Renowned neuroscientists to join UF Health, propel discovery of treatments for neurological diseases

Fixel hires
(L-R) Drs. Matthew LaVoie, Ph.D., Malú G. Tansey, Ph.D., and Stefan Prokop, M.D.

Three renowned neuroscientists from top U.S. research institutions — Drs. Malú G. Tansey, Ph.D., Matthew LaVoie, Ph.D., and Stefan Prokop, M.D. — will join the newly established Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health, a world-class medical hub at the University of Florida focused on the pursuit of new therapies to treat some of the most complex neurological diseases.

Tansey and LaVoie will relocate their labs to Gainesville, where they will collaborate with teams of neuroscientists at UF’s Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Institute and become the first endowed chairs of the Fixel Institute, established in January with a $20 million gift from the Lauren and Lee Fixel Family Foundation. Prokop will be the first designated Fixel Scholar.

“As the first wave of hires enabled by the generous gift from the Fixels, I think we truly hit the trifecta,” said Todd Golde, M.D., Ph.D., director of the McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida and founding director of the CTRND. “I have known Drs. Tansey, LaVoie and Prokop for many years. They are outstanding scientists and highly collaborative. They will bring novel skills, scientific acumen and an incredible amount of energy to neuromedicine research at UF Health. It’s a testament to our neuromedicine faculty and institutional leadership that these scientists chose to come to UF to continue their work.”

Click here to read the full news release.