Michael S. Okun is an American neurologist, neuroscientist, and New York Times bestselling author who serves as the cofounder and director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at the University of Florida Health. He is the immediate past chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Florida and the current Medical Director/Advisor for the Parkinson’s Foundation. He is the fifth person at the University's College of Medicine to hold the rank of Distinguished Professor. 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 deep-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 first-generation closed-loop adaptive deep-brain stimulation approaches for many disorders. 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 600 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 coauthored books include Ending Parkinson’s Disease: A Prescription for Action, Living with Parkinson's Disease, and The Parkinson’s Plan. Dr. Okun was recognized in a 2015 White House ceremony by the Obama administration as a Champion of Change for Parkinson’s Disease.