Parkinson's Disease Foundation Announces New Members of People with Parkinson's Advisory Council

NEW YORK, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is pleased to announce new members of its People with Parkinson's Advisory Council.  The council is made up of people living with Parkinson's disease and care partners who help drive PDF's goals of ending the disease and supporting those affected by it.

"PDF exists to meet the needs of the Parkinson's disease community, but we can only do that if we ask for guidance from those we serve," says PDF President Robin Elliott.  "We welcome our newest advisors, knowledgeable patient leaders who have the expertise to help us more effectively improve the lives and futures of people touched by Parkinson's disease."

Advisory council members guide PDF's mission and priorities; identify and solve unmet needs; provide input on programs; and serve as liaisons to the community.  The advisory council has steered PDF toward its most critical programs, including its annual Community Choice Research Awards, which seek feedback from the patient community on scientific research.  Additionally, its members have played a vital role in the development of educational materials to help inform their peers, including PDF's popular Parkinson's Disease Resource List and its educational webinars.

The advisory council's newest members, all of whom live with Parkinson's disease, represent a wide range of communities, professional skills and personal experiences.  They include the following individuals:

Julio Angulo, Ph.D., of Mesa, AZ: a retired clinical and forensic psychologist, who ran his own private practice for more than 30 years.

Girija Muralidhar, Ph.D., of Poway, CA: a retired research scientist who worked in the field of immunology for 30 years to develop new vaccines and treatments.

Daniel Novak, Ph.D., of Fort Worth, TX: an executive coach and assistant professor of business administration who spent 30 years in executive roles at IBM.

A.C. Woolnough, of Sandpoint, ID: a retired high school principal and English teacher with more than 35 years of experience in education in Alaska, Idaho and California.  

Alan B. Zimmerman, of Knoxville, TN: a veteran of the US Navy, and a retired real estate broker and small business owner.

"As members of the PDF People with Parkinson's Advisory Council, we understand more than anyone the realities of the disease and the urgency to find better treatments and a cure.  We can and will work tirelessly on behalf of the one million Americans who live with Parkinson's disease to ensure PDF's programs meet their needs and priorities," added Linda Morgan, M.B.A., R.Ph., of Asheville, NC, Chair of the advisory council.

Ms. Morgan remains Chair of the advisory council and a member of the PDF Board of Directors.  Karen Smith, of Evansville, IN, remains Vice Chair of the advisory council.  

For a complete list of the PDF People with Parkinson's Advisory Council, visit www.pdf.org/ppac.  For more information, contact the Parkinson's Disease Foundation at (800) 457-6676 or [email protected].

About Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million people in the US.  Although promising research is being conducted, there is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease.

About Patient Engagement at PDF
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is committed to making patient engagement a reality to better serve the Parkinson's disease community and more quickly solve, treat and end Parkinson's disease.  For PDF, patient engagement means engaging people with Parkinson's disease as partners in every part of our work.  Our commitment can be traced over the past decade, beginning with PDtrials.org, established in 2004, as the first website and coalition to help patients understand and find clinical trials; continuing with the creation of the PDF People with Parkinson's Advisory Council in 2006, the first council of its kind in the community; and expanding with the growth of the Parkinson's Advocates in Research program since 2008, which has trained more than 260 people with Parkinson's and care partners to serve on the frontlines with professionals seeking better treatments for their disease.  In recent years, PDF has advocated for patient engagement in the broader research community. 

About the Parkinson's Disease Foundation
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation® (PDF®) is a leading national presence in Parkinson's disease research, education and public advocacy.  We are working for the nearly one million people in the US who live with Parkinson's disease by funding promising scientific research while supporting people living with Parkinson's disease through educational programs and services.  Since its founding in 1957, PDF has dedicated $105 million to fund the work of leading scientists throughout the world and $44 million to support education and advocacy programs.

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SOURCE Parkinson's Disease Foundation

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