Working with UCLA Neurology
John Paul Jr. and Dr. Susan Perlman
John Paul Jr. spent the last 20 years of his life championing the fight to raise awareness of Huntington's Disease (HD) while working close with Dr. Susan Perlman, M.D, Clinical Professor of Neurology, Director Ataxia Center and HD Center of Excellence, UCLA. His life story and his battle with HD is documented in a book by racing journalist Sylvia Wilkinson entitled "50/50" John Paul Jr. and his battle with Huntington's Disease.
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Dr. Perlman stated, "As a champion race car driver, every time John Paul Jr. stepped into his car, he faced death. With Huntington's disease, stepping into each day, John Paul Jr. faced the same. Over the past 20 years, John raised HD awareness, raised funds to support research, and personally participated in any research that he could. Over these two decades, hundreds of studies into the mechanisms of HD and dozens of trials of disease modifying therapies have been completed. John has finished the race, and we have all cheered for him. We will miss you. John Paul Jr.'s efforts and advocacy made tremendous efforts towards raising awareness as well as much needed research dollars towards a cure."
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To date, the John Paul Jr. Huntington's Disease Foundation has raised over $149,000 working with Dr. Susan Perlman's UCLA Neurology Research Fund. This puts us that much closer to ending Huntington's Disease, and most likely, the related diseases of Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Please help us continue John's legacy by raising more awareness and much more badly needed research dollars to put an end to these devastating neurological diseases.
Dr. William Yang Professor, Terry Semel Chair in Alzheimer’s Disease Research and Treatment Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior
Susan Perlman, M.D., Clinical Professor of Neurology; Director, UCLA Huntington’s Disease Center
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with Darlene Gray
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John Paul Jr. and UCLA
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Working Together to Raise Awareness