Irene Hegeman Richard, MD, Appointed Senior Medical Advisor to The Michael J. Fox ...( NEW YORK Nov. 29 -- In keeping w...),Health

NEW YORK, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In keeping with The Michael J. Fox Foundation's mission to accelerate scientific breakthroughs that can transform the lives of people with Parkinson's disease, the Foundation today announced the appointment of Irene Hegeman Richard, MD, to the newly created role of Senior Medical Advisor. This appointment formalizes the role of Dr. Richard, who is associate professor of neurology and psychiatry at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, in helping to inform and develop MJFF's clinical agenda.

Dr. Richard brings experience in running large-scale Parkinson's trials and is familiar with the challenges facing this research area. Formalizing her role as advisor to the Foundation will help ensure that MJFF's increasing involvement in clinical trials, including trial design and regulatory issues, is as efficient and targeted as possible. She will also provide important feedback on pre-clinical experimental design, helping to ensure that all studies funded by MJFF --- not only those requiring the active involvement of patients --- are designed with potential clinical issues in mind.

"Irene's clinical research perspective complements the scientific expertise of Gene Johnson, PhD, MJFF's chief scientific advisor, and her input will be a boon to our research staff and advisors in continually raising the bar on the patient-relevant outcomes we expect from every project we fund," said Katie Hood, interim CEO of The Michael J. Fox Foundation. "Additionally, as a clinician with an active neurology practice, Irene has a deep understanding of the challenges faced every day by people living with PD --- something the Foundation values deeply, since patients are at the center of every activity we undertake."

Dr. Richard has served on the Foundation's SAB since 2006. She also has been a member of the review committee for the Foundation's annual Clinical Discovery Program, which funds hig
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