Vanessa Arnedo serves as the Chief People Officer at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), where she plays a pivotal role in shaping MJFF’s people strategy in alignment with its mission and strategic priorities. She works closely with MJFF’s executive leadership and the Board of Directors to ensure MJFF attracts, develops, and engages a talented workforce that thrives in an inclusive organizational culture to drive further impact towards the mission.
Vanessa’s professional journey at MJFF includes several leadership roles, including her role as chief of staff to the CEO & co-founder where she optimized executive efficiency, liaised with the Board of Directors, and worked to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives into MJFF’s strategic priorities. She also previously served as MJFF’s vice president of research cohorts where she was responsible for overseeing the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), MJFF’s landmark global clinical study.
Prior to joining MJFF, Vanessa worked at the State University of New York at Downstate Medical Center as a clinical research support specialist for the department of neurology, as well as a research project coordinator at the NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. Vanessa graduated with a Masters in Public Health in Epidemiology from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and pre-medical studies from New York University.