Congratulations to Dr. Irene Malaty on the publication of “An overview of transcranial direct current stimulation for tic symptoms in Tourette’s syndrome,” which appears in the August issue of Expert Reviews of Neurotherapeutics.| neurology.ufl.edu
This compelling video tells the inspiring story of Dr. Vinata Vedam-Mai, whose journey began with a childhood shaped by her mother, a passionate dance teacher. After her mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Dr. Vedam-Mai’s personal experience fueled her groundbreaking research in immunotherapy for the disease. Through her innovative approach, she has found a unique way…| neurology.ufl.edu
At the age of 9, Austin was diagnosed with dystonia. He underwent deep-brain stimulation, or DBS, at the UF Health Fixel Institute. During DBS, electrodes were implanted in Austin’s brain to disrupt the abnormal brain signals causing Austin’s debilitating and painful muscle contractions. Now 24, Austin’s dystonia is controlled, and he lives a fulfilling and…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Kelly Foote, Justin Hilliard, Michael Okun and Dawn Bowers on the publication of “Screening for a “trifecta” of executive function patterns in a large cohort of individuals with Parkinson’s disease,” which appears in the August edition of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. Abstract Objective: This study examined three neurocognitive patterns or…| neurology.ufl.edu
AHA Heart Walk: Sep 28th, Celebration Pointe, event open at 8am UF Health Benefits & Wellness Fair: Oct 11th, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, 9am-2pm UF Health Women’s Wellness Event: Oct 16th,Hilton UF Conference Center, 3pm-6:30pm World Stroke Day: Oct 29th, HVNM Lobby, 10am-1pm JBF Safe Kids Day: Nov 9th, Legacy Community Center, 9am-1pm| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Okun on the publication of “Standard of care, falling short: Patient views on accessing physical therapy for Parkinson’s disease,” which appears in the October 2025 issue of Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. Abstract There is a robust and growing body of evidence demonstrating the benefits of physical therapy (PT) for enhancing mobility…| neurology.ufl.edu
Join the Gator Brainwaves on October 11, 2025, by scanning the QR code. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025, and we are rallying to support the more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. This cause is close to many of our hearts, and it’s a crucial time…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations Drs. Melissa Armstrong and David Vaillencourt on the publication of “Sex and ethnicity in early‐onset Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and global function,” which appears in the August edition of Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring. Abstract Early‐onset Alzheimer’s disease (EOAD) may have distinct biomarker and clinical features from late‐onset AD (LOAD). EOAD is…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. David Vaillencourt, Melissa Armstrong, and Steven DeKosky on the publication of “Semantic intrusion errors differentiate between amnestic MCI who are plasma p-tau217+ from p-tau217- after adjusting for initial learning strength,” which was published in the July issue of Frontiers in Neurology. Abstract Background Semantic intrusion errors (SIEs) are associated with mild cognitive…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. Nikolaus McFarland on the publication of “Language impairment is associated with faster progression in progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome,” which appears in the July issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Abstract INTRODUCTION Cognitive impairment is common but often overlooked due to motor symptoms in progressive supranuclear palsy-Richardson syndrome (PSP-RS). This study investigates whether cognitive…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr.Hikaru Kamo, Koichi Nagaki, Lisa Warren, Alison R. Kraus, Michael S. Okun & Aparna Wagle Shukla on the publication of “Rehabilitation Strategies for Sleep and Autonomic Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease,” which appears in the July issue of Current Neurology Neuroscience. Report. Abstract Purpose of Review To evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapies for managing symptoms of sleep and…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Karan McFarland, Deepak Chhangani, Matthew LaVoie, and Diego Rincon-Limas on the publication of “Progressive Supranuclear Palsy PERK haplotype B selectively translates DLX1 promoting tau toxicity,” which appears as a preprint in the July issue of bioRxiv. Abstract The unfolded protein response (UPR) sensor PERK exists in two haplotypes termed A and B. PERK-B…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. David E. Vaillancourt on the publication of “Behavioral Classification of Sequential Neural Activity Using Time Varying Recurrent Neural Networks,” which appears in the July issue of IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation. Abstract Shifts in data distribution across time can strongly affect early classification of time-series data. When decoding behavior from…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. Nikolaus McFarland, on the publication of “Aerobic exercise-induced changes in fluid biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease,” which appears in the July issue of npj Parkinon’s Disease. Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor and non-motor symptoms that progressively deteriorate and for which there is no disease-modifying pharmacological treatment. Exercise…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. Matthew Farrer on the publication of “The age at onset of LRRK2 p.Gly2019Ser Parkinson’s disease across ancestries and countries of origin,” which appears as a preprint. Abstract Objectives: The LRRK2 p.Gly2019Ser pathogenic variant has reduced penetrance and presents a wide range of age at onset (AAO) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). We…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Michael Okun and Kelly Foote on the publication of “Biomarker changes associated with fornix deep brain stimulation in Alzheimer’s disease,” which appears in the June issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Abstract Introduction: Deep brain stimulation of the fornix (fx-DBS) is being investigated for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The therapy aims at alleviating…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Roysten Rodrigues and Katharina Busl on the publication of “Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in the Neurocritically Ill Population,” which appears in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Abstract Background/Objectives: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a preventable cause of morbidity in the neurocritical ill patient population. There is ongoing debate regarding the…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Bhavana Patel, Ashley Rawls, Tracy Tholanikunnel and Michael Okun on the publication of “Clinical Management of Parkinson’s Disease: Features, Diagnosis, and Principles of Treatment,” which appears in the July issue of Cold Springs Harbor Perspectives in Medicine. Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive, neurological syndrome that is associated with a plethora…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations Nicolle Davis, Jeannette Hester, Ashley Magnuson and Drs. Anna Khanna, Katharina Busl, Teng Peng and Amita Singh, on the publication of “NeuroICU FastTrack: Rapid Disposition of Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage from the Emergency Department to Neuro-ICU.” This article appears in the April issue of Neurocritical Care. Abstract Background Emergency department length of stay (EDLOS)…| neurology.ufl.edu
How the UF Health Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit and skilled neurology teams saved 57-year-old Lara’s Life. Jennifer Cruz Urbano • May 26, 2025 First things first: Wake up and open all the blinds. This was Lara Mehta’s morning routine. However, on one particular morning in August 2024, it felt different for the 57-year-old. “I felt kind of…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. Irene Malaty on the publication of “Response to Foslevodopa/Foscarbidopa by Sex: Post Hoc Analyses of 2 Phase 3 Clinical Studies, ” which appears in the April 8th issue of Neurology. Abstract Objective: Evaluate the sex-specific outcomes of people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) treated with foslevodopa/foscarbidopa(LDp/CDp). Background: Sex-specific differences have been reported in…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Joshua Wong and Adolfo Ramierz-Zamora on the publication of “Response to: Concerns Regarding GPi DBS and Mild Dysphagia in Parkinson’s Disease,” which appears in the April edition of Dysphagia.| neurology.ufl.edu
Dr. DeKosky, a prominent Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury researcher and UF alumnus, came to UF in July 2015 as the institute’s deputy director and professor of neurology in the College of Medicine. Prior to joining the McKnight Brain Institute, Dr. DeKosky was vice president and dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine from 2008 to 2013, and was then appointed emeritus professor of neurology . Prior to becoming dean at UVA, he spent 18 years at the University o...| Department of Neurology
Congratulations to Drs. Robert Eisinger, Michael Okun and Aysegul Gunduz on the publication of “Motivational disturbances and cognitive effort-based decision-making in Parkinson’s disease,” which appears in the May issue of Parkinsonism and Related Disorders. Abstract Background Motivational disturbances, such as apathy and impulse control disorders (ICDs), frequently co-occur in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The…| neurology.ufl.edu
Michael S. Okun received his M.D. with honors from the University of Florida. He was fellowship trained by Mahlon DeLong, Jerrold Vitek and Ray Watts at Emory University in Atlanta GA before moving to found the movement disorders program at the University of Florida. He is currently Chair of Neurology, Professor and Executive Director of the Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health College of Medicine. The UF Institute he co-founded with Kelly D. Foote, M....| Department of Neurology
Congratulations to Drs. Amanda D. Currie MD, Rachael M. Burke MD, Alfonso Enrique Martinez Nunez MD, Alana McKay MSW, LCSW, Christopher W. Hess MD, Justin D. Hilliard MD, and Michael S. Okun MD on the publication of “The Role of a Social Worker in the Deep Brain Stimulation Preoperative Evaluation: The DBS-FACTS Screening Tool,” which appears in the March issue…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations Drs. S. Venkatesan, A. Babajani-Feremi, S. Roper, and G Kalamangalam on the publication of “Amygdalar volume asymmetry informs laterality in temporal lobe epilepsy: MRI-SEEG study,” which appears in the February issue of Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy. Abstract Objective Amygdalar volumes are right-left asymmetric in normal humans. Asymmetric amygdalar hyperplasia is described in temporal…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Dr. Michael Okun on the publication of “Family with BCL11B Related Dystonia and Movement Disorders, ” which apears in the February issue of Movement Disorders Clinical Practice. BCL11B-related disorder (MIM#618092) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), immune deficiencies, and dysmorphic features. BCL11B is associated with the…| Department of Neurology
Congratulations to Dr. Anna Khanna on the publication of “Abstract WP90: Cost of Stroke Treatment: A Comparative Analysis of Mobile Stroke and Standard Treatment, which appears in the February issue of Stroke. Abstract Introduction: Over the past decade, Mobile Stroke Treatment Units (MSTU) have enhanced the quality of stroke care in the United States by…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Anastasi Bohsali, David FitzGerald, and Stephen Nadeau, on the publication of “Neural connectivity underlying core language functions,” which appears in the March issue of Brain and Language. Abstract Introduction Although many white matter tracts underlying language functions have been identified, even in aggregate they do not provide a sufficiently detailed and expansive…| neurology.ufl.edu