Dr. Okuda is a clinician-scientist and professor specializing in multiple sclerosis within the Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Okuda completed his undergraduate, graduate, and medical education at the University of Hawaii. He received his residency training in neurology at the Barrow Neurological Institute and went on to complete a fellowship in neuroimmunology at the University of California, San Francisco Multiple Sclerosis Center. Within UT Southwestern, he currently serves as Director of the Neuroinnovation Program, Director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Imaging Program, and Deputy Director of the MS Program at the Clinical Center for Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Okuda’s current focus involves end-to-end innovative approaches involving the design, creation and implementation of tools aimed at improving the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of patients with multiple sclerosis and other neurological diseases. He is both nationally and internationally recognized for his work in defining and investigating radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) and currently directs scientific strategies within the Radiologically Isolated Syndrome Consortium (RISC), a multi-national working group aimed at advancing the science of the very early forms of CNS demyelination. In addition to this work, his background involves translational research specific to novel efforts aimed at creating the next generation of diagnostic metrics and unique platforms for disease surveillance. He has designed and created highly successful technological applications including 3-dimensional imaging software, devices, and mobile applications that are being utilized for education, research, and patient care within the neuroscience field.
Dr. Okuda is a Diplomate of The American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc., Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, Fellow of the American Neurological Association, and member of the American Academy of Neurology Committees on Neuro-imaging and Ethics.