Members of The Founders Society Help Propel Parkinson’s Disease Breakthroughs
The research of Daniel Corcos, PhD, professor of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, strongly suggests that specific types of exercise can slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. By helping improve the fitness, mobility, and cognition of people with this progressive neurological disorder, his work offers real promise for enhancing quality of life.
Making the Corcos team’s discoveries more widely available could help countless people with Parkinson’s disease to live fuller, happier lives. Dr. Corcos and his colleagues have made great strides in raising awareness of exercise as therapy. In addition to educating clinicians, they are conducting two clinical trials—supported, in part, by generosity from members of The Founders Society—to better understand how exercise pushes back against Parkinson’s.
Dr. Corcos has developed close relationships with many alumni and friends of Feinberg who are interested in his research and hosts a monthly Zoom call to provide his supporters with regular updates. Two regulars at those meetings include Lewis Geyser and the late Randy Bellows, ’71 MD. Mr. Geyser, a member of the Lifetime Giving Society and The Founders Society-NULC (Deans’ Circle), has generously supported Dr. Corcos’s work since 2020. Dr. Bellows, who passed away in July 2025, was a passionate advocate of the benefits of exercise and practiced what he preached. He was also a steadfast champion of the medical school, supporting scholarships through both annual gifts and a bequest.
“At Northwestern, we are working at every level from individual patients to the healthcare system and beyond, to change what it means to have Parkinson’s. This is not a solitary journey; our patients, collaborators, gifted young scientists, and donors empower us to inform and educate to increase access to life-changing interventions and information. Now more than ever, philanthropic support is critical to our ability to remain on the front lines of discovery. I’m inspired by the resilience of people with Parkinson’s, and the donors who propel our progress in understanding and treating this disease. Thank you to all who have contributed to my lab, allowing us to make major contributions to the health of people with Parkinson’s disease.” —Daniel Corcos, PhD
“Following my mom’s initial diagnosis of early-onset Parkinson’s disease three decades ago—and my own diagnosis today—it’s been sobering to see that the majority of consistently used pharmaceutical agents remain unchanged. Current treatments target symptoms and don’t seem to offer benefits for disease modification. Dr. Corcos’s research on high-intensity exercise as a potentially disease-modifying therapy gives me hope that we can slow down the progression of disease and gives me a sense of agency in the process. As a physician-scientist I can’t overstate the importance of sustaining and promoting research endeavors that can improve the health and quality of life for people living with Parkinson’s disease.” —Emily Su, MD, ’07 GME, Member of The Founders Society-NULC
This story was published in The Founders Society Impact Stories, a publication that highlights leadership donors to various areas of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Read the whole issue here.