Nikolaus McFarland, MD, PhD

My name is Nikolaus McFarland, MD, PhD, and I am a Clinical 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.

Dr. McFarland has strong clinical interests in Parkinson disease and Atypical Parkinsonisms (Parkinson-plus syndromes) such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy. He and Dr. Christopher Hass, PhD developed a multidisciplinary clinical-research program for PSP and Atypical Parkinson’s disease through the support of the Allen family and several other afflicted families. This multidisciplinary clinic is now recognized as a CurePSP Center of Care and MSA Center of Excellence. He also Directs the UF Huntington Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence, a multidisciplinary clinic and research program for patients and families with Huntington disease.

Dr. McFarland is a member of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases and the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease (CTRND), which aims to bring the bench research closer to the bedside. His research focuses on understanding the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson disease and related disorders, and on identifying novel biomarkers for early detection and tracking of disease and therapeutic development. 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.