NEW YORK, March 5 (UPI) -- Sweden's Karolinska Institute gave Michael J. Fox, actor and founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, an honorary doctorate.
"In its short history, The Michael J. Fox Foundation has gained the admiration and respect of the worldwide research community for its rigorous scientific standards and its commitment to quickly and aggressively funding high-impact therapeutic development," Clara Gumpert, dean of the Karolinska Institute, said in a statement.
"Strongly influenced by Michael's personal philosophy, his foundation operates with rare dynamism and a constant focus on speeding breakthrough treatments to the world's 5 million Parkinson's patients."
"I'm grateful to the Board of Research and to the Karolinska Institute for this tremendous honor," Fox said. "It is especially meaningful because our foundation and the Karolinska Institute share a belief in the power of scientific endeavor to create a future that is better for everyone."
The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to developing better treatments and ultimately a cure for Parkinson's disease and has funded more than $175 million in research to date -- the world's largest private funder of Parkinson's research.
Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, made the news public in 1998 and founded the foundation in 2000.
