Michael J. Fox Teams Up With The White House On 'Back To The Future' Day

The actor who portrayed Marty McFly urged Americans to envision a future without Parkinson's disease.
Elsa via Getty Images

Marty McFly is finally back in the future and he'd like you to imagine what the world will look like 30 years after Oct. 21, 2015, the day he captured our imaginations by riding around Hilldale on his iconic hoverboard.

In an email sent by the White House Wednesday, "Back to the Future" actor Michael J. Fox encouraged greater awareness of Parkinson's disease and urged Americans to participate in a series of online conversations dedicated to medical research and other scientific topics.

"Call me an optimist, but I believe that by 2045 we’ll find the cures we seek -- especially because of all the smart, passionate people working to make it happen," Fox wrote. "Doctors and researchers around the world are developing new tools to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases, to tailor treatments -- for all illnesses -- through precision medicine, and to make life better for millions of people. This truly is the stuff of the future."

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research is dedicated to finding a cure for the disease. In the U.S., at least 500,000 people are believed to suffer from Parkinson’s.

To commemorate the iconic date, the White House is holding discussions with innovators on topics such as the human brain, women in science and technology, and yes, even time travel.

"Together, we’ll make neurological illness a thing of the past," Fox said in the email. "And if we all eventually get hoverboards, well -- that's a bonus."

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