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Debi Brooks Heads to Capitol Hill to Advocate for Research Collaboration on Behalf of PD Patients

Debi Brooks Heads to Capitol Hill to Advocate for Research Collaboration on Behalf of PD Patients

Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman Debi Brooks will take part in “The Blueprint of Medical Research: How New Medicines Gets from the Lab to the Patient” Congressional Briefing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, February 6.  The briefing, organized by FasterCures and Friends of Cancer Research, aims to “educate and orient members of Congress, legislative staff, and advocates about the vital role federal agencies and the medical research sector play in advancing medical progress.”

Patients, caregivers and supporters in the D.C. area are encouraged to attend the briefing.  Advance registration is required through FasterCures.org – space is limited.

Debi joins a panel with a number of key players active throughout the drug development process including Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, and Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Margaret Anderson, executive director of FasterCures, will serve as the moderator for the hour and half panel discussion, designed to educate key members of Congress on the medical research enterprise and the collaboration required by all stakeholders (federal agencies, biotechs, pharmaceutical industries, academia and patient-driven advocacy groups) to help bring cures to patients faster and more efficiently.

The Foundation is no stranger to Capitol Hill. In partnership with the Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN), the unified voice of Parkinson's disease advocacy, the Foundation makes it a priority to inform and educate policymakers on issues influencing Parkinson’s research and drug development.

Last December, MJFF’s CEO, Todd Sherer, PhD attended a Congressional briefing on the Vanderbilt University and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) partnership and explained how the Foundation’s de-risking strategy plays a vital role in the development of cures.  Todd also testified before Congress in March 2012 on the importance of The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and lessons learned from MJFF's model to speed translation.

"Streamlining the drug discovery process from the lab to the pharmacy shelf has been a key focus of our Foundation since inception," Todd Sherer said. "It is a privilege to have the opportunity to gain insight into other diseases while applying learnings from our experience in Parkinson's — all to help propel the drug development pipeline forward for the benefit of every American. “

Todd sits on the NCATS Advisory Council, helping to provide guidance and recommendations to the National Institutes of Health for overcoming scientific and systemic barriers that impede the translation of basic research into practical, patient-relevant treatments.  

If you are interested in learning more about becoming an advocate for Parkinson’s research, or for other ways to get involved in the PD movement with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, please visit: https://www.michaeljfox.org/get-involved/index.html

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