CurePSP's Jessica Shurer Joins Inaugural National Parkinson's Project Advisory Council

NEW YORK, April 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jessica Shurer, Director of Clinical Affairs and Advocacy at CurePSP, has been appointed to the National Parkinson's Project (NPP) Advisory Council on Parkinson's Research, Care and Services — marking a critical step toward ensuring progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) are represented in the first-ever federal initiative to address Parkinson's disease and related conditions.

Originally named the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis and Honorable Jennifer Wexton National Plan to End Parkinson's Act, the NPP was signed into law in 2024 with strong bipartisan support. CurePSP worked alongside leading Parkinson's organizations, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF), members of Congress and advocates with lived experience to advance legislation addressing the full spectrum of parkinsonian diseases.

For the CurePSP community, Shurer's Council appointment is particularly significant. Atypical parkinsonisms, including PSP, CBD and MSA, remain rapidly progressive, widely underdiagnosed and without approved treatments, making federal attention and investment long overdue. A clinical social worker by background, Shurer leads CurePSP's medical center network and oversees its support, education and legislative advocacy efforts, bringing clinical expertise and direct community engagement to her role on the Council.

"This is a milestone in the federal government's commitment to neurodegenerative diseases," said former Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton. "Living with PSP, I am thrilled that the Council will include someone whose career is dedicated to identifying gaps, opportunities and priorities specifically for atypical parkinsonisms, both in relationship to Parkinson's and highlighting our unique needs."

The Council will evaluate federal programs, advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services and deliver recommendations on research priorities, care access and strategies to reduce the burden of parkinsonian diseases. Alongside Shurer, the Council includes Debi Brooks, CEO and Co-Founder of MJFF, Parkinson's patients and care partners, clinicians, researchers and federal agencies — a broad coalition united around a single goal: ending Parkinson's disease and related conditions. Full membership is available on the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's website. The Council's first report to Congress is due January 2027.

"Giving voice and visibility to our community through my participation on the Council is a true honor," said Shurer. "CurePSP will work in close partnership with stakeholders and partners to ensure the NPP delivers meaningful progress for every person affected by PSP, CBD, MSA and related diseases."

Contact:

Kristophe Diaz, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

646-725-1453

diaz@curepsp.org