Allan Cole had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Michael Okun, who is among the foremost experts in the world on Parkinson’s disease. He reflects on current research, his commitment to finding better treatments and a cure, his hope for the future, and how he advises his patients to live well with Parkinson’s. You will learn a lot from spending half an hour with Dr. Okun.
Books by Dr. Okun. See links in his bio to order.
Michael S. Okun, M.D. is Chair of Neurology, Adelaide Lackner Professor, and Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health College of Medicine. He received his M.D. with honors from the University of Florida and, subsequently, was fellowship-trained at Emory University before establishing the movement disorders program at the University of Florida.
Dr. Okun has an active research career exploring non-motor basal ganglia brain features and currently holds two NIH R01 grants and several foundation grants exploring various aspects of deep brain stimulation and neuromodulation. Dr. Okun 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.
Among the world’s foremost experts in Parkinson’s disease as well as Tourette syndrome, Dr. Okun maintains an active research program and clinical practice and has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles. He is also a poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995), and his book, Parkinson’s Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life, has been translated into over 20 languages. Dr. Okun has served as the National Medical Director for the Parkinson’s Foundation since 2006 and was recognized in a 2015 White House ceremony by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Parkinson’s Disease.