SSRS recently designed and conducted focus groups at the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Patient Council meeting, held in New York City in April 2025. The objective of the focus groups was to explore the idea of targeted therapies to slow disease progression and how these therapies could impact the lives of people with Parkinson’s Disease. In the two-hour discussions, participants were asked to share their fears and uncertainties around disease progression, what it would mean to have a new therapy that slows disease progression, and what would be a “good enough” amount of slowing to make a difference in their lives. Our SSRS team of qualitative researchers, including VP Darby Steiger and Melissa Silesky, facilitated the group discussions to elicit stories, desires, and perspectives. SSRS EVP Robyn Rapoport provided project oversight and strategic guidance; Elizabeth Sciupac offered valuable support and managed the IRB approval process.
