Advertise on podcast: Too Young For This Sh*t with Allie Signorelli

Greg Schaefer is an 19-time IRONMAN who is living with Young Onset Parkinson's disease.Greg shares how being diagnosed changed his life, and how he's applying the principles and discipline of his athletic career to his Parkinson's symptoms. Greg will compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kona.  Greg and I talk about finding out he had Parkinson's, how it has affected his family, and how he's come back to racing with resilience.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

Joining me this week on the podcast is Dan Feehan, Chief Policy & Government Affairs Officer for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. After witnessing the September 11 attacks while a student at Georgetown University, Dan joined the Army, completed Ranger School, and served two combat tours in Iraq. His service was recognized with the Bronze Star and Army Commendation Medal with Valor. Following his military career, Daniel dedicated himself to education, teaching middle school math in underserved communities in Chicago, Illinois and Gary, Indiana. His commitment to public service led him to the White House Fellowship program, after which he went on to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness at the Pentagon. Dan received his master’s in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and joined the Fox Foundation last summer where he now leads the government relations team. We talk about his incredible career, the state of Parkinson’s policy, the importance of advocacy and how listeners can get involved.   More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

Esther Labib-Kiyarash, aka “Shaking In My Boots” is my funny, brilliant, blunt Parkinson’s pal who really did not like me at first. Ha ha! She understands the highs and lows of living our lives online. It’s a role we take seriously despite being totally giggly 99% of the time we talk. In this episode we pull back the curtain on the role of social media in advocacy, how we try to bridge the gap between patients and providers, our families, our futures and so much more. Too Young is a podcast about fighting back and finding joy in the face of the difficult things that life throws our way...no matter what age we are. Here we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we employ a few explicit battle cries, but most of all, we share authentic stories about how to survive this thing we call life.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

Molly R. Stern is an incredibly successful and in-demand celebrity make-up artist, a mom and an advocate. At the height of her career, Molly was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and on this episode, we talk about resilience and what it takes to keep working and doing the things you love in the face of a shocking diagnosis. I invited one of Molly’s clients and friends, actress and brain health advocate Mandy Moore to join us as a special surprise. Enjoy!!! Too Young is a podcast about fighting back and finding joy in the face of the difficult things that life throws our way...no matter what age we are. Here we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we employ a few explicit battle cries, but most of all, we share authentic stories about how to survive this thing we call life.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

Joining Allie this week is neuroscientist and social media star Toby Curless. Toby is a PhD candidate at University College of London studying neuroscience. He is also a skilled communicator who breaks down complicated concepts of neurodegenerative diseases for the TikTok generation. Too Young is a podcast about fighting back and finding joy in the face of the difficult things that life throws our way...no matter what age we are. Here we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we employ a few explicit battle cries, but most of all, we share authentic stories about how to survive this thing we call life.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

Join me and celebrated author of The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd as we talk about her incredible career and her life with Parkinson's.  Too Young is a podcast about fighting back and finding joy in the face of the difficult things that life throws our way...no matter what age we are. Here we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we employ a few explicit battle cries, but most of all, we share authentic stories about how to survive this thing we call life.  More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as possible parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.   

For the official inaugural episode of the Too Young for this Sh*t podcast, Allie welcomes the one and only Michael J. Fox. Michael joins Allie to talk about his newest book Future Boy and they are joined by his co-author and longtime friend and collaborator Nelle Fortenberry.  The book shares the incredible story of the time in Michael's career when he was filming Family Ties during the day, and Back to the Future at night. They also talk about creating the Fox Foundation 25 years ago and his return to acting on the hit show Shrinking opposite Harrison Ford.  I hope you enjoy my conversation with Michael and Nelle!   More to Parkinson’s is an educational campaign, sponsored by Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc., to increase awareness among caregivers and patients of the existence of hallucinations and delusions as common parts of Parkinson’s disease. Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a sponsor of this podcast. Ryan Reynolds is a spokesperson for Acadia. Views expressed are those of the hosts. Visit moretoparkinsons.com to learn more and for additional resources.  

I mean...do we even need a description here? My sit down with the legendary news icon Katie Couric. We talked all about Parkinson's and a million other things that I can't even really remember because I am pretty sure I blacked out for most of this conversation. What I do know is that she is hysterical and generous and I am lucky to know her.

Join me and Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Michael Okun as we chat about their New York Times bestselling book The Parkinson's Plan which lays out a path forward to ending this awful disease. It's not all science and confusion though - we laugh a lot and talk about ways people can save their brains. In The Parkinson’s Plan, the docs show readers how to prevent the disease through the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the lifestyles we live. They introduce the “Parkinson’s 25,” the most detailed checklist ever created to allow anyone to lower their risk of Parkinson’s. They interview the world’s top scientists, clinicians, and thought leaders in the Parkinson’s field to offer a detailed plan for treatment that includes cutting-edge methods and recent technological and medical advances. 

Join me as I chat with the amazing Ai-jen Poo who has been recognized among Fortune’s 50 World’s Greatest Leaders and Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, and she has been the recipient of countless awards, including a 2014 MacArthur "Genius" Award. Ai-jen has been a featured speaker at TEDWomen, Aspen Ideas Festival, Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, Skoll World Forum, and the Obama Foundation Inaugural Summit.

A conversation with producer, actress, writer, director and nonprofit founder Lauren Miller Rogen who started Hilarity for Charity (HFC) with her husband Seth Rogen. Lauren lost her mom to early onset Alzheimer's and created HFC to bring light to the disease and to support caregivers. Lauren shares her mom's story and the incredible work HFC is doing today to educate the next generation about the importance of brain health. 

Dr. Rachel Dolhun is a double-board-certified neurology and lifestyle medicine physician and fellowship-trained movement disorder specialist, who joined The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2014 to lead medical communication. This conversation is about being a woman with Parkinson's and all that that entails. Spoiler alert: PD is not the same experience for women as it is for men. Join us as we talk all things gals, brains and more!

Join me and Dr. Michael Okun, New York Times bestselling author of The Parkinson's Plan and He is a leading national spokesperson for Parkinson's disease, and has been extensively quoted in The New York Times, Wall St. Journal, USA Today, CNN and other media.   He is the former Chair of Neurology at the University of Florida. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health. The Institute is unique in that it is comprised of more than 150 interdisciplinary faculty members from diverse areas of campus, all of whom are dedicated to care, outreach, education and research. The Institute is well known for its science and service hub model of care and research as well as for its international think tanks.   Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Professorship in Neurology and has published more than 600 peer-reviewed articles and trained over 80 MD fellows in Parkinson’s disease. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, he is a published poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995) and author of 15 books including most recently The Parkinson’s Plan (2025). His research is highly cited and has appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Lancet and many other peer-reviewed venues. He has been invited to speak about Parkinson's disease and movement disorders all over the world and was honored at the White House in 2015 as a champion for change in Parkinson’s disease. His book Parkinson’s Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life has been translated into more than 20 languages.

Join me and Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) as we talk about the historic passing of the National Plan to End Parkinson's act which was named in honor of his brother Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis who lived with Parkinson's disease. This was recorded shortly after President Biden signed the law to create the National Parkinson's Project in July 2024. 

Dr. Ray Dorsey is a leading voice in Parkinson’s disease research and care, and a tireless advocate for rethinking how we approach chronic illness. A neurologist by training, he combines deep clinical experience with a passion for how technology can fuel health care innovation and change. “I knew I wanted to be a doctor in first grade,” says Dr. Dorsey, whose parents were both psychiatrists. “I’ve always loved learning and I still do.” Dr. Dorsey holds a Bachelor of Science in biological sciences from Stanford University, and a joint MD/MBA degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School