$1MM Gift to Support the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center’s Mission of Hope & Healing.

The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation Funds Fellowships & On-going Research

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (May 29, 2013) – The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation has contributed $1 million to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. The gift will support two fellowships in Parkinson’s disease plus additional staffing for the Center and research in the Gait and Balance Laboratory.

Bob and Renee Parsons are long-time supporters of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. The million dollar grant will fund clinical development programs, emphasizing care for complex and often life-threatening movement disorders.

Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year according to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. Education and on-going research are crucial to solving the mysteries of the intractable disease and making a difference in the lives of those who are afflicted.

“Knowing that you are going to receive the best possible care from a kick-ass doctor is half the battle,” said Bob Parsons. “Renee and I hope that our gift will make a positive difference in the lives of Arizonans by positioning funds to attract the country’s best and brightest to the Valley.”

“Fellowships are critical to our mission of training the next generation of movement disorders specialists,” says Abraham Lieberman, MD, director of the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. “A fellowship gives a young neurologist the opportunity to complete one to two years of additional training in caring for patients with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Our community benefits when these well-trained specialists remain in Arizona, which is often the case.”

Fellows spend time seeing and counseling patients and families, and learning how to recognize, diagnose and treat a wide variety of movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease. They also learn about advanced treatments used for some cases, including botulinum toxin and deep-brain stimulation.

The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center is a National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, serving as a resource for Parkinson’s disease patients and their families in Arizona. The Center’s staff is committed to providing excellence in diagnosis, treatment, research and education.

“The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center does important, life-changing work,” said Parsons. “While there isn’t a cure today, there is hope.”