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| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
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…| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
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…| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
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…| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
Congratulations to Drs. Adolfo Ramirez-Zamora, Michael S. Okun, and Wei Hu on the publication of “Parkinson’s disease quality of life at 12 months comparing invasive device-aided therapy with oral treatment,” which appears in the August issue of npj Parkinson’s Disease. Abstract Real-world impact of device-aided therapy on quality of life (QoL) in people with Parkinson’s remains unknown. This…| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
Congratulations to Grace Lowor, Julieth Gomez, Matthew Hook, Chris Butson, Kelly Foote, Michael S. Okun, and Aysegul Gunduz on the publication of “Understanding Network Interactions of Tic Generation in Tourette Syndrome,” which appears in the July/August issue of Brain Stimulation. Abstract B38: Presented at the 2024 NYC Neuromodulation Conference Synopsis We hypothesize that tic generation is mediated through localized neuronal interactions across the thalamic-basal ganglia n...| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
Congratulations to Dr. Steven DeKosky on the publication of “Brain Structures Associated with Depression in Older Adults in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set,” which appears in the August edition of the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. Abstract Purpose This study examined relations between four late-life depression subgroups (recent, >2 years ago,…| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
Congratulations to Dr. Nikolaus McFarland on the publication of “Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Syndrome,” which appears in the August issue of CONTINUUM Lifelong Learning in Neurology.| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Mallory Eisel, Jackson Cagle Kara Johnson, Joshua Wong and Coralie deHemptinne on the publication of “Finely Tuned Gamma Oscillations in the Globus Pallidus Internus in Parkinson’s Disease,” which appears in the August issue of Movement Disorders, Clinical Practice.| Department of Neurology » College of Medicine » University of Flo...
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 to Drs. David Vaillancourt, Nikolas McFarland, and Michael Okun on the publication of “Automated Imagining Differentiation for Parkinsonism,” which appears in the March issue of JAMA Neurology. Abstract Importance Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) paired with appropriate disease-specific machine learning holds promise for the clinical differentiation of Parkinson disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) parkinsonian variant,…| 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. Joshua Wong on the publication of “A Comprehensive Survey of Foundation Models in Medicine,” which appears in the January issue of IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering. Abstract Foundation models (FMs) are large-scale deeplearning models that are developed using large datasets and self-supervised learning methods. These models serve as a base for different…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Mahmoud Fayed, Amita Singh, Teng Peng and Anna Khanna on the publication of “Abstract TMP29: Evaluation of Missed Strokes on Scene by a Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, ” which appears in the February issue of Stroke. Abstract Introduction: Mobile Stroke Treatment Units (MSTU) are improving clinical outcomes by significantly shortening the time-to-treatment.…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Alfonso Enrique Martinez-Nunez, Coralie de Hemptinne, Dorian M Kussk, Adolfo Ramirez-Zamora, Kelly Foote, Michael Okun and Joshua Wong on the publication of “Proceedings of the 12th Annual Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank: Cutting Edge Technology meets Novel Applications,” which appears in Volume 19 of Frontiers of Human Neuroscience Brain Imaging and Stimulation.…| neurology.ufl.edu
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 Dr. Joshua Wong on the publication of “VisionMD: an open-source tool for video-based analysis of motor function in movement disorders,” which appears in the February issue of NPJ Parkinsons Disease. Abstract VisionMD, an open-source software for automated video-based analysis of MDS-UPDRS Part III motor tasks, offers precise, objective, and scalable assessments of motor symptoms…| neurology.ufl.edu
Congratulations to Drs. Alfonso Martinez-Nunez, Venkat Srikar Lavu, Joshua Wong, and Michael Okun on the publication of “Clinically probable RBD is an early predictor of malignant non-motor Parkinson’s disease phenotypes,” which appears in the January issue of npj Parkinson’s Disease. Abstract Non-motor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) significantly impact quality of life, especially in…| 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
Congratulations Dr. Michael Okun, on the publication of “Surgical Treatments of Parkinson’s Disease,” which appears in the January issue of ScienceDirect. Surgical interventions, including ablative techniques, deep brain stimulation, levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel infusion, and subcutaneous pump systems, are valuable treatment options for Parkinson’s disease (PD) in select cases when medication management is suboptimal.| neurology.ufl.edu
