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Michael J. Fox Closer Than Ever To Life-Changing Parkinson’s Disease Research

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 03:18 PST, Oct 12, 2016

Michael J. Fox Foundation has been selected as a finalist in a competition that raises awareness of clinical trial participation, according to PR Newswire. The foundation, established by the 55-year-old Back to the Future actor in 2000, is making huge steps in helping battle Parkinson’s disease.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has been selected as one of 14 finalists to attend an initiative to raise awareness of clinical trial participation to find new approaches in the battle against Parkinson’s disease.

The Inspiring Hope Ideathon invited the Michael J. Fox Foundation to participate in the competition thanks to its efforts in promoting its online clinical study Fox Insight.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation launched the Fox Insight platform to allow people with Parkinson’s disease as well as their family and friends to share health and wellness data online. The platform has a goal to help develop new approaches to better treatments for Parkinson’s.

Members of the Michael J. Fox Foundation took part in a two-day workshop in Boston last month to contribute their findings about developing new plans to increase the effectiveness of modern anti-Parkinson’s disease tools.

Senior vice president of research partnerships at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Sohini Chowdhury, said the foundation is honored to have been invited to take part in the two-day event, and added that many people who have Parkinson’s disease don’t realize that they can play “an important role” in helping research.

“We’re honored to have been selected as a finalist and to be a part of a larger conversation around clinical trial participation awareness.”

Chowdhury added that the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Fox Insight tool has a goal to engage more people and make them realize that they can actually make a great difference in shaping the research conversation.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Fox Insight tool allows users to submit their Parkinson’s disease-related data through questionnaires and smart devices. The foundation is planning to make the study’s data available to the scientists to help develop new methods for treating Parkinson’s disease.

In other news, a new Canadian insurance company wants to dispel the myth that insurance companies are all money-driven and greedy, according to Ad Week. And Sonnet Insurance wants to do it with the help of Michael J. Fox.

The company has recently released a video featuring Michael J. Fox’s voice. In the video, Sonnet features a pretty weird-looking rocket rising from the pad. And Fox, who does a voiceover for the ad, insists that Sonnet has a “much more powerful” motivation than money.

“It took us to the stars. Overcame countless obstacles. It wasn’t a single bright mind. Or money. Or politics. No. It was something much more powerful.”

And according to Michael J. Fox, that’s “optimism.” The actor also says in a voiceover that Sonnet’s goal was to become an insurance company that Canadians “would actually like.”

Watch the ad here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyP5gJewT-I

In his interview with Ad Week, Sonnet’s creative chief Leo Premutico said Michael J. Fox is “a living demonstration of the power of positivity.” And fans of the Back to the Future star couldn’t agree more, as the actor’s foundation has played a huge role in developing treatments for Parkinson’s disease.

“He’s a truly inspiring individual, and just spending time with him in the recording booth is an experience that stays with you.”

Premutico added that Michael J. Fox’s talent and humor “shine through as strongly as ever,” and that’s why Sonnet had chosen the actor to lend his voice work to leave “an indelible mark on the advertising.”

And really, Michael J. Fox’s tone in the ad reminds that of a friend who has some selfless piece of information to tell you. But is Sonnet really an altruistic insurance company? Only time will tell.

[Featured Image by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]

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