How Digital Marketing Helped Power a Parkinson’s Research Movement

Holly Teichholtz, chief marketing officer, The Michael J. Fox Foundation

This September marked a milestone in medical research: 15 years since the first volunteer enrolled in the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), the flagship study of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF).

From the start, the vision was bold: Find biological clues that reveal how Parkinson’s develops and progresses. Today, that goal has evolved into one of the world’s most comprehensive open-science data resources on neurodegenerative disease, shaping hundreds of scientific papers and dozens of clinical trials worldwide.

For health care marketers, the story behind PPMI is more than a scientific achievement. It’s a powerful reminder that connection, clarity, and persistence can build a movement.

Read the full article to see how a thoughtful marketing strategy — evolving from early direct mail to advanced digital tactics — helped build the study that’s changing what we know about Parkinson’s: Following the Scent of Discovery: Digital Strategies Changing the Face of Parkinson’s Research

Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President