Christopher W. Hess, MD, and Michael S. Okun, MD

The Guest Editors of this issue of Seminars in Neurology are Drs. Christopher Hess and Michael Okun from the University of Florida College of Medicine.

Dr. Hess is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He is the Director of the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECC) Consortium Center, and the Medical Director of the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration at the University of Florida. Dr. Hess received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Honors in Biopsychology from William Patterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, and then received his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. After completing his medical internship at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, he did his residency in neurology at Columbia University Medical Center, followed by his fellowship in Movement Disorders and Clinical Motor Physiology at Columbia as well. He later became the Parkinson's Disease Foundation Ronald and Isobel Konecky Fellow in Movement Disorders at Columbia, before coming to the University of Florida as a faculty member in 2013. He is the principal investigator for numerous clinical trials in movement disorders and Parkinson's disease, and is clearly one of the emerging leaders in the field.

Dr. Okun received his MD from the University of Florida where he graduated with Honors. He completed his medical internship and neurology residency at the University of Florida. Following his residency, he was trained at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, one of the world's leading centers for movement disorders research. He is currently Chairman of Neurology, Professor and Co-director of the Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He was recently recognized at the White House as a Champion of Change for Parkinson's disease. He was instrumental in the development of a one-stop patient-centered clinical–research experience for national and international patients seen at the University of Florida. Dr. Okun is the National Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation and has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Smallwood Foundation, the Tourette Syndrome Association, the Parkinson Alliance, the Bachmann-Strauss Foundation, the National Parkinson Foundation, and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Dr. Okun has enjoyed a prolific research career exploring nonmotor basal ganglia brain features. He has been an integral part of some of the pioneering studies exploring the cognitive, behavioral, and mood effects of brain stimulation. Dr. Okun holds the Adelaide Lackner Professorship in Neurology and has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles. He has worked as a poet (Lessons From the Bedside, 1995), but it was his book, Parkinson's Treatment: 10 Secrets to a Happier Life, that has been translated into over 20 languages. His latest book, 10 Breakthrough Therapies in Parkinson's Disease, has just been published. Finally, Michael has been my good friend for many years, and I am deeply indebted to him for his friendship and willingness to help with this all-important issue.

This issue on “Update on Parkinson's Disease” is a truly marvelous one, navigated beautifully by Drs. Hess and Okun. They have enlisted the help of true experts in the field, with articles that will provide the reader with great insights into the management and future directions in a variety of aspects of Parkinson's disease. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Drs. Hess and Okun, as well as all of the contributing authors, for their great work on this outstanding issue of Seminars!