In the News

Bringing more diversity to Parkinson’s disease research: A UCLA neurologist aims to help design studies with more Black participants. 

Black Americans make up 13.6% of the U.S. population. Yet only 1.7% of participants in Parkinson’s disease (PD) trials are Black. “That’s a staggeringly small number,” says Jennifer Adrissi, MD, an assistant professor-in-residence of neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Black people with PD are not only underrepresented in clinical trials – they are also more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and less likely to receive appropriate treatment. Read article here: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/diversity-parkinsons-disease-clinical-trials (Dec. 2023)

Dr. Adrissi awarded one of the 2023-2024 Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants

The Racial and Social Justice Seed Grants are designed to help launch and support research projects demonstrably centered on exploring the sources and consequences of racial inequities and social justice. The award is across the UCLA system. Dr. Adrissi was the only physician amongst the grant awardees. She was one of 9 total awardees. She received the $30,000 grant for her project: "Improving the Lack of Representation of Black Participants in Parkinson's Disease Clinical Trials: A Matter of Science and Justice". Read more here: https://medschool.ucla.edu/announcement/dr-adrissi-awarded-one-of-the-2023-2024-racial-and (Nov. 2023)

Dr. Adrissi receives the 2023-2024 UCLA Faculty Career Development Award

Faculty Career Development Awards (FCDA) are given annually to regular rank Assistant Professors and Assistant Professors-in-Residence, providing research support at a critical time in the pre-tenure stage. The funding is to assist faculty as they advance an on-going research project, creative activity, or as they embark on a new project. Approximately 30 awards are granted annually. https://equity.ucla.edu/edi-ucla/engagement/2023-2024-faculty-career-development-award-winners/ (2023-2024)

Richard Lewis Takes on a New Role as Parkinson's Advocate

Best known for playing a fictionalized version of himself on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm since the show's debut in 2000, Richard Lewis has been bringing his neurotic, self-deprecating humor to stages and screens for more than five decades. Whether playing opposite his best friend, Larry David, on Curb or to audiences in clubs, the Brooklyn-born comedian has always been open about his life, including his addictions, which he recounted in his memoir, The Other Great Depression. For the past two years, however, Lewis had been quiet about his diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Adrissi provides additional insights as a Parkinson's disease specialist. Read article in Brain and Life. (Oct/Nov 2023)

Underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic Participants in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease Research: Why It Matters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the two most common neurodegenerative disorders, with 6.7 million living with AD and about 1 million with PD in the United States, with these numbers expecting to rise dramatically over the coming decades with the U.S. population over the age of 65 rising significantly. These disorders affect people of all backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. Older African American and Hispanic adults are disproportionately affected by AD with African Americans being twice as likely and Hispanics being 1.5 times as likely to develop the disease compared to non-Hispanic Whites (Potter et al., 2009; Samper-Ternent et al., 2012). For PD, Hispanic men have been shown to be at greatest risk of being diagnosed (Van Den Eeden, 2003). There is no current reliable estimate of how many Black people are living with PD in the United States due to disparities in PD awareness and diagnosis. Read newsletter here.   

Despite interest in Parkinson’s research, Black community faces barriers to recruitment

While there is significant interest in the Black community to learn about Parkinson’s disease research and study participation, interventions are needed to reduce recruitment barriers and improve access to information. “What we do know is that Black participants are significantly underrepresented in Parkinson’s disease research,” Jennifer Adrissi, MD, MS, a movement disorders neurologist at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, told Healio at the International Association of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders World Congress. Read in Healio. (May 2023)

Clinician Perspectives on Black History Month: Jennifer Adrissi, MD

Black History Month, a time dedicated to celebrating and honoring the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans, is observed every February in the United States and increasingly around the world. African Americans have played a central role in US history, including in medicine. Notable pioneers in medicine include Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first Black professional nurse in the US, as well as Solomon Carter Fuller, known as the first Black psychiatrist, who was a research assistant to Alois Alzheimer and reported the ninth case of Alzheimer disease ever described. Read in Neurology Live. (Feb. 2023)

Q&A with Jennifer Adrissi, MD, Co-Chair of Education on the Neurosciences Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee (HEDIC)

In honor of Black History Month, we’re spotlighting the movement disorders and research inequity work of Jennifer Adrissi, MD, a movement disorders fellow at the Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology within the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She also serves as co-chair of the subcommittee on education for the Neurosciences HEDIC, a joint effort of the Neurology and Neurosurgery departments. Read here: https://www.neurology.northwestern.edu/about/news/2022/adrissi.html (Feb. 2022)

2020 International Outreach Travel Scholarship Recipient 

The ANA selected Jennifer Adrissi, MD ( Northwestern University) as the recipient of the 2020 International Outreach Travel Scholarship. She will travel to Zambia and focus her research on the impact of Parkinson's Disease and assessing patient and caregiver needs. Dr. Adrissi was recognized at the ANA’s 145th Virtual Annual Meeting held  October 3 - 9, 2020. Read here: https://myana.org/2020-international-outreach-travel-scholarship-recipient (2020)