The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) awarded this fellowship to eight international academic medical centres to develop a programme aimed at medical professionals specialised in neurology with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease. IDIBAPS-Hospital Clínic Barcelona was one of the selected organisations. Lázaro will join in September 2024 and extend his training for two years.
Seeing a specialist in movement disorders is key for people with Parkinson’s to learn to live with the disease and improve their quality of life. An estimated six million people worldwide are currently living with Parkinson’s. As the population ages, the number of people diagnosed is expected to double by 2040. This increase will cause an urgent and growing demand for more movement disorder specialists.
Since its launch in 2014, the Edmond J. Safra Fellowship has trained 27 new movement disorder specialists and 72 more will graduate by 2028. The programme has extended funding to 32 world-renowned academic institutions in nine countries.
A graduate in Medicine from the University of Navarre in 2019, Carlos Lázaro is currently the head of residents in neurology at Hospital Vall d’Hebrón. His experiences abroad, his participation in the MDS Summer School in the Czech Republic and his upcoming rotation at University College London will all enrich his clinical practice. With several publications to his name, participation in conferences and awards for his research, Carlos stands out as a committed professional with a promising future in neurology.
“I am very grateful to have been selected to receive this Edmond J. Safra Fellowship from the Michael J. Fox Foundation. I am convinced that it will allow me to grow a lot professionally and I am eager to get started”, Lázaro says.
Lázaro’s research will be supervised by Francesc Valldeoriola, the head of Hospital Clínic Barcelona’s Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Unit and a researcher in IDIBAPS’ research group Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative-movement disorders: clinical and experimental research, led by M. Josep Martí. “During his training, Lázaro will be at the intersection of patient care and research and in a unique position to lead an academic and healthcare group, developing specific lines of research based on the knowledge and experience acquired”, Valldeoriola says.
