Michael J Fox hopes Trump government will continue support for Parkinson’s research

Perspectives

Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 17 November 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Days after Trump’s election triumph, celebrities gathered at the Michael J Fox Foundation gala to hear Fox call for continued support from the incoming US government

Michael J Fox has announced his hopes that President-elect Donald Trump will continue to support funding for Parkinson’s research, when Trump takes up office in January.

Fox told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the annual Michael J Fox Foundation gala: “We’re hoping that the NIH [US National Institutes of Health] funds Parkinson’s research. So we don’t yet know what the environment is going to be with the new administration. We had support from the Obama administration but that doesn’t directly affect the NIH. It’s kind of agnostic in a way. We hope to get support from the government, whoever they are.”

The gala, hosted at New York’s luxurious Waldorf Astoria hotel, raised more than US$5.4 million, purely for Parkinson’s research, as the gala’s cost was paid for in full by the organisation’s board.

Fox also reflected on the deaths of Muhammad Ali and Janet Reno, both of whom dealt with Parkinson’s disease in the public eye and died this year. Fox said both were particularly influential to him in the early days of his organisation, which he founded in 2000.

“I think we have $75 million ready to spend this year, we have $150 million in ideas, so the money has not met the science yet, and that’s what we strive to do is to get to where we have an idea, we have an avenue that we can see some potential in and be able to fund that right away,” Fox added.

In keeping with his tradition of playing guitar with musicians on stage, Fox accompanied Paul Simon on hits ‘Me and Julio down by the schoolyard’ and ‘You can call me Al’.

Stars in attendance included Ryan Reynolds – who sits on The Michael J Fox Foundation board – Julianne Moore, John Slattery, George Stroumboulopoulos and Willie Geis.

Image credit: The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research courtesy of Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy

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Michael J Fox hopes Trump government will continue support for Parkinson’s research

Perspectives

Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 17 November 2016

Prep: Cook: Serves:

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Can a diabetes drug be repurposed to treat Parkinson’s too?

Global update

No Escape Room: a Parkinson’s campaign like no other

Global update

Climbing Machu Picchu to conquer Parkinson’s

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Parkinson’s Europe co-founder Lizzie Graham wins World Parkinson Coalition award

Study explores predictors of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease

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Michael J Fox hopes Trump government will continue support for Parkinson’s research

Perspectives

Author: Almaz OhenePublished: 17 November 2016

Last Month

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Share this story

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Related articles

Advances

Can a diabetes drug be repurposed to treat Parkinson’s too?

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No Escape Room: a Parkinson’s campaign like no other

Global update

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Parkinson’s Europe co-founder Lizzie Graham wins World Parkinson Coalition award

Study explores predictors of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease

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