Parkinson's Foundation Announces Second Cohort of Nurse Practitioner Fellowship in Movement Disorders

Year-long fellowship to take place at Emory University in Atlanta

NEW YORK and MIAMI, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Foundation announced the second cohort of its Parkinson's Nurse Practitioner Fellowship program at Emory University. Applications are now open for nurse practitioners (NP) who are interested in pursuing a career in Parkinson's disease (PD) care and research. Three NPs will be selected for the 2027 fellowship cohort and will complete a year-long program at Emory Healthcare's Movement Disorders Clinic, a Parkinson's Foundation Center of Excellence.

"We are very pleased to announce that this fellowship program will continue to equip essential nurse practitioners with the PD-specific tools they require to deliver quality care to a growing Parkinson's community," said John L. Lehr, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Parkinson's Foundation. "Advancing care models such as these help reduce barriers to quality care access and as a result, improve the lives of people living with PD."

The fellows selected for the program will train alongside physician fellows, modeling an interprofessional approach to Parkinson's care. The fellowship is designed to prepare eight nurse practitioners over three years for independent practice in Parkinson's disease and movement disorders care. Building on the success of the inaugural cohort of two fellows in 2026, each accepted fellow will be offered a wide range of complimentary and accredited virtual learning opportunities prior to the program's start date, including an invitation to the Parkinson's Disease Clinical Conference, hosted by the Parkinson's Foundation.

"The success of our inaugural fellowship cohort demonstrates the growing need for advanced training opportunities in Parkinson's care," said Eli Pollard, Vice President, Chief Training and Education Officer of the Parkinson's Foundation. "We are proud that fellows from the program have remained in the Parkinson's and movement disorders field as nurse practitioner leaders."

The fellowship is open to nurse practitioners with three years or more of clinical experience and are graduates of an adult-gerontology (acute-care or primary-care) or family nurse practitioner program from an accredited school of nursing. A national board certification in a nurse practitioner specialty by January 15, 2027, and a license as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in the state of Georgia by February 1, 2027, are also required. Applications are now open and close October 1, 2026. Three fellows will be selected, with offers extended by December 1, 2026. The fellowship begins May 10, 2027. Applications may be submitted here.

The Emory University host site is part of the Parkinson's Foundation Global Care Network, which consists of 67 medical centers around the world, including 54 in the U.S., that provide specialty PD care.

"We are pleased to report that our collaboration with the Parkinson's Foundation to help expand access to care for people living with Parkinson's disease is well underway with the first year of the Nurse Practitioner Fellowship program," said Jaffar Khan, MD, chair of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine. "We eagerly anticipate the arrival of our next cohort as we plan for our second iteration of this unique, highly valued and much needed training program."

Learn more about the Parkinson's Foundation Nurse Practitioner Fellowship program.

About the Parkinson's Foundation
The Parkinson's Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson's disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson's community. Since 1957, the Parkinson's Foundation has invested more than $513 million in Parkinson's research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, X, Instagram or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).

About Parkinson's Disease
Affecting more than one million Americans, Parkinson's disease is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., trouble sleeping, loss of smell and depression). There is no cure for Parkinson's and nearly 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Melissa Nobles Gonzalez
Parkinson's Foundation
[email protected]
305.537.9134

SOURCE Parkinson's Foundation