Cook is best known for developing a patient-centered approach known as the Parkinson's Disease Self-Efficacy Learning Forum (PD SELF), which enables patients to improve their quality of life and possibly affect the trajectory of their disease through the application to Parkinson's of the principles of self-efficacy, as identified by Dr. Albert Bandura of Stanford University.
Cook has served as senior patient advocate since 2009 for the ProjectSpark Foundation, headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
Cook is a member of the advisory committee for the University of Colorado Movement Disorders Center and a patient representative to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Cook has been a co-investigator on a study on the value of teaching self-efficacy to recently diagnosed Parkinson's patients and their care partners.
She also has been a co-principal investigator with scientists at the University of Colorado Movement Disorders Center on opportunities and obstacles to patient engagement in the research process.
Cook received the HOPE Award from the Colorado Neurological Institute in 2011 for her educational activities on behalf of Parkinson's patients and for serving as an inspiration to others.