An interview with Jennifer Adrissi, MD, MSCR -Movement Disorder Neurologist – UCLA Health on January 7, 2025.
Biography
My name is Jennifer Adrissi, and I am a Movement Disorders Neurologist at UCLA. I am originally an east coast girl from Prince George’s County, Maryland. I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology and Neurobiology at the University of Maryland before moving to Chicago for medical school at Northwestern University. I stayed at Northwestern to complete my adult neurology residency and movement disorders fellowship. I have always been passionate about outreach and program development centered on improving health outcomes in underserved populations. This later translated to a career that combined my clinical passion for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and other movement disorders, with a research focus that develops and tests community-partnered interventions that increase access to specialized PD care and PD research opportunities in underrepresented groups. I love what I do, the relationships we build, and the impact we have on the communities we serve.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two little girls. I love taking advantage of all that Southern California has to offer from hiking to beach days to trying new restaurants.
Can you tell me more about your organization?
UCLA is a tertiary, referral hospital located in west LA. The Movement Disorders division is housed within the Department of Neurology. There are several Movement Disorders Neurologists in the division, some who are sub-specialized for specific types of disorders such as Huntington’s disease, ataxia, or genetic conditions. Others, like me, see people with most movement disorders, Parkinson’s disease being the most common.
In Fall 2023, I founded the Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative (PCC), which is a community-academic alliance where we partner with community organizations to increase PD awareness, share PD resources, and collaborate on research projects with the overarching goal to decrease PD disparities within Black communities in the U.S. and abroad. “C.O.R.E.” in PCC stands for our 4 pillars: Community-building, Outreach, Research, and Education. Through the PCC, we develop and study culturally-tailored PD programs, incorporating the voices and input of the community. The P.C.C. executive team currently includes me and research associate, Jessica Vinegar, MPH CHES®. We will be adding a social worker to the team this year.
What is your passion and how did you get involved in Parkinson’s awareness and hope for a cure?
I was drawn initially to Parkinson’s disease (PD) because I found the disease fascinating. Unfortunately, due to the various motor and nonmotor symptoms in PD, multiple areas of a person’s life are affected. While we do not have a cure for the disease (yet!), there are several treatments – non-pharmacologic, medicines, and surgical options – that can significantly improve the lives of people living with PD. While there are some common treatment plans, there is also an “art” to PD management, especially in later stages of the disease where I enjoy putting together care plans with patients and their families. People with PD still live long lives, so I enjoy creating long-term relationships with patients and their families to maximize their quality of life and get them back to doing as much of what they love as possible.
My research focuses on developing and testing community-partnered interventions to increase access to specialized PD care, support resources, and research opportunities in underserved populations, particularly the Black community. Black people with PD are diagnosed later with more severe disease, receive less PD treatment, and are significantly underrepresented in PD research. I am interested in the “why” and “what now” questions that will hopefully start to shift the needle in these disparities, so that we are not reporting the same statistics in decades to come. As a research community, we are making steps toward a way to slow down and eventually cure this disease. Improving the diversity of clinical trial participants is important to ensure that our discoveries are valid and generalizable across groups.
What type of goals do individuals with Parkinson’s have when working with you?
Goals are personal, so they will vary significantly from person to person based on age, symptom severity, and lifestyle. However, I encourage people living with PD and their support system to have goals and to center hope and positivity. PD does not usually shorten life, so there’s a lot of life to live and I work with people with PD and their families maximize that time by creating a plan to decrease symptoms and improve quality of life so that they can spend more time doing what they love with those they love.
What would you like to see as a future goal for your programs?
My goal for my clinical practice and the Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative (PCC) is to continue to reach more people through more community partnerships, continuing to expand our reach from the Los Angeles area and beyond. In this new year, we are creating new culturally tailored programs such as a PCC Black with PD support group, providing a safe space for participants to connect and learn, without the often-isolating feeling of being the only person who looks like them in general PD groups. Additionally, we will be starting culturally-informed counseling sessions by a licensed clinical social worker to help address the care gap of this much-needed resource.
We also plan to grow our PCC advisory council, creating an opportunity for more voices from the community to help shape and inform the direction of the PCC.
What events do you participate in?
I am active in the community through sharing educational resources through outreach events, co-hosting PD workshops with local community organizations, and participating in local PD events such as Moving Day. I speak in-person or virtually during support groups to provide information and resources for people living with PD and their families.
How does this also assist the caregivers?
PD affects the whole family, especially caregivers. In clinic, I usually ask the caregiver(s) about how they are doing and their needs. If this is not asked specifically, I encourage family members and caregivers to offer this information because it is helpful to address this for both the caregiver and the person with PD. When someone has PD, especially in later stages, this may change roles in a household and add unforeseen time and financial pressures on loved ones. If I am not able to provide the resources needed, I will refer to a social worker, clinic coordinator, or local organization who can help address the need.
How can someone get in touch? What is your website?
For clinical inquiries: https://www.uclahealth.org/providers/jennifer-adrissi
For more information on the Adrissi Lab or research inquires: https://www.uclahealth.org/departments/neurology/adrissi-lab
To learn more about the Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative, become a community partner, or sign up for our newsletter: https://www.parkinsoncore.org/
Please also follow us on social media!
Instagram: @parkinsons_core
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Parkinsons.CC/ (Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative)
How can others also become advocates for awareness?
Often, the most successful ways to increase PD awareness is by serving as an advocate for communities you are already a part of. This may include serving on a health committee for a religious or community organization you attend and providing a short educational presentation or sharing your story or a loved one’s story with PD. There are also local awareness and fundraising efforts such as Moving Day (movingdaywalk.org).
If you are interested in becoming involved with the Parkinson’s C.O.R.E. Collaborative, please email parkinsonscore@gmail.com
What other activities do you undertake to help improve and support your daily living Eg exercise and alternative remedies?
While research is ongoing to find a way to slow down and eventually cure PD, there are no current medications available to do this yet. However, we do know that regular exercise slows down the progression of PD symptoms and significantly improves mental health. At least 20 minutes of moderate intensity cardiovascular exercise at least 5 times per week is recommended. There are ongoing research studies investigating the best exercises to accomplish this goal. Some exercises that have been proven to have benefit in PD include non-contact boxing (often called Rock Steady Boxing), tai chi, mindfulness yoga, and karate. However, the most successful approach is finding something that you enjoy doing, because you will be more likely to continue it regularly.
Physical, occupational, and speech therapists are also very helpful in adding to a treatment plan. I am often asked about supplements that can be helpful in PD. None of the supplements studied for PD has shown a significant improvement. I sometimes recommend a multivitamin, Omega-3, and sometimes B Complex supplement, but there is no research to support this.