Unsung But Impactful Voices of Clinical Research Heroes: Featuring Kayleigh Greenwood, Patient Engagement Specialist at The Michael J. Fox Foundation
In the world of clinical research, the distance between a study’s design and the real lives it’s meant to impact can feel vast. Trial protocols are written, materials are approved, and recruitment goals are set, but what about the people at the center of it all?
Kayleigh Greenwood, Patient Engagement Specialist at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, spends her days making sure that gap doesn’t go unnoticed. She works to ensure that patients aren’t just participants in clinical trials—they’re collaborators, co-creators, and at the heart of every decision.
“I’ve always prioritized making sure that the research I’m working on, no matter the topic, equitable and finds its way back into the hands of the people who created it—patients,” she says.
Over the past three years, Kayleigh has been dedicated to how Parkinson’s research is communicated. She reviews clinical trial protocols with a patient-first lens, consults with study teams to make participant materials more accessible, and manages the Foundation’s Fox Trial Finder, a tool that has already connected more than 12,000 people to clinical research opportunities since 2020.
But her job isn’t just about systems and logistics. It’s about listening to stories, concerns, hopes, and needs—and helping research feel more human.
Finding Her Way to Patient Engagement
Kayleigh didn’t originally set out to join the patient engagement team. “When I first started interviewing at the Foundation, it was actually for a different, less directly patient-focused position,” she recalls. But her background in public health and her desire to build relationships with those impacted by health and the healthcare system quickly revealed the right path.
“Fortunately, my (now) colleagues recognized that passion and led me to the Patient Engagement team.”
Today, her role offers a front-row seat to both the science of Parkinson’s and the lives it affects. Whether she’s speaking with study teams or listening to feedback from patients and care partners, it’s the human connection that fuels her work.
“The most rewarding part of my role is when I get to interact with study teams, researchers, and people with Parkinson’s and their families directly,” she says. “I love hearing how they’ve been impacted by the Foundation’s work—or learning firsthand about the new discoveries coming out of PD research.”
Real People, Real Impact
Of all her contributions, Kayleigh is particularly proud of her work on Fox Trial Finder—a platform that helps people find and connect with Parkinson’s clinical trials that might be right for them.
It’s a tool grounded in data, but for her, its true value lies in the deeply personal moments it enables.
“Anytime someone finds a clinical trial that excites them or their spouse, family member, or care partner enough to actually submit their information and sign up to participate, that’s when I feel the most proud,” she shares. “I love knowing that a tool like this exists out there, that it works, and that I get to help manage it.”
The Future of Parkinson’s Research? She Thinks It Might Start in the Gut
When asked about recent developments in Parkinson’s research that have caught her attention, she points to one area that’s generating a lot of buzz: the gut-brain connection.
“There’s been more and more conversation about the connection between Parkinson’s and the microbiome,” she explains. “Some believe the microbiome may play a role in developing Parkinson’s; others think Parkinson’s may affect the gut. That mystery—figuring out what comes first—is incredibly interesting.”
She’s excited to see how microbiome research might inform more targeted treatments, and anticipates it playing a larger role in clinical trials in the near future.
Staying Grounded in the Why
While research can often feel dense, data-driven, and complex, she never loses sight of the human side. For her, the most meaningful moments are often the quiet ones—conversations with patients, listening to their journeys, and helping them take the next step toward understanding or contributing to a trial.
“The thing I enjoy most is connecting real patients and their families with education and research opportunities,” she says. “It’s always a beautiful moment getting to speak firsthand with someone impacted by Parkinson’s, hear their story, and be able to share real, actionable resources with them.”
In those moments, science becomes something else—something personal.
A Few Fun Facts
When Kayleigh isn’t diving into protocols or chatting with study teams, you’ll probably find her cheering from the couch, decked out in Cubs blue or repping her hometown pride for the Kansas City Chiefs. Baseball? Football? She’s got both seasons covered.
She describes herself as analytical, loyal, detail-oriented, and witty—which basically means she’s the kind of person you want on your trivia team and your clinical research task force.
Her go-to music? Pop all the way. Whether it’s reviewing materials or prepping for calls, a good beat makes everything better. Listen to the song crafted just for Kayleigh.
A Note to the Community
To the thousands of people navigating Parkinson’s, supporting loved ones, or considering research participation, Kayleigh has a heartfelt message:
“Thank you to everyone in the Parkinson’s community who has and continues to access Fox Trial Finder and participate in clinical research. You are why our Patient Engagement Team exists, and we will continue to do all we can to make research accessible, easy, and hopefully a little fun for you.”
Kayleigh champions patient-friendly research! Clinical Research Professionals like her are changing the way research is done, not by rewriting the science, but by re-centering the people it’s meant to help. By making information understandable, tools accessible, and engagement personal, she’s helping ensure that Parkinson’s research doesn’t just reach the lab bench, but the lives that matter most.
Unsung, but deeply impactful. At TrialX, we’re proud to celebrate professionals like Kayleigh who make clinical research possible. Stay tuned for more from Unsung But Impactful voices of clinical research heroes.
