Parkinson's research foundation Shake It Up Australia has a new CEO.
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Southern Highlands resident Vicki Miller has succeeded outgoing CEO Clyde Campbell AM.
Ms Miller served as the organisation's executive general manager of strategic partnerships for nearly six years.
Mr Campbell will continue to serve the Foundation as Chairman of the Board.
The vastly experienced Ms Miller is well-equipped to assume the top job, having honed her skills in the not-for-profit sector over many years.
A former public relations professional, Ms Miller has held key managerial and fundraising roles at Black Dog Institute, Barbara May Foundation and Quest for Life Foundation. She has also served on several boards.
Ms Miller joined the organisation six years ago and said she was delighted to take on the role and carry on what Clyde Campbell had started.
"I have worked closely with him being a key part of the management foundation for the last six years," she said.
"It's a great opportunity now for me to continue forging ahead with what we've created so far."
She first became involved with the organisation when she saw a job available that interested her for several reasons.
"My grandmother was diagnosed with Parkinson's in the last decade of her life," she said.
"She was a very strong, independent woman. She'd been widowed in her early 60s, she was a pensioner, and she was a very Christian woman who did a lot of charitable work, particularly for her local parish.
"To see that woman gradually lose every single part of her being over 10 years was just devastating.
"It was my first awareness of Parkinson's disease. It was such a crippling and cruel disease to a woman who had just been nothing but goodness her whole life and such a hard worker."
Ms Miller has also witnessed a friend go through young onset Parkinsons.
"My husband had a friend at school, a close male friend at school, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's when he was 42, more than 20 years ago," she said.
"I've watched his life decline gradually over that period. It's been a much slower decline, but to see it take away so much of his life and his quality of life had an impact on me as well.
"So when the job became available, it just felt like a really good fit to me."
Outgoing CEO Mr Campbell, who started Shake It Up Australia Foundation in 2011 to fund the nation's most promising Parkinson's research following his diagnosis, has lauded Ms Miller's appointment.
"As Shake, It Up continues to grow and expand, this was the right time for me to pass the CEO baton over to Vicki. I look forward to seeing Vicki's contribution to the Foundation, whilst continuing my active involvement as Chairman of the Board," he said.
"Vicki is an empathetic and strong leader who has all the traits to successfully guide Shake It Up into its next phase. I look forward to continuing to work closely with her."
Ms Miller praised Mr Campbell for blazing a trail, as she looks ahead to Shake It Up's exciting future.
"I wholeheartedly admire Clyde's vision and tenacity. With Clyde at the helm, Shake It Up has made some incredible progress in advancing Parkinson's research, co-funding with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research 63 research projects across 19 research institutes to the value of $22 million.
"I look forward to guiding the team and continuing to work closely with Clyde towards our shared goal of finding better treatments and ultimately a cure for Parkinson's."
Ms Miller has the foundation's future firmly set in her sights.
"During COVID, we set up a new program within Shake It Up, which we call catalyst program velocity," she said.
"One of the things we learned during COVID is that we don't need to wait 10 years to get research, through the pipeline.
"You can accelerate that progress, but what it takes are tenacity, drive and money. So we decided to set up this program which is about accelerating new research through the pipeline and getting it to pharmacy shelves in a more timely manner to help people living with Parkinson's disease."
"So for us, it means growing our revenue streams, having more money available for that research, and looking at these new therapies that have the potential to change the course of the disease.
"Now new treatments are coming through that look like they're going to stop the disease progressing. It's a game changer for people living with Parkinson's."
Ms Miller also hopes to bring more clinical trials to Australia.
"Most of the major research is done in the northern hemisphere, either in the US or in Europe, or the UK," she said.
"So the people living in those countries get the benefits of participating in clinical trials, and Australians haven't had that opportunity.
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"So what we're looking to do is to bring more clinical trials to Australia. We funded the Australian Parkinson's genetic study at the beginning of 2022.
"That study was recruiting 10,000 Australians living with Parkinson's to map the genetic code, and that will be contributing to the global Parkinson's genetic study.
"We're not quite there yet, recruitment at the moment is around 7000, but we will get to our 10,000.
"Those people have the opportunity to register to participate in clinical trials in Australia."
Anyone looking to donate to Shake It Up or get involved with the clinical trials is encouraged to visit the website.
"If anyone wanting to support our catalyst program, which is at a major donor level can contact me, and I can have a confidential conversation with them about what that involves," Ms Miller said.
"If they want to participate in clinical trials, they can visit our website at www.shakeitup.org.au/. There's a link to participate in the Australian Parkinson's genetic study."
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