Pioneering Neurologist and Advocate for Holistic Parkinson's Care, Bastiaan Bloem, MD, PhD, Receives the Robert A. Pritzker Prize
Award honors Dr. Bloem's groundbreaking work integrating science, care and community for people with Parkinson's.
NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) has awarded the 2025 Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research to Bastiaan (Bas) Bloem, MD, PhD, a professor of movement disorder neurology and director of the Center of Expertise for Parkinson's Disease at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The prize recognizes researchers who make exceptional contributions to Parkinson's disease (PD) research and are committed to mentoring the next generation of Parkinson's scientists.
Professor Bloem is being honored for his pioneering work advancing holistic, person-centered research and care and his deep commitment to collaboration and mentorship that continues to shape the global Parkinson's research community.
"Professor Bloem has long championed a holistic approach to treating the person, not just the disease," said Brian Fiske, PhD, Chief Scientist at MJFF. "He's shown through rigorous research that lifestyle, creativity, and community are essential parts of therapy. His leadership in building collaborative networks and his mentorship of the next generation have created a legacy that will guide the field for years to come."
Fiske presented the award to Bloem during MJFF's Fall 2025 Research Roundtable in New York City, held in conjunction with the Foundation's annual gala. The event brought together patients and families to hear more on the Foundation's strategic research agenda, with discussions led by MJFF scientific leadership.
Over the past two decades, Bloem has become a leader in the field and has led studies revealing how non-pharmacological interventions including aerobic exercise, mindfulness, and creative engagement, can improve brain health and potentially slow disease progression. His Park-in-Shape trial demonstrated how home-based exercise can enhance neuroplasticity and preserve brain function, while his ongoing Slow-SPEED study, supported in part by MJFF, explores whether early-stage exercise can delay or prevent symptom onset.
Led by Bloem and researchers at Radboud University Medical Center, the Personalized Parkinson Project (PPP) is a longitudinal study following more than 600 individuals and their clinical histories with an effort to advance digital, imaging, and biological biomarkers. Through partnership with MJFF's landmark study, the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), this work is generating new insights into disease mechanisms and identifying potential druggable targets to accelerate therapeutic development.
Bloem is also internationally recognized for founding ParkinsonNet, a national network of more than 4,000 specially trained allied health professionals who deliver multidisciplinary, evidence-based Parkinson's care across the Netherlands. The model has reduced disease complications such as hip fractures and inspired similar care systems worldwide.
"Receiving the Robert A. Pritzker Award for Leadership in Parkinson's Research is an incredible honor and a powerful motivation to keep moving forward," said Professor Bloem. "Our goal has always been to do everything alongside people with Parkinson's, and to keep pushing the boundaries of science, care and creativity until Parkinson's stops."
The Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research recognizes scientists whose groundbreaking contributions have deepened understanding and its treatment of Parkinson's disease and whose leadership has inspired the next generation. Established in 2011 by Karen Pritzker and her late husband, Michael Vlock, the award includes a $200,000 research grant and is named in honor of Karen's father, Robert A. Pritzker, a renowned industrialist and philanthropist who lived with Parkinson's.
Watch the "Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research: https://youtu.be/XqOcWHGLlGw
About the Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research
The Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson's Research is named in honor of the late Robert A. Pritzker, a renowned industrialist, entrepreneur and philanthropist. Pritzker was founder of The Marmon Group and president of Colson Associates, Inc., holding companies for a variety of manufacturing and medical businesses. Additionally, he was an early promoter of the field of medical engineering at his alma mater, the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, where he also played a key role in expanding the biomedical research community through his support of The Pritzker Institute for Biomedical Science and Engineering at IIT.
The MJFF Scientific Advisory Board serves as the jury panel. Selection criteria include the nominee's complete body of work in the PD field with an emphasis on its impact on accelerating drug development; field-wide impact of the nominee's work; dedication to patient-relevant science; and influence on and encouragement of the next generation of PD investigators. The award itself is designed by renowned artist and Parkinson's patient Tom Shannon.
About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
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.
SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research
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