About Us
The Blechman Foundation is an IRS Section 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization that provides early stage funding for neuroprotective research for Parkinson’s disease. The inspiration behind our cause is our mother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2008. On behalf of our mom and others like her, we are committed to hastening progress in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. We hope you will join us. Let’s get started
Mission Statement
The Blechman Foundation provides early stage funding to identify and develop effective neuroprotective drugs, with the goal of bringing them to market as soon as possible. Neuroprotective drugs hold the promise of delaying or stopping the progression of Parkinson’s disease in the brain, which would relieve the suffering of millions of people and could prevent future generations from experiencing the disease altogether.
About Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative brain disease that causes a part of the brain that is essential for movement — known as the substantia nigra — to degenerate. The major neurotransmitter in this region of the brain is called dopamine, which facilitates normal movement. As the substantia nigra degenerates, dopamine levels in the brain drop, and as dopamine levels decline, normal movement is progressively impaired. The most prominent motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are shaking or tremors, slowness of movement, stiffness of muscles or rigidity, and problems with balance and gait. Other symptoms that are common in people with Parkinson’s disease include, but are not limited to, loss of the sense of smell, and insomnia. Additionally, Parkinson’s patients may have cognitive and mood changes, including anxiety and depression, resulting not only from neurodegenerative changes in the brain but also from the psychological trauma of having the disease. Read full description.
How Funds Are Allocated
The Blechman Foundation donates its funds to scientists and research labs in the United States whose research is in line with our mission and considered most deserving by our Advisory Committee.
Raising Funds
The Blechman hosts events to raise funds, the details of which are available on this site and via our mailing list. The Foundation hopes for and welcomes donations, but our events also serve another purpose: as an opportunity to educate others about the disease, the research we intend to fund, and the expert practitioners behind the science. You can keep track of our latest developments and upcoming events by subscribing to our mailing list. Learn more about the work we are funding.
Board Members
David Blechman
President
David Blechman is the Co-Founder and President of the Blechman Foundation. With a background in information technology and business, he built the organization from an idea into a certified 501(c)(3) charitable foundation.
Outside of the Blechman Foundation, David is the COO for Connected Caregiver by Verustat.
David earned a BA in Informatics and an MS in Information Systems from Indiana University, both of which taught him how to utilize technology to drive business forward.
Melissa Blechman
Vice President
Melissa Blechman is Co-Founder and Vice President of the Blechman Foundation. She is proud to work with her family to advance Parkinson’s disease research on behalf of her mom, Nancy.
Melissa is a Manager at Deloitte LLP and also leads initiatives for the Deloitte Women’s Network. Previously, she worked as a public affairs strategist and for political campaigns and NGOs.
Melissa earned a BA in Political Science from Emory University, and an MPA, with a focus on sustainable development, from New York University.
William Blechman
Treasurer
William J. Blechman is married to Nancy Blechman. They have two children, Melissa and David. He is the Treasurer and Secretary of the Blechman Foundation. He is a member of the Kenny Nachwalter law firm where he practices primarily antitrust law. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Miami School of Law.
Barbara Sherbill
Communications Director
Barbara Blechman Sherbill is Communications Director for the Blechman Foundation. With an expertise in nonprofit marketing and media relations, she provides guidance in strategic communications, donor relations and email marketing.
Professionally, Barbara directs national Marketing and Communications efforts for Friends of Yemin Orde, a nonprofit organization based in Bethesda, MD, that provides fundraising support for Yemin Orde Youth Village, in Israel, which is a home and school to hundreds of at-risk immigrant youth from around the world.
Barbara is a graduate of the University of Florida School of Journalism and Communications.
Scientific Advisory Committee
J Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD
Chair
J. Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD, is the Love Family Professor and vice-chair of neurology, chief of Movement Disorders, and director of the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND) and the American Parkinson Disease Association Advanced Center for Parkinson’s Disease Research at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the scientific advisory board of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and a member of the scientific advisory committee of the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.
Dr. Greenamyre currently chairs the Neuronal Oxidative Metabolism and Death study section of the NIH. He is editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Neurobiology of Disease and of MedLink Neurology (www.medlink.com). He has been listed as one of the ‘Best Doctors in America’ since the mid-1990s.
Advisor: J Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD
Professor & Vice-Chair of Neurology
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Director, Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases
UPMC Endowed Professor & Chief, Movement Disorders