MichaelScottOkunMD

Summary

• Michael S. Okun obtained his M.D. with honors from the University of Florida. He was movement disorders fellowship trained by Drs Mahlon DeLong, Jerrold Vitek and Ray Watts at Emory University in Atlanta GA before moving to co-found the movement disorders program at the University of Florida. He is the past Chair of Neurology (2015-2023), Professor and Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health College of Medicine. Dr. Okun has served as the National Medical Director and most recently as the Medical Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation since 2006. He has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Smallwood Foundation, the Tourette Association of America, the Parkinson Alliance, the Bachmann-Strauss Foundation, the Parkinson’s Foundation, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Dr. Okun has an active research career and has been an integral part of some of the pioneering studies exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and mood effects of brain stimulation, and since 2005 his laboratory has been working to uncover the electrical brain signals associated with human tic. He has partnered with Drs Ayse Gunduz and Kelly Foote to develop a first generation of closed loop adaptive deep brain stimulation approaches. He and his group have contributed data to support the FDA approval of several device related approaches now used to treat human disease. Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Professorship in Neurology and has published over 500 peer reviewed articles. He is a poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995) and his book, Parkinson's Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life was translated into over 20 languages. His most recent co-authored books include Ending Parkinson’s Disease and Living with Parkinson's Disease. Dr. Okun was recognized in a 2015 White House ceremony by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Parkinson’s Disease.