New York – September 13, 2026 -- Michael J. Fox, founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), has been named a laureate of the 2026 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award, one of America's most prestigious biomedical research prizes. The Lasker Foundation cited Fox for "dispelling the stigma of the disease and spearheading a revolution in the world of Parkinson's research." More than 100 past Lasker Laureates have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
MJFF has funded more than $3 billion in Parkinson's research since 2000
Fox, diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 at age 29, founded MJFF to fund high-risk, high-reward research directly informed by patients. The organization, led by CEO and co-founder Deborah W. Brooks, has become the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research and now outspends the U.S. federal government on the disease annually. A portion of that funding runs through the Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) initiative, backed by the Sergey Brin Family Foundation.
The Foundation's research ecosystem has supported 23 new drug approvals in a decade
MJFF's model paired an in-house team of PhD scientists and business strategists with direct patient input, building what the Foundation calls the most robust Parkinson's therapeutic pipeline in the disease's history. Randy Schekman, PhD, a Lasker and Nobel Laureate who chairs ASAP's scientific advisory board, nominated Fox for the award.
Grassroots advocacy under Fox helped pass federal Parkinson's legislation in 2024
Fox testified before Congress in 1999 to push for greater federal Parkinson's research funding, later becoming a prominent advocate for stem cell research. MJFF has since mobilized hundreds of thousands of grassroots advocates, contributing to passage of the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act in July 2024, which created the first comprehensive federal Parkinson's legislation, the National Parkinson's Project.
MJFF's donor and advocate network has grown to nearly four million people
The Foundation counts 1.2 million donors since its founding within a broader community of close to four million patients, researchers, clinicians and industry partners. "Receiving a Lasker is humbling," said Michael J. Fox. "I share this honor with everyone who works side by side with us — scientists, policymakers, and most of all, the patients and families who give their all to this cause."
The Lasker Award carries a $250,000 honorarium per category
Lasker Awards have been presented since 1945, recognizing more than 400 prizes for advances in disease understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The 2026 awards will be presented at a gala ceremony in New York City on September 17, 2026.