The Michael J. Fox Foundation Launches 2025 "Parkinson's IQ + You" National Event Series Across the United States to Educate and Empower People and Families Living with Parkinson's Disease

• Since the series began in 2019, the free events have been designed to empower people with Parkinson's and care partners to better manage the disease, learn about research participation and connect with local resources.
• Patients and families are encouraged to join the events, which offer full accessibility including assisted hearing devices, Spanish-language translation of programming and access to a wide-range of experts.
• The 2025 series is scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Nashville, Tennessee and Honolulu, Hawaii. Learn more and register at: michaeljfox.org/PDIQ.

NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This year, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) will engage with thousands of people and families across the United States with its returning "Parkinson's IQ + You" national event series, which serves to educate and empower people and families living with Parkinson's disease (PD). The free event series will offer live panel discussions on building a Parkinson's care team, the latest in Parkinson's research and how to turn education into action.

Since 2019, the Parkinson's IQ + You series has traveled across the United States reaching more than 15 locations and serving over 8,700 Parkinson's patients and families. The live event series supports families in learning more about the disease, the elements of a comprehensive care team, communication between patients and their doctors, the latest PD treatments and those in development, and the value of participating in clinical studies.

"People and families living with this disease are at the heart of everything we do and urgently drive our mission to end Parkinson's," said Stephanie Paddock, MJFF's vice president of community fundraising and events. "The Foundation's Parkinson's IQ + You series allows people and families to build meaningful connections and better understand their role in today's latest breakthroughs and empower them on their journey."

2025 Event Series will Travel Across the United States Providing Free, Educational Support

Parkinson's IQ + You will visit multiple cities across the United States in 2025, bringing full-day events and a Parkinson's Partner Expo connecting participants with local community resources. The event is designed to support Parkinson's patients at every stage of disease as well as their care partners.

The 2025 series will be hosted by MJFF Patient Council member and advocate Allie Signorelli, who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease at 47 years old. Allie's thought leadership and advocacy has grown a substantial Parkinson's community online through her Instagram account @imstillallie.

"Managing Parkinson's often presents new questions for those of us living with the disease, as well as for our loved ones," said Allie Signorelli, 2025 Parkinson's IQ + You event moderator. "With recent breakthroughs and milestones moving the field forward, Parkinson's IQ + You offers people in the community, including me and my family, an opportunity to not only learn, but also be part of today's momentum. I am filled with so much gratitude for the opportunity to use my voice to amplify the many resources available to patients and to support the entire PD community."

Free registration for the event, which includes complimentary breakfast and lunch, is available at michaeljfox.org/PDIQ. Confirmed locations and dates are as follows:

• Orlando, Florida: Saturday, March 15 at the JW Marriott Orlando, Grande Lakes
• Minneapolis, Minnesota: Saturday, May 17 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Bloomington – Minneapolis South
• Nashville, Tennessee: Saturday, September 6 at the Omni Nashville Hotel
• Honolulu, Hawaii: Saturday, October 4 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort

Events will include interactive panels and sessions on understanding Parkinson's, living well with the disease, the latest updates on research advances and how to get involved in clinical research. During "Building Your Parkinson's Care Team," panelists will discuss how to make the most of a doctor's appointment, including the value of seeing a movement disorder specialist, and what it looks like to build a comprehensive care team. In "Exploring the Latest in Parkinson's Research," panelists will share the latest advancements in Parkinson's research, highlighting the promise and momentum in today's bustling therapeutic pipeline. Finally, "Turning Education into Action," will feature local community members as panelists who will discuss different strategies that support navigating the disease – whether it's through participation in research, support groups, fundraising for a cure or advocating for Parkinson's policy priorities.

Staffed throughout the day, the Parkinson's Partner Expo will gather local resources including healthcare providers from movement disorder centers, physical and speech therapists, clinical trial teams and representatives from support and advocacy groups. The Expo will also unite national Parkinson's organizations to serve patients and families with in-person opportunities to learn the latest information on the disease, tools to optimize care and ways to engage with the community.

Serving the Parkinson's Community through Education and Accessibility 

To date, most Parkinson's research and care has not served and been fully representative of all people who live with the disease. MJFF is committed to building inclusive on ramps for diverse populations of patients and families to meaningfully engage in education and research. To support reaching more people and families across the Parkinson's community, "Parkinson's IQ + You" events provide equitable access to its programming by offering multiple onramps.

The Parkinson's IQ + You 2025 series will support patients and families by providing expanded services such as assisted hearing, live Spanish-translation of programming and materials, access to travel accommodations such as ground transportation vouchers.   

"As someone who has cared for my own family members with Parkinson's and related diseases, I've been witness to the power community can play in supporting a loved one's journey," said Lisbeth Garces, Spanish Community Liaison of Parkinson's Association of San Diego and 2024 Parkinson's IQ + You event panelist. "Events like Parkinson's IQ + You helps people and families better understand available resources, support and our role in advancing toward a world with better treatments and a cure."

Parkinson's IQ + You is committed to amplifying a wide range of panel participants, including patients, care partners, researchers and clinicians who reflect the diverse representation from within the Parkinson's community as well as the variability of the disease itself.

Expanding the national event series into 2025 comes at a time of tremendous momentum being felt throughout the Parkinson's community. Our high-risk, high-reward model has supported and enabled the field's most recent transformative milestones, including the 2023 breakthrough discovery of a Parkinson's biomarker — a long-sought research tool that is helping to speed clinical trials — and the National Parkinson's Project, a 2024 law that establishes the first-ever federal initiative to accelerate research, improve patient care and ultimately prevent and cure Parkinson's. 

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 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, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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