Neurology Pathways: Jennifer Adrissi, MD, MS

My research focuses on using community based participatory research strategies to improve access to Parkinson’s disease (PD) research opportunities and specialized care in underrepresented groups. My expertise is in the science of recruitment and engagement of understudied groups in neurodegenerative disorders, PD and more recently Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). I founded the Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative, an academic-community alliance centered on the pillars of Community-building, Outreach, Research, and Education, to develop and grow relationships with the community through long-term community partnerships. With a community-centered approach to my research, my goal is to develop and test interventions that are meaningful, effective, and sustainable.

People. I am fortunate to be both a clinician and researcher. My experiences in clinic managing complex neurodegenerative disorders motivate my research, and vice versa. It is an exciting time in PD and ADRD research, as we increase our understanding of these diseases and take steps towards slowing down and eventually curing these disorders. My clinical and research goals center on ensuring that all communities can benefit from the most up-to-date information and therapies, with a focus on groups most underserved to decrease symptoms and suffering so people can live their most full lives doing what they love with those they love.

 

Firstly, I would say welcome! We need more inquisitive minds doing this impactful work. I have two pieces of advice. First, have an evidence-based but also open-minded and creative approach to your work. To achieve improved outcomes for underserved groups in your field, this often requires doing things differently – in research design, funding, and implementation of results. Don’t be afraid to be different. Have mentors from various areas that can provide different perspectives and experiences. Second, I would recommend putting significant thought into how you will create genuine, sustainable, and mutually beneficial relationships with the community. Often this means giving of your time and resources before you have your initial “ask.” What does the community need? Invest in the “infrastructure” of these relationships early, and it will help subsequent research projects as you are not building trust from scratch with each project.

There are many moments, but most have been with great mentors that were supportive of me merging outreach and research throughout my career. I am thankful for those who introduced me initially to science and medicine and later to the fields of community based participatory research and health services research. Through these multiple moments and interactions, I was able to see various blueprints of how a career in medicine could look.

 

To solve the more complex problems that arise at the intersection of society and health, we must be open-minded and collaborative. I enjoy working with my UCLA colleagues who are curious, innovative, and supportive, each bringing their expertise and experiences to move the field forward and improve the lives of our patients and their families.

We are currently working on the development and testing of a novel self-assessment measure to be used by Parkinson’s disease researchers to evaluate and improve the inclusivity and accessibility of clinical trial design and recruitment strategies to improve the recruitment and experience of participants from understudied groups, using a stakeholder informed approach.

I strongly believe in work hard play hard. I spend a lot of time with my husband and two little besties (daughters), Amira and Aniya. I love traveling, hiking, and doing pilates. Food is the way to my heart, so I enjoy trying new restaurants with family and friends.

That’s an easy one. The Basal Ganglia. The basal ganglia receives input from different other areas of the brain to fine tune our movements to achieve the intended effect. I’m a movement disorders neurologist, so I find the basal ganglia fascinating, but it is also a great illustration of how I see my work and purpose. As the field of neurology and movement disorders moves forward making new discoveries and advances that help to improve the outcomes in neurodegenerative disorders, my work focuses on developing and testing ways to fine tune our efforts in the discovery and implementation of these advances to ensure that all communities can benefit, with an emphasis on communities historically and presently with the least access. I achieve this by incorporating multiple inputs including voices from the community, past research, and my lived experiences.