Gainsville, Fl

Day 2 – Parkinson’s Across America is at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Go Gators! We had the privilege of meeting with Dr. Michael Okun, the Executive Director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Florida and Chief Medical Advisor to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Dr. Okun emphasized the need for the Parkinson’s community around the world to work together toward finding a cure and challenged Parkinson’s Across America to become Parkinson’s Across the Globe.

In addition to Dr. Okun, we met Amanda Fessenden, the University’s coordinator of its activities as a Parkinson’s Foundation-designated Center of Excellence, Dr. Nita Chen, a Movement Disorder Fellow, and Nicole Herndon, a speech and swallow specialist, all part of the incredible team of professionals who make the University of Florida one of the premier institutions providing for the care and treatment of people living with Parkinson’s disease.

Thank you to Dr. Okun and his team for their words of encouragement and hope. We also are extremely grateful to Anna Shavers, Assistant Director of Communications at the Fixel Institute, for her hospitality and orchestrating our visit.