University of Florida Movement Disorders Center

Mahlon DeLong (1938-2024) was the GOAT in his long-running career as a combined neurologist and neuroscientist. He took great care of the world's GOAT (Ali), however this is one title (GOAT neurologist-neuroscientist) that belongs to him, and him alone. It is with a heavy heart that I pen this message. He was a father to me when my dad passed, and a father for many others in neurology and beyond. He was a father to the new field of neuromodulation. He was a father to a generation of great neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuroscientists who are now growing the next generation. Mahlon DeLong was more than an empathetic person, he oozed kindness and compassion. RIP Mahlon, you have impacted countless lives all over the world, and your science has alleviated much suffering for this generation and the next.

Mahlon Robert DeLong, M.D. passed away peacefully at home on May 17, 2024, at the age of eighty six, with his loving family around him. His medical career spanned over fifty years with notable achievements that contributed to foundational science, pioneering treatments and research for the challenging diseases of Parkinson's, Dystonia, and other movement disorders, and decades of patient care. He was known for his humility, generosity, caring nature, and intense interests across a wide and diverse spectrum of topics, which he shared freely with all those around him. Mahlon was born in 1938 in Des Moines, IA, and spent his early childhood there and in Kansas. He soon headed west to Balboa Island in Newport Beach, CA, where he attended the Newport Harbor Union High School, beginning his life-long love for swimming in and being near the ocean. He graduated cm laude from Stanford University in 1961, during which he spent a year abroad at the Free University of Berlin, Germany. After a year in graduate school at Stanford University, he then traveled east and graduated cm laude from Harvard Medical School in 1966. After finishing an internship and the first year of his residency at Boston City Hospital in 1968, he moved south to work at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. There he was a Research Associate at the Laboratory of Clinical Science, serving as part of the Reserve Corps in the U.S. Public Health Service. He continued as a Staff Fellow in the Laboratories of Clinical Science and Neurophysiology where he began his life-long passion for and focus on movement disorders, specifically focused on parts of the brain called the basal ganglia. At the time, while it was known that the basal ganglia were generally involved in movement, there was little known about the specifics. Mahlon and colleagues significantly advanced the knowledge about how circuits and networks related to the basal ganglia interacted with the rest of the brain and movement. He then moved to Baltimore, MD, where after completing his residency in Neurology in 1976 he joined the faculty of Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine. He became a full professor of Neurology and Neuroscience in 1986. During this time, he led intense and deep research into the basal ganglia and the associated brain circuits involved in movement, emotions, and cognition. In 1990, Mahlon was recruited by Emory University to serve as the Chair of the growing Neurology Department and served in that capacity until 2003. Under his leadership, the Department grew substantially, both in size and national and international impact. Among his many accomplishments, he and his team refined a ground-breaking neurosurgical procedure that brought profound relief to patients suffering from the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Mahlon was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2004 and the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences in 2009. In 2014 he received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his pioneering work in the basal ganglia and his development of a life-changing procedure for those affected by Parkinson's disease. He was likewise recognized for this work, along with his colleague Dr. Benabid, with the 2014 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award. Throughout his career Mahlon held leadership positions and served on dozens of national and international foundations, associations, and advisory boards, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Neurological Association, the Society for Neuroscience, the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, and the American Parkinson Disease Association. He published hundreds of papers and gave hundreds of lectures and symposiums to national and international audiences. He was a mentor to and fostered the career development of a whole generation of neurologists, many of whom have become leaders around the globe. Mahlon retired in 2019 as Professor Emeritus and spent time with family and friends, enjoying trips to the shore as he had throughout his life, ranging from the Pacific to the Atlantic - from Nova Scotia to South Carolina, and abroad. He was known for his endless curiosity, his care and love for those around him, and his passion for and love of gardening and dogs, many of whom he rescued throughout his life. He is survived by his wife, Mary DeLong; his children Bryan DeLong (Toni), Ariane DeLong (Roger Chalmers), John DeLong (Melissa), and Laura Aspey (Stuart). He was Grandpa to Sarah, Sam, Alex, Zack, Ella, Rosie, Will, Mary, and Abigail. He was also brother, uncle, cousin, and relative to many and an "adopted father" to a key few – always willing to help those in need around him. His concern for others, willingness to listen, and calm nature will be deeply missed. There will be a celebration of life at a later date. Mahlon was closely involved with a number of organizations including the Emory University Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center, the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, and the American Parkinson Disease Association. A tribute in his memory can be made with a donation in his name to one or more of these organizations or another of your choice.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mahlon-delong-obituary?id=55166257
A Handful of key papers to give you a flavor of the quality of his scientific contributions:
PARALLEL ORGANIZATION OF FUNCTIONALLY SEGREGATED CIRCUITS LINKING BASAL GANGLIA AND CORTEX (1986, over 10,000 citations)
https://www.annualreviews.org/docserver/fulltext/neuro/9/1/annurev.ne.09.030186.002041.pdf?expires=1716497718&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=9A86BAFB6278B95168CF18D0554DADE2
Primate models of movement disorders of basal ganglia origin (1990, more than 4500 citations)https://meded.ucsd.edu/neu232/secure_docs/docs2007/BG_TINS_041207.pdf
Reversal of experimental parkinsonism by lesions of the subthalamic nucleus (1990, over 2000 citations)https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2878195.pdf

Watch Dave Iverson's talk on his perspectives as a caregiver and as a person with Parkinson's.

Dave Iverson- writer, documentary film producer/director, and retired broadcast journalist. Following his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2004, he became a founding member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Patient Council.

We appreciate Dave Iverson, an esteemed writer, filmmaker and our Robert B. Stockdale Lecture Fund guest speaker, for his generous donation to our institute. Dave donated proceeds from his book signing and author talk during this year's Parkinson Symposium. Thank you, Dave!

Lisa Warren, occupational therapist and rehab manager, talks about the importance of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy & Speech Therapy in evaluating and treating Parkinson's Disease. Link below:

UF-led researchers link new genetic mutation to increased risk of Parkinson’s (RAB32 Ser71Arg variant)

UF-led researchers link new genetic mutation to increased risk of Parkinson’s » McKnight Brain Institute » University of Florida In The Lancet Neurology, UF-led global research team reports evidence of a new genetic mutation linked to greater risk of developing Parkinson’s.

Join us on April 6 for a wonderful educational event on Parkinson disease. Big thank you to the Parkinson's Foundation for supporting!

Save the date on Saturday, April 6th for our Annual Parkinson Symposium!

This is a FREE educational day open to the public and a great way to update your knowledge about Parkinson's Disease meeting people who are fighting for a cure.
📍North Central Baptist Church, 8001 NW 23rd Ave., Gainesville.
🕗 Doors open at 8 a.m., first speaker will start at 9 a.m.
❕Don't forget to RSVP.

Congratulations to Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases' Dr. Vaillancourt, Ph.D. for his recent installation as the Orchid Endowed Chair by University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance Dean Reid.

Dr. Vaillancourt received a medallion for his amazing achievements in changing the standard of care for use of MRI in Parkinson's disease (PD).

Jaw Clonus, involuntary and rhythmic jaw contractions, can often be confused with tremors when triggered without a stretch.

Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases' Rohini Kumar, Jamie Blackband and Aparna Wagle Shukla, M.D., analyze the differences between the two in a video abstract recently published in the Journal Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Disorders.

The video shows a patient at rest with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with rhythmic jaw movements. The analysis revealed a 10 Hz peak, a frequency higher than those seen in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), essential tremor, myorhythmia and tardive syndromes.

Read the full article and watch the video: https://tremorjournal.org/articles/10.5334/tohm.845

Learn about Focused Ultrasound for Essential Tremor in this talk from neurosurgeon Justin Hilliard, MD:

Focused Ultrasound: Improving Quality of Life for Essential Tremor - Justin Hilliard, MD UF Health Dr. Justin D. Hilliard of UF Health Neurosurgery, discusses an incisionless, outpatient treatment for patients diagnosed with Essential Tremor. If you or so...

Today is the inaugural commemorating the birthday of Dr. Fritz Jacob Heinrich Lewy (1885-1950), for whom the abnormal clumps of a natural-occurring protein in the brain - alpha-synuclein - now known as Lewy Bodies, were named.

Despite being a little-known form of dementia, (LBD) is the second most common form of cognitive impairment after , affecting tens of millions of people worldwide.

Spread awareness about this disease by sharing this post with your . Explore the 10 things you should know about LBD on our website at https://ow.ly/Z39z50QvbGR 👥💜

The Lewy Body Society A2MCL Association des aidants et malades à corps de lewy Lewy.ca Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center Lewy Body España Lewy Body Dementia Australasia Asociación Lewy Body Argentina ALBA

Here's a podcast episode from 2 years ago with our own Dr. Melissa Armstrong discussing cognition in Parkinson disease:

Experts Discuss: Thinking and Memory, Parkinson's and a Pandemic Our experts share information, strategies and tips for living with or caring for someone with mild thinking and memory changes.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an emerging therapy for mood disorders like treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In the past, tractography has provided insight into how DBS modulates disorder-related brain networks. Now, tractography is increasingly used to guide DBS for psychiatric disorders.

In a new perspective piece published in Taylor & Francis Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases' Jason Chan, M.D., Ph.D., Ariane Carpentier, M.D., Joshua Wong, M.D., and Michael Okun, M.D., analyzed the challenges and future direction of tractography-guided DBS while identifying a promising tool for improving DBS outcomes for mood disorders.

Congrats on the publication!

Read the full Taylor & Francis Online article: https://ow.ly/BO7X50QqaMQ

The WPC welcomes Dr. Malú Gámez Tansey to the WPC Board of Directors. Her skills and expertise will help enhance the collective efforts of the WPC.

Read more: https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/675385134/world-parkinson-coalition-announces-new-board-leadership

New study aims to improve relay of dementia diagnosis » McKnight Brain Institute » University of Florida Patients, caregivers contributed to UF-led research to update recommendations for communicating dementia diagnosis.

Congratulations, to UF Health neurosurgeon, Justin Hilliard, MD and his team for recently completing the first focused ultrasound procedure for essential tremors at University of Florida Health Neuromedicine Hospital!

Focused ultrasound, or FUS, is an FDA approved, outpatient, incisionless treatment option for patients with essential tremor. During the procedure, ultrasound waves are directed through the skull to target a region of the brain called the thalamus. The thalamus is a center within the brain that processes motor information, and in those with essential tremor, it is receiving poor quality information from other regions of the brain resulting in tremor. Focused ultrasound creates an ablation within the thalamus, disrupting the abnormal flow of information through it, thereby significantly reducing tremor. Patients experience instantaneous relief and return home the same day of the procedure.

Our new neuroimaging suite is ready for clinical and research use. Details below!

With 15,000 square feet of additional space and four new specialized imaging machines, The Dorothy Mangurian Neuroimaging Suite at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health is moving medicine forward at the University of Florida. The new tools can help pinpoint the exact brain location causing seizures and can help researchers who study , and . Learn more at https://go.ufl.edu/tnu6kzg 🧠 🐊

Seven members of the Fixel Institute Parkinson's disease treatment team answer questions about various issues patient's are facing.
https://buff.ly/45T3oDb

Managing Bowel and Bladder Issues in Parkinson’s Disease with Pelvic Floor Therapy from Rachael Yeager Dorsey, MOT, OTR/L

Pelvic Floor Therapy for Parkinson's Disease - UF PD Educational Symposium 2023 Managing Bowel and Bladder Issues in Parkinson’s Disease with Pelvic Floor Therapy from Rachael Yeager Dorsey, MOT, OTR/LThe Norman Fixel Institute for Neuro...

Ask the Expert from this year's Symposium is now on YouTube!

Looking for an expert opinion? Check out the Ask the Expert session at the 21st Annual PD Symposium!

Neurologists, social workers, rehab therapists, neuroscientists and more answered questions about Parkinson’s care, services, therapies and research.

Watch the recorded Ask the Expert session at https://youtu.be/VR22-1QB4Ic

Fixel Institute becomes the first National Ataxia Foundation Center of Excellence in Florida » Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases » University of Florida Under the leadership of Drs. Matthew Burns and Sub Subramony, the Fixel Institute receives recognition as an Ataxia Center of Excellence by the National Ataxia Foundation.

Drs. Burns and Subramony have been building a true Center of Excellence for Ataxia here at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases.

Fixel Institute becomes the first National Ataxia Foundation Center of Excellence in Florida » Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases » University of Florida Under the leadership of Drs. Matthew Burns and Sub Subramony, the Fixel Institute receives recognition as an Ataxia Center of Excellence by the National Ataxia Foundation.

Our Center of Excellence offers interdisclipinary care provides services to HD patients and families in Florida and surrounding regions . Find out more here:

HDSA Huntington’s Disease Center of Excellence at UF Health » Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration Program NORMAN FIXEL INSTITUTE for NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES » UF Health » University of Florida The Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration offers the highest level of integrated, interdisciplinary care for patients with movement and neuropsychiatric disorders. The Center includes clinicians and researchers from the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, neuroscience, neuropsychology, s...

Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases’ 21st annual symposium about Parkinson’s Disease is in 2 days!

Join us on May 13th, either in person or virtually.

It is free, open to the public and a great way to update your knowledge of Parkinson’s Disease.

Doors open at 8 am
The first speaker starts at 9 am
Lunch is included for those that RSVP

RSVP to attend or to get the Zoom link by emailing [email protected]

Expanded UF brain bank offers new resources for neuroscience researchers » McKnight Brain Institute » University of Florida Vast collection of brain and tissue samples will aid in studies to advance understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.

Our Huntington's Disease Society of America Center of Excellence offers interdisclipinary care to people with Huntington's disease. Find out more here:

HDSA Huntington’s Disease Center of Excellence at UF Health » Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration Program NORMAN FIXEL INSTITUTE for NEUROLOGICAL DISEASES » UF Health » University of Florida The Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration offers the highest level of integrated, interdisciplinary care for patients with movement and neuropsychiatric disorders. The Center includes clinicians and researchers from the fields of neurology, neurosurgery, neuroscience, neuropsychology, s...