My name is Kelly Foote, MD, and I am a neurosurgeon who specializes in deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, tremor and other disorders. I have performed more than 2,000 DBS surgeries since joining the UF Department of Neurosurgery faculty in 2002. I co-founded and co-direct the world-renowned Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health with my neurology partner and friend, Michael Okun, MD.

I graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in material science engineering and went on to earn my medical degree there. I completed my neurosurgical residency at UF, a fellowship in DBS at the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France, and a fellowship in movement disorders neurology at Emory University. I am one of few neurosurgeons with fellowship training in both movement disorders neurology and DBS.

In addition to taking care of patients, I conduct research to optimize DBS outcomes and advance novel applications of DBS technology. My NIH-sponsored research has included projects applying and optimizing DBS therapy for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, severe tremor secondary to multiple sclerosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome. My research team is also invested in closed-loop neuromodulation and the neurophysiological characterization of functional brain circuitry.

I have been honored for my academic impact by induction into the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, and I have served on the executive council of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery as well as on scientific program committees for the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the International Movement Disorders Society.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, reading and playing. I love debating with my two adult sons, who have genuinely altered my own world view over the past several years and made me better. I’ve had a running weekly poker game with friends for over 25 years (it’s much more about the people than the cards), and I enjoy travel, especially when it involves outdoor adventures.