Michael Okun will lead UF’s Department of Neurology.
Okun, a UF professor of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry, was appointed chair of UF’s Department of Neurology on Wednesday. As chair, he will make $378,000 per year.
Okun co-directs the UF Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, which he helped establish in 2002.
The Center cares for patients with neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease and Tourette syndrome.
He also established one of the world’s best brain simulation programs at UF, wrote Michael Good, the dean of UF’s College of Medicine, in an email.
Okun applied for the department chair position in March.
"Okun presented a very compelling and forward-looking vision for the UF department of neurology," Good said.
Okun said he hopes he can develop UF’s Department of Neurology to create the "perfect patient experience."
"Our philosophy is that the patient is the Sun, and we will as a healthcare team orbit around the patient," Okun said.
Ashley Lee, a UF health science senior with an occupational therapy concentration, said she was excited to see Dr. Okun named chair because of his work with Parkinson’s disease patients.
Her 74-year-old grandfather was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three months ago, Lee said.
After learning about Okun, Lee, 23, said she and her mom are looking into bringing her grandfather to be helped by Okun.
"I called my mother and said, ‘We need to get him over to him,’" she said.
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
