Nikolaus McFarland

Nikolaus McFarland, MD, PhD

Associate Professor Of Neurology, Wright/Falls/Simmons Professorship In PSP And Atypical Parkinsonism, Director UF HDSA Center Of Excellence

Department: MD-NEUROLOGY-MOVEMENT DISORDER
Business Phone: (352) 294-5400

About Nikolaus McFarland

My name is Nikolaus McFarland, MD, PhD, and I am an associate professor within the University of Florida Department of Neurology and a board-certified neurologist and movement disorders specialist at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health. I hold the Wright/Falls/Simmons Professorship in PSP/Atypical Parkinson’s.

I began my career as a neuroscientist but soon realized that I wanted my work to have a more direct impact on patients and their care. Thus, I pursued medicine and neurology training, receiving a medical and doctorate degree. I am constantly inspired by my patients and their families and caregivers, staying driven to make their lives better through comprehensive and compassionate care and research. I am passionate about helping my patients and finding answers to their diseases.

I completed my medical and doctoral training at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and my subsequent neurology residency at the University of Virginia in 2006. Then, I pursued fellowship training in movement disorders at the Massachusetts General Hospital and postdoctoral research in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders at the Mass General Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND).

During my time at Mass General, I served as an Instructor at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School. In 2010, I joined the UF faculty in the department of neurology as a member of the movement disorders division and the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CTRND), which aims to bring bench science closer to bedside care.

I see patients with a variety of movement disorders from Parkinson’s disease to tremor to dystonia, but I specialize in atypical Parkinson’s disorders such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and corticobasal syndrome.

I direct a comprehensive, multidisciplinary clinical research program for atypical Parkinson’s disorders and a clinic that is recognized as a CurePSP Center of Care. I also enjoy seeing Huntington disease patients and direct the UF Huntington Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence. I participate in multiple clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease, atypical Parkinson’s disorders and Huntington disease.

My primary goal is to improve the lives of individuals suffering from neurodegenerative disease. To achieve this goal, I have dedicated myself to advancing research and multidisciplinary care that involves a team of passionate individuals, working together to provide comprehensive care, support, education and research opportunities. I am privileged to work with an amazing team at the Fixel Institute and to collaborate with multiple researchers at UF seeking novel diagnostic tools and developing next-generation therapeutics.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family, including my wife (who is also a researcher in neurology) and two active kids. I am an avid classical violinist (and violist) and love playing music when I can. I also like spending time in my garage workshop building furniture.

Accomplishments

Fellow Member of the American Academy of Neurology
2017 · American Academy of Neurology
UF Excellence Award for Assistant Professors
2014 · University of Florida College of Medicine
Didactic Teacher of the Year Award
2013 · University of Florida, Neurology Residents
Wright/Falls/Simmons Professorship in PSP/Atypical Parkinson’s disease
2013 · University of Florida College of Medicine
Robert N. Koch Jr. Fellowship in Parkinson’s Disease Research
2008 · Massachusetts General Hospital
Neurology Resident Teaching Award
2006 · University of Virginia Health System, Neurology Department
Udall Fellowship in Movement Disorders
2006 · Massachusetts General Hospital

Teaching Profile

Courses Taught
2020
GMS6757 Introduction to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias: Clinical and Mechanistic Principles
2018-2019
GMS6705 Functional Human Neuroanatomy
2018
GMS7980 Research for Doctoral Dissertation
2013,2016-2017
GMS6750 Molecular Pathobiology of Neural Disease
2013,2015-2016
GMS6029 Brain Journal Club
2021-2022
MDU4001 Introduction to Medical Science Seminar 1
2021
MDC7800 Neurology Clerkship

Board Certifications

  • Neurology
    ABPN

Clinical Profile

Specialties
  • Neurology
Areas of Interest
  • Basal ganglia dysfunction
  • Deep brain stimulation
  • Dystonia
  • Essential tremor
  • Huntington disease
  • Movement – uncontrollable
  • Movement – uncontrolled or slow
  • Movement – uncoordinated
  • Movement – unpredictable or jerky
  • Multiple system atrophy – parkinsonian type
  • Progressive supranuclear palsy
  • Tremor disorders

Research Profile

Dr. McFarland is an active member of the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CTRND) which aims to bring the bench closer to the bedside. His research focuses on understanding the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson disease and related disorders, and in particular the role of alpha-synuclein in cell toxicity and neurodegeneration. His current studies utilize both cellular and preclinical models to study genes and molecules that may affect brain pathology. A primary goal of his research is to identify and to develop potential novel therapeutics for Parkinson disease and related disorders. His research extends also to the clinic where he is actively involved in multiple clinical trials for atypical Parkinson disorders and Huntington disease.

Areas of Interest
  • Clinical Translational Neuroscience
  • Huntington’s Disease
  • Lewy Body Dementia
  • Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
  • Neurodegenerative diseases
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)

0000-0002-8699-8857

Publications

2024
The Vocal Flutter of Multiple System Atrophy: A Parkinsonian-Type Phenomenon?
Movement disorders clinical practice. [DOI] 10.1002/mdc3.13988. [PMID] 38314679.
2023
Distinct cortical and subcortical predictors of Purdue Pegboard decline in Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism
npj Parkinson's Disease. 9(1) [DOI] 10.1038/s41531-023-00521-0. [PMID] 37277372.
2023
Progressive supranuclear palsy: current approach and challenges to diagnosis and treatment.
Current opinion in neurology. 36(4):309-316 [DOI] 10.1097/WCO.0000000000001163. [PMID] 37381926.
2022
Advanced diffusion imaging to track progression in Parkinson’s disease, multiple system atrophy, and progressive supranuclear palsy.
NeuroImage. Clinical. 34 [DOI] 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103022. [PMID] 35489192.
2022
Development and Validation of Automated Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index 2.0 to Distinguish Progressive Supranuclear Palsy-Parkinsonism From Parkinson’s Disease.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 37(6):1272-1281 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.28992. [PMID] 35403258.
2022
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Detects Progression in Parkinson’s Disease: A Placebo-Controlled Trial of Rasagiline.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 37(2):325-333 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.28838. [PMID] 34724257.
2022
Recommendations for Virtual Administration of the PSP Rating Scale.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 37(9):1960-1961 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.29142. [PMID] 35810447.
2022
Study in Parkinson’s disease of exercise phase 3 (SPARX3): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Trials. 23(1) [DOI] 10.1186/s13063-022-06703-0. [PMID] 36203214.
2022
WHOPPA Enables Parallel Assessment of Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2 and Glucocerebrosidase Enzymatic Activity in Parkinson’s Disease Monocytes.
Frontiers in cellular neuroscience. 16 [DOI] 10.3389/fncel.2022.892899. [PMID] 35755775.
2021
A New MRI Measure to Early Differentiate Progressive Supranuclear Palsy From De Novo Parkinson’s Disease in Clinical Practice: An International Study.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 36(3):681-689 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.28364. [PMID] 33151015.
2021
Best Practices in the Clinical Management of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Syndrome: A Consensus Statement of the CurePSP Centers of Care.
Frontiers in neurology. 12 [DOI] 10.3389/fneur.2021.694872. [PMID] 34276544.
2021
Robust α-synuclein pathology in select brainstem neuronal populations is a potential instigator of multiple system atrophy.
Acta neuropathologica communications. 9(1) [DOI] 10.1186/s40478-021-01173-y. [PMID] 33941284.
2021
Statistically Defined Parkinson’s Disease Executive and Memory Cognitive Phenotypes: Demographic, Behavioral, and Structural Neuroimaging Comparisons.
Journal of Parkinson's disease. 11(1):283-297 [DOI] 10.3233/JPD-202166. [PMID] 33216042.
2021
The TOPAZ study: a home-based trial of zoledronic acid to prevent fractures in neurodegenerative parkinsonism.
NPJ Parkinson's disease. 7(1) [DOI] 10.1038/s41531-021-00162-1. [PMID] 33649343.
2020
Automated MRI Classification in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A Large International Cohort Study.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 35(6):976-983 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.28007. [PMID] 32092195.
2020
Current Management and Emerging Therapies in Multiple System Atrophy
Neurotherapeutics. 17(4):1582-1602 [DOI] 10.1007/s13311-020-00890-x. [PMID] 32767032.
2020
Early-Motor Phenotype Relates to Neuropsychiatric and Cognitive Disorders in Huntington’s Disease.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 35(5):781-788 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.27980. [PMID] 31922295.
2020
Introducing a Supportive Care Team for Advance Directive Education in a Neurological and Neurosurgical Patient Population.
Journal of patient experience. 7(6):1286-1293 [DOI] 10.1177/2374373520932449. [PMID] 33457577.
2020
Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Neurofilament Light in the Differentiation of Parkinsonism.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 35(8):1388-1395 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.28060. [PMID] 32357259.
2020
Mild cognitive impairment and dementia in motor manifest Huntington’s disease: Classification and prevalence.
Journal of the neurological sciences. 408 [DOI] 10.1016/j.jns.2019.116523. [PMID] 31678902.
2019
A turn for the worse: Turning performance in Parkinson’s disease and Essential tremor.
Clinical biomechanics (Bristol, Avon). 70:245-248 [DOI] 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2019.09.008. [PMID] 31669958.
2019
Development and Validation of the Automated Imaging Differentiation in Parkinsonism (AID-P): A Multi-Site Machine Learning Study.
The Lancet. Digital health. 1(5):e222-e231 [DOI] 10.1016/s2589-7500(19)30105-0. [PMID] 32259098.
2019
Development of a transcallosal tractography template and its application to dementia.
NeuroImage. 200:302-312 [DOI] 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.065. [PMID] 31260838.
2019
Dissecting α-synuclein inclusion pathology diversity in multiple system atrophy: implications for the prion-like transmission hypothesis.
Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology. 99(7):982-992 [DOI] 10.1038/s41374-019-0198-9. [PMID] 30737468.
2019
Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) and free-water imaging in Parkinsonism.
Human brain mapping. 40(17):5094-5107 [DOI] 10.1002/hbm.24760. [PMID] 31403737.
2019
Recognizing and treating atypical Parkinson disorders.
Handbook of clinical neurology. 167:301-320 [DOI] 10.1016/B978-0-12-804766-8.00016-9. [PMID] 31753139.
2019
Safety of the tau-directed monoclonal antibody BIIB092 in progressive supranuclear palsy: a randomised, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose phase 1b trial.
The Lancet. Neurology. 18(6):549-558 [DOI] 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30139-5. [PMID] 31122495.
2017
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of coenzyme Q10 in Huntington disease.
Neurology. 88(2):152-159 [DOI] 10.1212/WNL.0000000000003478. [PMID] 27913695.
2017
Depressive Symptoms are Frequent in Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders.
Movement disorders clinical practice. 4(2):191-197 [DOI] 10.1002/mdc3.12382. [PMID] 28944256.
2017
Free water improves detection of changes in the substantia nigra in parkinsonism: A multisite study.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 32(10):1457-1464 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.27100. [PMID] 28714593.
2017
Functional activity of the sensorimotor cortex and cerebellum relates to cervical dystonia symptoms.
Human brain mapping. 38(9):4563-4573 [DOI] 10.1002/hbm.23684. [PMID] 28594097.
2017
Parkinson Disease and Autoimmune Disorders-What Can We Learn From Genome-wide Pleiotropy?
JAMA neurology. 74(7):769-770 [DOI] 10.1001/jamaneurol.2017.0843. [PMID] 28586798.
2017
Progression marker of Parkinson’s disease: a 4-year multi-site imaging study.
Brain : a journal of neurology. 140(8):2183-2192 [DOI] 10.1093/brain/awx146. [PMID] 28899020.
2017
Recognizing Atypical Parkinsonisms: “Red Flags” and Therapeutic Approaches.
Seminars in neurology. 37(2):215-227 [DOI] 10.1055/s-0037-1602422. [PMID] 28511262.
2017
Striatal and Hippocampal Atrophy in Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease Patients without Dementia: A Morphometric Analysis.
Frontiers in neurology. 8 [DOI] 10.3389/fneur.2017.00139. [PMID] 28450849.
2017
The ER retention protein RER1 promotes alpha-synuclein degradation via the proteasome
PLOS ONE. 12(9) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0184262. [PMID] 28877262.
2016
Diagnostic Approach to Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes.
Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.). 22(4 Movement Disorders):1117-42 [DOI] 10.1212/CON.0000000000000348. [PMID] 27495201.
2016
Free-water and BOLD imaging changes in Parkinson’s disease patients chronically treated with a MAO-B inhibitor.
Human brain mapping. 37(8):2894-903 [DOI] 10.1002/hbm.23213. [PMID] 27089850.
2016
Free-water imaging in Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism.
Brain : a journal of neurology. 139(Pt 2):495-508 [DOI] 10.1093/brain/awv361. [PMID] 26705348.
2016
Functional MRI of disease progression in Parkinson disease and atypical parkinsonian syndromes.
Neurology. 87(7):709-17 [DOI] 10.1212/WNL.0000000000002985. [PMID] 27421545.
2016
The relationship between balance confidence and control in individuals with Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinsonism & related disorders. 26:24-8 [DOI] 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2016.02.015. [PMID] 26949065.
2015
A multi-country Salmonella Enteritidis phage type 14b outbreak associated with eggs from a German producer: ‘near real-time’ application of whole genome sequencing and food chain investigations, United Kingdom, May to September 2014.
Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin. 20(16) [PMID] 25953273.
2015
Abnormal tactile pressure perception in Parkinson’s disease.
Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology. 37(8):808-15 [DOI] 10.1080/13803395.2015.1060951. [PMID] 26313511.
2015
Discriminating features of gait performance in progressive supranuclear palsy.
Parkinsonism & related disorders. 21(8):888-93 [DOI] 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2015.05.017. [PMID] 26032992.
2015
Distinct functional and macrostructural brain changes in Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy.
Human brain mapping. 36(3):1165-79 [DOI] 10.1002/hbm.22694. [PMID] 25413603.
2015
Distinct patterns of brain activity in progressive supranuclear palsy and Parkinson’s disease.
Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 30(9):1248-58 [DOI] 10.1002/mds.26294. [PMID] 26148135.
2015
Global attentional neglect of segmented lines in Parkinson’s disease.
Neurocase. 21(4):501-8 [DOI] 10.1080/13554794.2014.942671. [PMID] 25073971.
2015
Repetitive finger movement performance differs among Parkinson’s disease, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and spinocerebellar ataxia.
Journal of clinical movement disorders. 2 [DOI] 10.1186/s40734-014-0015-y. [PMID] 26788342.
2015
Unexpected dual task benefits on cycling in Parkinson disease and healthy adults: a neuro-behavioral model.
PloS one. 10(5) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0125470. [PMID] 25970607.
2015
Viral expression of ALS-linked ubiquilin-2 mutants causes inclusion pathology and behavioral deficits in mice.
Molecular neurodegeneration. 10 [DOI] 10.1186/s13024-015-0026-7. [PMID] 26152284.
2015
Weight loss and impact on quality of life in Parkinson’s disease.
PloS one. 10(5) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0124541. [PMID] 25938478.
2014
An eight-year clinic experience with clozapine use in a Parkinson’s disease clinic setting.
PloS one. 9(3) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0091545. [PMID] 24646688.
2014
Chronic treatment with novel small molecule Hsp90 inhibitors rescues striatal dopamine levels but not α-synuclein-induced neuronal cell loss.
PloS one. 9(1) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0086048. [PMID] 24465863.
2014
Defining the clinically meaningful difference in gait speed in persons with Parkinson disease.
Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT. 38(4):233-8 [DOI] 10.1097/NPT.0000000000000055. [PMID] 25198866.
2014
Driving errors in Parkinson’s disease: moving closer to predicting on-road outcomes.
The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association. 68(1):77-85 [DOI] 10.5014/ajot.2014.008698. [PMID] 24367958.
2014
MRI reveals brain abnormalities in drug-naive Parkinson’s disease.
Exercise and sport sciences reviews. 42(1):12-22 [DOI] 10.1249/JES.0000000000000003. [PMID] 24188978.
2014
The “brittle response” to Parkinson’s disease medications: characterization and response to deep brain stimulation.
PloS one. 9(4) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0094856. [PMID] 24733172.
2014
The Exam Starts in the Hallway: Movement Disorders in Geriatric Psychiatry
The American Journal Of Geriatric Psychiatry. 22(3, S):S32-S33
2013
Anti-tau antibodies: hitting the target.
Neuron. 80(2):254-6 [DOI] 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.10.009. [PMID] 24139027.
2013
Direct detection of alpha synuclein oligomers in vivo.
Acta neuropathologica communications. 1 [DOI] 10.1186/2051-5960-1-6. [PMID] 24252244.
2013
Driving performance and behaviors: a comparison of gender differences in Parkinson’s disease.
Traffic injury prevention. 14(4):340-5 [DOI] 10.1080/15389588.2012.717730. [PMID] 23531256.
2013
Efficient determination of purine metabolites in brain tissue and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical and UV detection.
Biomedical chromatography : BMC. 27(1):122-9 [DOI] 10.1002/bmc.2760. [PMID] 22674671.
2013
Movement disorders in 2012: Advancing research towards novel therapeutic approaches.
Nature reviews. Neurology. 9(2):70-1 [DOI] 10.1038/nrneurol.2012.265. [PMID] 23296342.
2013
Postmortem brain levels of urate and precursors in Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
Neuro-degenerative diseases. 12(4):189-98 [DOI] 10.1159/000346370. [PMID] 23467193.
2013
Postural/Gait and cognitive function as predictors of driving performance in Parkinson’s disease.
Journal of Parkinson's disease. 3(2):153-60 [DOI] 10.3233/JPD-120152. [PMID] 23938345.
2013
Valproate as a treatment for dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) in Parkinson’s disease.
Journal of neurology. 260(2):521-7 [DOI] 10.1007/s00415-012-6669-1. [PMID] 23007193.
2013
Variability in clinical phenotypes of heterozygous and homozygous cases of Parkin-related Parkinson’s disease.
The International journal of neuroscience. 123(12):847-9 [DOI] 10.3109/00207454.2013.810626. [PMID] 23767969.
2012
Are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors associated with greater apathy in Parkinson’s disease?
The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences. 24(3):326-30 [DOI] 10.1176/appi.neuropsych.11090210. [PMID] 23037646.
2012
Deep brain stimulation response in pathologically confirmed cases of multiple system atrophy.
Parkinsonism & related disorders. 18(1):86-8 [DOI] 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2011.09.008. [PMID] 21983018.
2012
Encephalopathy, hypoglycemia, and flailing extremities: a case of bilateral chorea-ballism associated with diabetic ketoacidosis.
Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.). 2 [DOI] 10.7916/D8RX99T2. [PMID] 23439397.
2012
Neurogenic potential of progenitor cells isolated from postmortem human Parkinsonian brains.
Brain research. 1464:61-72 [DOI] 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.04.039. [PMID] 22652067.
2012
Quantitative normative gait data in a large cohort of ambulatory persons with Parkinson’s disease.
PloS one. 7(8) [DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0042337. [PMID] 22879945.
2011
Interferon-γ induces progressive nigrostriatal degeneration and basal ganglia calcification.
Nature neuroscience. 14(6):694-6 [DOI] 10.1038/nn.2829. [PMID] 21572432.
2009
Alpha-synuclein S129 phosphorylation mutants do not alter nigrostriatal toxicity in a rat model of Parkinson disease.
Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology. 68(5):515-24 [DOI] 10.1097/NEN.0b013e3181a24b53. [PMID] 19525899.
2009
Comparison of transduction efficiency of recombinant AAV serotypes 1, 2, 5, and 8 in the rat nigrostriatal system.
Journal of neurochemistry. 109(3):838-45 [DOI] 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.06010.x. [PMID] 19250335.
2006
Improvement with corticosteroids and azathioprine in GAD65-associated cerebellar ataxia.
Neurology. 67(7):1308-9 [PMID] 17030779.
2002
Thalamic relay nuclei of the basal ganglia form both reciprocal and nonreciprocal cortical connections, linking multiple frontal cortical areas.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 22(18):8117-32 [PMID] 12223566.
2001
Organization of thalamostriatal terminals from the ventral motor nuclei in the macaque.
The Journal of comparative neurology. 429(2):321-36 [PMID] 11116223.
2000
Convergent inputs from thalamic motor nuclei and frontal cortical areas to the dorsal striatum in the primate.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 20(10):3798-813 [PMID] 10804220.
2000
Striatonigrostriatal pathways in primates form an ascending spiral from the shell to the dorsolateral striatum.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 20(6):2369-82 [PMID] 10704511.
1999
The concept of the ventral striatum in nonhuman primates.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 877:33-48 [PMID] 10415641.
1998
Genetic approaches to the detection of contaminants in Escherichia coli fermentations.
Biotechnology progress. 14(1):88-91 [PMID] 9496672.
1997
Insular cortical projections to functional regions of the striatum correlate with cortical cytoarchitectonic organization in the primate.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 17(24):9686-705 [PMID] 9391023.
1996
Control of islet intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression by interferon-alpha and hypoxia.
Diabetes. 45(10):1336-43 [PMID] 8826968.
1995
Organization of thalamic projections to the ventral striatum in the primate.
The Journal of comparative neurology. 354(1):127-49 [PMID] 7542290.

Grants

Jan 2024 ACTIVE
HDSA Center of Excellence 2024: University of Florida, Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Nov 2023 ACTIVE
UF MSA Center of Excellence
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY COALITION
Jul 2023 ACTIVE
FY24 CurePSP Center of Care Award
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: CURE PSP FOU
Jun 2023 ACTIVE
A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study of ATH434 in Multiple System Atrophy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ICON CLINICAL RESEARCH INC via ALTERITY THERAPEUTICS
Feb 2023 ACTIVE
A Phase II, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Finding Study to Evaluate the Safety, Biomarkers, and Efficacy of Tominersen in Individuals with Prodromal and Early Manifest Huntington's Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: GENENTECH INC
Jan 2023 – Dec 2023
HDSA Center of Excellence 2023 Award: University of Florida
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
May 2022 ACTIVE
214 Fund – CTOA McFarland CT Salary
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UNIV OF FLORIDA
May 2022 – Apr 2023
A Natural History Study of Clinical, MRI and biofluid biomarkers in patients with Early MSA biomarkers of Progression in MUltiple SystEms Atrophy (bioMUSE)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ALTERITY THERAPEUTICS
Apr 2022 ACTIVE
Real-World Utilization of Deutetrabenazine Initiated by a 4-week Patient Titration Kit
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: PRA HEALTH SCIENCES via TEVA BRANDED PHARMACEUTICALS PROD R&D
Apr 2022 – Mar 2023
Cure PSP Center of Care
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: CURE PSP FOU
Mar 2022 ACTIVE
Interventional, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multi-centre study to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Lu AF82422 in patients with Multiple System Atrophy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ICON CLINICAL RESEARCH LIMITED via H. LUNDBECK A/S
Jan 2022 – Dec 2022
HDSA Renewal 2022
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Nov 2021 ACTIVE
A Phase 2a Study of TPN-101 in Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: WORLDWIDE CLINICAL TRIALS via TRANSPOSON THERAPEUTICS
Sep 2021 ACTIVE
A Phase I/II, Randomized, Double-blind, Sham Control Study to Explore Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy Signals of Multiple Ascending Doses of Striatally-Administered rAAV5-miHTT Total Huntingtin Gene (HTT) Lowering Therapy (AMT-130) in Early Manifest Huntington Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: MEDPACE via UNIQURE BIOPHARMA BV
May 2021 – Jul 2023
Modified UMSARS Qualitative Research and Validation Protocol
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: BIOHAVEN PHARMACEUTICALS
May 2021 ACTIVE
Cognitive and Affective Network Dysfunction and Neuromodulation in Aging and Synucleinopathy
Role: Other
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIA
Apr 2021 ACTIVE
A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Arm, Multicenter Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Pridopidine in Patients with Early Stage of Huntington Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTON STUDY GROUP LTD via PRILENIA THERAPEUTICS
Jan 2021 – Dec 2021
HDSA 2021
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Dec 2020 ACTIVE
Open-Label Rollover Study for Continuing Valbenazine Administration for the Treatment of Chorea Associated with Huntington Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTON STUDY GROUP LTD via NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES
Oct 2020 ACTIVE
The Parkinsons Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) 2.0 Clinical – Establishing a Deeply Phenotyped PD Cohort
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: FOX FOU, MICHAEL J
Oct 2020 – Oct 2025
A Phase 3, 4-week, Multicenter, Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group Study of TD-9855 in Treating Symptomatic Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension in Subjects With Primary Autonomic Failure
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: IQVIA Holdings via DRUGDEV INC
Sep 2020 – Aug 2023
Synuclein-One Study
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: CND LIFE SCIENCES via NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Jun 2020 ACTIVE
1Florida Alzheimers Disease Research Center
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIA
Jan 2020 – May 2022
A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study to Assess the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Valbenazine for the Treatment of Chorea Associated with Huntingtons Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTON STUDY GROUP LTD via NEUROCRINE BIOSCIENCES
Jan 2020 – Dec 2020
Huntington's Disease Center of Excellence 2020
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Dec 2019 ACTIVE
LRRK2-Synuclein Interactions with Gut Inflammation in PD Pathogenesis
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: PARKINSONS FOU
Oct 2019 ACTIVE
Study in Parkinson Disease of Exercise Phase 3 Clinical Trial: SPARX3
Role: Co-Project Director/Principal Investigator
Funding: NORTHWESTERN UNIV via NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Aug 2019 – Sep 2021
Molecular and functional biomarkers of Parkinson's disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: QUADRANT BIOSCIENCES
Aug 2019 – Dec 2022
Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of BHV-3241 in Subjects with Multiple System Atrophy (M-STAR Study)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: BIOHAVEN PHARMACEUTICALS
Jan 2019 – Dec 2019
Huntingtons Disease Society of America Centers of Excellence Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Aug 2018 – Aug 2023
An Extension Study of ABBV-8E12 in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ABBVIE
Jul 2018 – Jul 2022
A Phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study in subjects with late prodromal and early manifest Huntington's disease (HD) to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of VX15/2503
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTON STUDY GROUP LTD via VACCINEX
Jul 2018 – Jun 2019
Huntingtons Disease Society of America Centers of Excellence Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Jan 2018 – Oct 2022
Proteinopathy in Atypical Parkinson disorders
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
Sep 2017 – Jun 2021
Neuroimaging Biomarkers in Parkinsonism: Differentiating Subtypes and Tracking Disease Progression
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Jul 2017 – Jul 2022
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Intravenously Administered BMS-986186 in Participants with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy–MS CN002-012 PSP
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ICON CLINICAL RESEARCH INC via BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO
Jul 2017 – Jun 2018
Huntingtons Disease Society of America Centers of Excellence Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Jun 2017 – Jun 2018
Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence
Role: Co-Project Director/Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL PARKINSON FOU
May 2017 – Jun 2020
Role of HLA/MHCII in Parkinson's Disease Pathogenesis
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: EMORY UNIV via NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Apr 2017 – Apr 2022
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Multiple Dose Study to Assess Efficacy, Safety, Tolerability, and Pharmacokinetics of ABBV-8E12 in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: ABBVIE
Jan 2017 – Oct 2022
Targeting Synucleinopathy in Multiple System Atrophy Parkinsonism
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UF FOUNDATION
Oct 2016 – Jul 2018
A Phase 2, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluating the effect of RVT-101 on gait and balance in patients with dementia.
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: AXOVANT SCIENCES INC
Aug 2016 – May 2023
Scaling and Sequencing Motor Output in Humans: fMRI Study
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Jul 2016 – Jun 2017
Huntingtons Disease Society of America Centers of Excellence Program
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: HUNTINGTONS DISEASE SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Jul 2016 – Jun 2017
National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) Center of Excellence
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL PARKINSON FOU
Feb 2016 – Sep 2021
A Multicenter, Open-Label, Long-Term Treatment Study of Intravenously AdministeredBMS-986168 in Patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Who Participated inStudy CN002003
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO
Dec 2015 – Apr 2017
TARGETING RER1 IN MODELS OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: FOX FOU, MICHAEL J
Oct 2015 – Oct 2017
A RANDOMIZED DOUBLE BLIND PLACEBO CONTROLLED SINGLE ASCENDING DOSE STUDY TO ASSESS THE SAFETY TOLERABILITY……
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: C2N DIAGNOSTICS
Oct 2015 ACTIVE
A Prospective Registry Study in a Global Huntington's Disease Cohort
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: CHDI FOUNDATION
Sep 2015 – Sep 2018
a randomized double blind placebo controlled multiple
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: FORTREA via BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB CO
Jul 2015 – Mar 2021
Role of Cortex and Cerbellum in Visually-Guided Motor Behavior
Role: Project Manager
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
May 2015 – Jun 2019
RAB PROTEINS AND ALPHA
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: FL CLINICAL PRACTICE ASSO
Sep 2013 – Aug 2019
White Matter Connectivity and PD Cognitive Phenotypes
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
Aug 2010 – Jul 2016
Rab Proteins and Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity in Neurodegene
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS

Education

Movement Disorders Fellowship
2008 · Massachusetts General Hospital
Neurology Residency
2006 · University of Virginia Health System
M.D.
2002 · University of Rochester School of Medicine
Ph.D. in Neurobiology & Anatomy
2001 · University of Rochester School of Medicine
B.A. in Biology
1992 · University of Chicago

Contact Details

Phones:
Business:
(352) 294-5400
Movement Disorders Administrative Support Assistant:
Addresses:
Business Mailing:
3011 SW Williston Rd
PO Box 100268
GAINESVILLE FL 32611
Business Street:
3011 SW WILLISTON RD
GAINESVILLE FL 32608