On Sept. 10, 2026, Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award honors Michael J. Fox (Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research) for empowering patients’ voices and accelerating research to find improved therapies and a cure for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Fox has harnessed his celebrity to raise the profile of this devastating illness, dispel stigma for those who have it, and spearhead a revolution in the world of PD research. The trailblazing foundation that he conceived and launched has spurred scientists, clinicians, industry leaders, non-profits, and donors to join patients, who are actively engaged in the enterprise of finding therapies that would most improve their well-being.

In 1990, at age 29, fabulously successful and popular actor Michael J. Fox woke up to a twitching pinky. A diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s disease soon followed. For years, he resisted publicly sharing the news. This was a personal matter, he reasoned, and he dreaded tabloid news frenzies, which had already invaded private moments such as his wedding and father’s funeral. He also worried that audiences wouldn’t laugh if they were watching for symptoms. Moreover, denial percolated: Maybe the diagnosis was a mistake; maybe he would magically recover. As his career flourished, he concocted tricks to hide the tremors, but the weight of his secret grew. In 1998, he decided to stop pretending and to integrate his health status into all areas of his life. He made an announcement to his fans and the world.

Fox’s disclosure electrified attention to PD and ignited a national conversation. It put young-onset Parkinson’s on magazine covers, thus contradicting the widely held notion that the malady strikes only old people. By normalizing the illness, Fox cut through patients’ isolation, shame, and inclination to hide. Employment worries, embarrassment about physical awkwardness, and fears of being marginalized or misunderstood plagued those with the disease, but suddenly the media was erupting with genuine interest. Emboldened, people with PD began to speak about their experience. The country—and Fox—listened.

After Fox’s revelation, a multitude of PD organizations appealed to him for support. As the entreaties amassed, he catalogued their worthwhile activities and realized that a gaping hole existed: No one was applying significant philanthropic resources toward finding an effective remedy for the disease. Scientists told him that auspicious ideas abounded, but federal funding to explore them fell short. Furthermore, PD research lacked global oversight and vision. The field desperately needed a department of cures.

After Fox’s revelation, a multitude of PD organizations appealed to him for support. As the entreaties amassed, he catalogued their worthwhile activities and realized that a gaping hole existed: No one was applying significant philanthropic resources toward finding an effective remedy for the disease. Scientists told him that auspicious ideas abounded, but federal funding to explore them fell short. Furthermore, PD research lacked global oversight and vision. The field desperately needed a department of cures.

From the moment he announced his diagnosis, Fox has energized patients and involved them in the scientific enterprise. Since then, MJFF has established itself not just the largest funder of PD research in the world, but also as a core coordinator that helps connect volunteers with appropriate clinical trials. The foundation has also channeled patients’ desire to become active partners in research. Historically, the field has lacked a measurable physiological substance that could predict PD, diagnose it, or track its progression. The absence of such a biomarker creates numerous bottlenecks; among them, companies have no way to assess whether a potential drug is working. Given the monumental cost of bringing a single agent to market, this situation soured the allure of PD programs and stymied the undertaking from a practical standpoint. A biomarker could change pharma’s risk calculus.

In 2023, a PPMI study reported a breakthrough—a technique that detects abnormal clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein in spinal fluid. The test identifies people with PD and even asymptomatic people who are at high risk of disease. Scientists are hard at work trying to translate the findings into a quantifiable skin or blood test.