities to better care for people and families living with Parkinson's disease (PD). Since its launch in 2014, the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders annually funds medical centers to train the next generation of Parkinson's doctors as clinician-researchers. These newly trained movement disorder specialists help address the critical and widening gap between the growing number of Parkinson's patients and the limited availability of dedicated, expert care.

For people living with Parkinson's, seeing a movement disorder specialist is key for navigating care and treatment. A study published in the BMJ in March 2025 estimates that the number of people living with Parkinson's will grow to reach more than 25 million by 2050 — representing a 112 percent increase from 2021. Given the relationship between Parkinson's and aging, and the increasing number of individuals living with Parkinson's around the world, the demand for specialists is on the rise. Currently, the U.S. has around 660 movement disorder specialists — meaning there is only about one specialist for every 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries living with PD. Especially notable, given about 90 percent of people living with Parkinson's in the U.S. rely on Medicare for their health care coverage.

A shortage of movement disorder specialists can bring challenges in seeking care including long appointment times and unreasonable travel distances. According to a recent survey of our Fellowship alumni, one Parkinson's specialist may see an average of 780 patients every year. Through the commitment of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, the Fellowship is making a tangible impact around the world by growing the base of clinician-researchers — 48 new movement disorder specialists have graduated since the program launched in 2014. The Fellowship program, now reaching an estimated 80,000 patients every year, continues to expand its reach globally, training more clinician-scientists than ever and further strengthening the pipeline of experts advancing Parkinson's research and care.

The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship and the advancements of the most promising Parkinson's research to date have been made possible through the leadership and transformative generosity of the late Mrs. Lily Safra, former chairwoman of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation and MJFF Board member. This generation of clinician-researchers are uniquely positioned to accelerate scientific discoveries, translate them into better treatments and ensure that research momentum delivers real-world impact for people with Parkinson's. The Edmond J. Safra Network is making a critical impact during a pivotal moment in research, with meaningful advances being made in understanding the disease and developing new therapies.

"The Edmond J. Safra Foundation, and the generous vision of the late Mrs. Lily Safra, have long been instrumental in shaping the future of Parkinson's research and care," said MJFF CEO and Co-Founder Deborah W. Brooks. "Today, the Edmond J. Safra Network is a driving force toward critical discoveries, advancing new therapies and delivering expert care to patients with Parkinson's worldwide — laying the groundwork for lasting impact in both research progress and patient care. The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship program continues to fuel hope and momentum that will transform what's possible for generations to come."

Graduating Class of 2025 Advances the Future of Research and Care

Now in its 11th year, the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship has achieved the status of a world-renowned funding opportunity, a distinguished training pathway and a peer-to-peer network.

"The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship gives the community hope – hope that life can be well-lived with Parkinson's, hope for treatments that can change the course of disease, and hope for the future of Parkinson's research and care," said Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM, MJFF's principal medical advisor, fellowship-trained movement disorder specialist, lifestyle medicine physician and Edmond J. Safra Fellowship program lead.

The most recent graduates, part of the eighth graduating class, now move forward in their careers toward caring for people and families with Parkinson's and fueling research momentum globally.

William Barbosa, MD

Fellowship Site: University of Rochester in Rochester, New York

Dr. Barbosa will stay on as faculty at the University of Rochester to treat patients with movement disorders and will continue to address barriers to care by working in a Spanish-language neurology clinic in Rochester. He plans to continue his research, including the rollout of skin biopsy testing in the clinic. Additionally, he plans to develop a new academic exchange program in his home community of Puerto Rico.

Juan Ramon Deliz, MD

Fellowship Site: Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois

Dr. Deliz will stay on as the medical director for one of Northwestern University's satellite facilities in the Chicago suburbs. There, he plans to build a more comprehensive Parkinson's disease center so patients can get care closer to home without needing to travel downtown. Additionally, he hopes to integrate research with services like physical, occupational and speech therapy, and connect people with psychiatry or rehabilitation when needed.

Kacey Hu, MD

Fellowship Site: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, California

After returning from maternity leave, Dr. Hu will return to the University of Southern California as faculty. There she will continue with research focused on deep brain stimulation, and how clinical and social factors might influence outcomes, clinical trials and caring for patients in clinic.

Taha Adam Omer, MBBS, Dip. Ther, DCSM, MRCPI, MRCP (London), PhD

Fellowship Site: University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta

Dr. Omer aims to join an academic center where he can offer advanced, compassionate care while participating in cutting-edge research. He hopes to help shape a patient-centered, multidisciplinary movement disorders program that doesn't just treat symptoms, but also improves lives.

Emily Tharp, MD

Fellowship Site: The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas

Dr. Tharp will stay on at The University of Texas Health Science Center as faculty, splitting her time evenly between research and clinical care. She remains especially passionate about studying women with PD, including the impact of estrogen exposure on risk for developing the disease.

Mehmet Salih Tuncer, MD

Fellowship Site: Charité-Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, Germany

Dr. Tuncer continues to work at Charité, while completing the remaining training of his residency to care for patients and families. His research in deep brain stimulation efficacy has a goal to individualize predictions of its impact on patients by using imaging.

Duncan Wilson, MBChB, MRCP, PhD

Fellowship Site: Westmead Hospital and University of Sydney in Sydney, Australia

Dr. Wilson will expand the existing movement disorders program in Christchurch, New Zealand, where he will help patients with access to deep brain stimulation for the first time, and in tandem, will further research into Parkinson's, Huntington's disease and dementia.

Isabel Wurster, MD

Fellowship Site: University of Tübingen in Tübingen, Germany

Dr. Wurster will soon finish the specialization exam to become a full, senior neurologist. She will continue working at the University of Tübingen Center for Neurology. She hopes to continue working with patients and supporting longitudinal studies such as the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative and MJFF's Consortium on PRKN and PINK1 to help deliver better personalized care.

The Edmond J. Safra Movement Disorders Research Career Development Awards

To support the sustained contributions of Fellowship alumni to Parkinson's research, MJFF and the Edmond J. Safra Foundation launched a competitive research funding opportunity, the Edmond J. Safra Movement Disorders Research Career Development Awards, in 2022. The program has supported four recent graduates to study Parkinson's and related conditions to amplify the field-wide contributions of the Fellowship network. In May 2025, the inaugural 2022 Awardees presented the final results of their two-year research projects. The additional awardees will present their final results in Spring 2026.

Conor Fearon, BE, MB, BCh, BAO, MRCPI, PhD

Edmond J. Safra Fellowship Class of 2022

Consulting neurologist; Dublin Neurological Institute; Dublin, Ireland

Combining his expertise in electrical engineering and movement disorders, Dr. Fearon aimed to develop quantitative, non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose and track Parkinson's and related parkinsonisms through analysis of eye movements and pupillary changes. Through his research, Dr. Fearon has identified two potentially novel eye movement biomarkers that carry important diagnostic and prognostic information.

Anne Weissbach, MD

Edmond J. Safra Fellowship Class of 2020

Clinician scientist; Institute of Neurogenetics Lübeck and Institute of Systems Motor Science; Lübeck, Germany

Using non-invasive brain stimulation, Dr. Weissbach's research evaluated unique brain signals in people with inherited Parkinson-dystonia syndromes. These diseases have symptoms of both PD and dystonia, a muscle cramping that can be part of PD or a condition on its own. Dr. Weissbach's findings show the differences in motor response by sensory input found in patients with certain genetic mutations. This research is leading to better understanding of and treatments for both Parkinson's and dystonia.

Top-Tier Academic Centers Selected to Train the Class of 2028

Since its inception, the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship has extended funding to 41 world-renowned academic institutions in 13 countries and nine U.S. states. During the most recent round of funding, an external review committee of movement disorder specialists, assembled by MJFF, selected eight top-tier medical centers – six of which are new to the program – from a highly competitive group of applicants to train the Class of 2028. The awardees are:

Corporation CETRAM in Lo Espejo, Chile; Roger Roríguez Monge, MD, MS
University of Zurich in Zurich, Switzerland; awaiting confirmation of selected fellow
Amsterdam University Medical Centers in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; awaiting confirmation of selected fellow
University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia; Biruktawit Tesfay, MD
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri; Dorothy Nguyen, MD
Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina; Victor Diego Armengol, MD
Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario; Jonas Deppe, MD
University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, Alabama; Jason Brown, MD

MJFF is now accepting applications from academic centers to train the Class of 2029. A review committee will evaluate applicants on their history of training movement disorder clinician-researchers; the breadth and depth of clinical care and research education; and training opportunities that equip fellows with the skills and knowledge to advance equitable access and diversity across clinical care services, research, education and community outreach. The deadline to apply is Thursday, December 4 at 5 p.m. ET. Application information for the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship Class of 2029 can be found here.

To learn more about the fellowship program, please visit the following resources

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding $2.5 billion in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; creates a robust open- access data set and biosample library to speed scientific breakthroughs and treatment with its landmark clinical study, PPMI; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us at www.michaeljfox.org, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

About the Edmond J. Safra Foundation

Edmond J. Safra, one of the 20th century's most accomplished bankers and a devoted philanthropist, established a major charitable foundation to ensure that individuals and organizations would continue to receive his assistance and encouragement for many years to come. Led for more than twenty years by his beloved wife Lily, the Edmond J. Safra Foundation draws continuing inspiration from Mr. and Mrs. Safra's values and priorities, supporting hundreds of organizations and programs in more than forty countries around the world. Its work encompasses four areas: education; science and medicine; religion; and humanitarian assistance, culture, and social welfare. The Foundation has provided significant funding for Parkinson's disease research and patient care at dozens of hospitals and institutes in places as varied as Natal (Brazil), Toronto, New York, Grenoble, Paris, London and Jerusalem.

SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research