10 Years of Progress: Top Parkinson’s Foundation Accomplishments

On July 7, 2016, two leading Parkinson’s organizations — the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) and the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF), both founded in 1957 — united to form the Parkinson’s Foundation. Together, they built on nearly 60 years of shared commitment to people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

Through 10 years of progress the Parkinson’s Foundation has transformed lives by raising the standard of PD care, advancing groundbreaking research and empowering people with PD and their families at every stage of the journey. Today, with offices in New York City, Miami and Washington, D.C., the growing non-profit continues to drive progress toward better treatments — and ultimately, a cure.

“While we’re excited for the work ahead, our first 10 years as the Parkinson’s Foundation have shown what is possible through collaboration, innovation and the unwavering dedication of our community. I am excited and hopeful that, through our evolving research and care initiatives, the next 10 years will bring transformative breakthroughs.” 

— John Lehr, Parkinson’s Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer

Here are some of the major milestones we’ve achieved in the last 10 years: 

1. Increased annual revenue from $22 million to more than $80 million.

This amazing growth reflects the rising impact of Parkinson’s disease and the generosity of a growing community determined to make an impact. Increased funding has allowed us to expand groundbreaking research, improve care initiatives, raise awareness and launch innovative educational resources and programs designed to meet the evolving needs of the PD community. 

2. Launched a first-of-its-kind international genetics study. 

In 2019, we launched PD GENEration: Powered by the Parkinson’s Foundation. Since then, the genetics study has empowered participants with genetic insights that can help them understand their disease better while accelerating clinical trial development for new treatments. 

In just six years, PD GENEration has: 

• Enrolled more than 35,000 participants around the world, providing genetic testing and counseling at no cost.
• Designed and introduced an at-home genetic test to reach people in rural areas.
• Hosted international educational events focused on Parkinson’s and genetics.
• Shared study findings with the global research community to accelerate scientific discovery.  

Learn More & Enroll

3. Invested millions in research grants to fuel scientific discovery.

At a time when federal funding for disease research is being challenged, we have accelerated research funding over the last decade, investing more than $180 million in research for a total investment of $513.5 million since the Foundation’s inception.

We are funding more scientists than ever before. From 1957 through 2016, the Foundation supported 400 scientists. In the last 10 years, we have funded 375 more, greatly accelerating our pace of funding. Every year, Foundation-funded research drives innovation in areas such as the development of new therapies, earlier PD detection, how to leverage AI, and ultimately, a cure. Meet our researchers.

Paolo Moretti, MD

2025 Trailblazer Award 

Scanning Family Trees for Hidden Parkinson's Risk Factors 

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Catherine (Chi) Weindel, PhD

2019 Postdoctoral Fellowship
2022 Launch Award

Investigating the Link Between Parkinson’s, Genetics and the Immune System

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Hikaru Kamo, MD, PhD

2025 Melvin Yahr Parkinson’s Disease Clinical Research Award

Improving Deep Brain Stimulation Using Artificial Intelligence

READ MORE

4. Supported local PD communities through more than 879 health and wellness programs. 

Our Community Grants support local, life-enhancing Parkinson’s programs across the U.S. — from dance and boxing classes to support groups. These programs encourage community while improving physical and mental well-being for participants. In 2025, we funded 92 local PD programs across 38 states, reaching more than 11,000 people with PD.

Additionally, we strengthened our chapter network to connect people with Parkinson’s and caregivers to local resources, support groups, classes and educational programs — while hosting local events like Moving Day.

Find Your Chapter

5. Launched policy and advocacy efforts at the federal and state levels. 

We formally entered the policy arena — advancing advocacy efforts that protect Parkinson’s research and access to care at the federal and state levels. Our policy priorities aim to: 

• Increase research support toward better treatments and a cure
• Strengthen care systems
• Expand access to high-quality education tools and resources
• Promote prevention strategies, including efforts to reduce exposure to environmental threats tied to Parkinson’s

Take action now using our newly launched Advocacy Center. 

6. Updated the Go-To Source of Information on PD: Parkinson.org 

With more than 8 million visitors in 2025, Parkinson.org is the go-to resource for the PD community, helping connect people to the information they need. New features include: 

• Online courses for everyone in the PD community, including healthcare providers on our Learning Lab.
• More than 90 Spanish webpages, blog articles and a dedicated Spanish PD Library. 
• Visitors can choose their own accessibility features. 
• Launch of PAM, our AI chat tool, that provides evidence-based answers about Parkinson’s — anytime, anywhere.

In 10 years, the Foundation has provided a non-stop tranche of resources in our PD Library, including our Newly Diagnosed Guide, new Parkinson’s Today blog articles and podcast episodes. In response to COVID, we also launched PD Health @ Home — a virtual series that continues to provide new webinars, mindfulness and exercises programs every month. 

7. Driving new treatments through a joint drug discovery initiative. 

In 2022, the Parkinson’s Foundation entered into a partnership with Parkinson’s UK to power Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, a global initiative accelerating PD drug discovery and development. In 2025, two new drugs advanced into clinical trials — clear evidence that early investment sparks innovation and reduces the risk of funding for future investors, while speeding up the development of new Parkinson’s therapies. Learn more.

8. Expanded the Global Care Network to reach more people.  

In the last 10 years, around 900,000 people have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the U.S. This is why we are committed to empowering people with PD to find expert care. To meet this need, we expanded our Global Care Network to connect more people with expert care. 

We have gone from providing care to 145,000 people with Parkinson’s and other movement disorders across 45 centers in 2016 to treating 364,739 people across 62 centers in 2026. 

We have added a new center designation — Comprehensive Care Centers — that feature a specialized team expert in Parkinson’s treatments — and Community Partners in Parkinson’s Care, a membership program for senior living communities and home health care agencies trained in PD care.

Find a designated Parkinson’s center near you. 

9. Making Hospitals Safer for people with Parkinson’s

One in 6 people with Parkinson’s will experience avoidable complications in the hospital. This is why we launched the Hospital Care Initiative to improve hospital care for people with Parkinson’s through nationwide, systemic changes. We also created the Hospital Safety Guide to help people advocate for their best care when in the hospital.   

10. Offering unwavering, continued support through our Helpline in English and Spanish.

Our Helpline connects people with Parkinson’s, caregivers, families and healthcare professionals to key PD information and tailored resources. 

Contact our Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636) and Helpline@Parkinson.org.

11. Appointed our first Chief Medical Officer. 

We appointed Sneha Mantri, MD, MS, as our first-ever Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Mantri, a Movement Disorder Specialist from Duke University Medical Center, provides medical and clinical care leadership across our care initiatives, helping ensure our programs meet the needs of people with Parkinson’s. Her leadership allows us to elevate important topics she’s seen first-hand as a neurologist, including how to address stigma and Parkinson’s. 

12. Building community through local events. 

Moving Day, A Walk for Parkinson’s, continues to unite PD communities across the country, raise awareness and embrace the power of exercise which is proven to help manage Parkinson’s symptoms. In the last 10 years, Moving Day has raised $38.9 million and hosted 410 events nationwide.

Additionally, six years ago we launched our second signature event, Parkinson’s Revolution. This in-person or virtual cycling experience generates awareness and raises funds that advance PD research, resources and better care for people with Parkinson’s.

Thank you to the supporters who make progress possible and fuel the impactful work that moves us forward. In the next 10 years and beyond we will build momentum, together, to find better treatments, and ultimately a cure. Find out how you can help.